April 27, 2012

The Nebraska Environmental Trust is awarding a $15,000 grant to UNL for the North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Short Course to be hosted at UNL's West Central Research and Extension Center this summer.

The hands-on course will be June 26-28 at North Platte and cover the basics of invasive plant ecology and management for public and private landowners, managers, students and others. It will include presentations, hands-on workshops, site visits and instructor-led discussions on the latest in invasive plant ecology and management.

Course moderator and Extension Weed Ecologist Steve Young said the course will focus on learning the principles of integrated weed management, herbicide modes of action, plant identification, biological controls, using technology to analyze invasive plant species populations and instruction on using restoration practices for managing invasive plants.

“Last year was our first year for the NAIPSC short course. We’ve modified it this year to address the most pressing subjects, like water use by invasive plants and developing a basic management strategy using GPS and mapping in a full day field exercise. West central Nebraska hosts many of the same invasive plant species found throughout North America, so it is an ideal location for the course,” he said.

Course instructors are from UNL as well as from across the country, including Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

Registration and Credit

Registration is $650 and includes course materials, meals and transportation to off-site locations. Registration deadline is May 1 and the course is limited to the first 40 applicants. The NAIPSC course is primarily for land managers, public and private landowners, researchers, policymakers and students.

Continuing education unit credit is available from the Society for Range Management and other sponsoring organizations and graduate students can earn up to two academic credits by completing online assignments following the course.

A course brochure, which includes daily course activities and registration details, is online at http://ipscourse.unl.edu. For additional questions, phone (308) 696-6740 or email llehmann1@unl.edu

Sponsors

Course cosponsors include Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Society for Range Management, Center for Invasive Plant Management, Midwest Invasive Plant Network and others.

The Nebraska Environmental Trust was created by the Legislature in 1992 using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery to fund projects that protect habitat, improve water quality, and establish recycling programs in Nebraska. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources and has provided more than $178 million in grants for more than 1,300 projects.