October 3, 2013

The first annual North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Short Course (NAIPSC) Web Course will be offered Jan. 22-23, 2014.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension two-day course will provide participants in-depth learning they’d expect in a traditional invasive plants field course, said Steven Young, weed ecologist at UNL’s West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte.

“Whether you’re interested in management, restoration, monitoring or identification, you’ll have the opportunity to learn without the hassle of traveling,” Young said.

During the online course, participants will hear from top instructors and have the opportunity to communicate with them and other participants in real-time via the Internet.

Similar to the NAIPSC field course, this course will cover:

• the principles of integrated weed management,
• the use of herbicides and other control tools,
• mapping and spatial distribution analysis of invasive plant species populations,
• restoration, and much more.

In addition greenhouse and lab demonstrations will allow participants to hone their plant identification skills and see firsthand how plant stress can play a role in effective approaches to restoration.

Continuing education units will be available for the Society for Range Management and other supporting organizations. Graduate students can earn up to two academic credits by completing online assignments following each course. Participants will be registered for the NAIPSC Online Community, which will offer support and information throughout the year.

Cost is $350, which includes instruction, materials, live viewing and access to instructors. For more information about the NAIPSC, visit http://ipscourse.unl.edu/ or contact Young at 308-696-6712, steve.young@unl.edu. To register, go to: http://go.unl.edu/growonline.

Sandi Alswager Karstens
IANR News