2013 NAIPSC Field Course

The NAIPSC Field Course is an opportunity for land managers (public and private), landowners, policymakers, researchers, and graduate students to receive training in the basics of invasive plant ecology and management. The three-day course provides in-depth learning on the principles of integrated weed management, herbicide modes of action, plant identification, biological control, GPS and remote sensing applications, and spatial distribution analysis of invasive plant species populations. Also included will be instruction on the use of restoration practices designed specifically for managing invasive plant species.

The NAIPSC Field Course is three days of intense instruction and learning for those interested in the basics of invasive plant ecology and management. The course combines hands on workshops, site visits and instructor-led discussion sessions to provide the most in-depth, comprehensive education on a variety of principles and topics related to invasive plant ecology and management.

Special Session: Biocontrol

Ever had a question about biocontrol? Maybe you've been interested to know exactly how biocontrol works and the impacts. Or, you want to know the process of establishing biocontrol and monitoring biocontrol agents. Or, you are interested in the latest research and changes coming for biocontrol. The 2013 NAIPSC Field Course is going to answer these questions and more in the NAIPSC Special Session. You won't want to miss this one!

Instructors for the 2013 NAIPSC Field Course

George Beck, Colorado State University
Eric Coombs, Oregon Department of Agriculture
Anita Dille, Kansas State University
Richard Hansen, USDA APHIS, Colorado
Ellen Jacquart, The Nature Conservancy
Chad Jones, Connecticut College
John Kartesz, BONAP, North Carolina
Andrew Kniss, University of Wyoming
Jane Mangold, Montana State University
Joe Milan, US BLM, Idaho
Tim Prather, University of Idaho
Tom Stohlgren, USGS, Colorado
Jerry Volesky, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Steve Young, University of Nebraska-Lincoln


New Program - Invasive Plants: Impacts on Ecosystems

Are you interested in more than just how to control invasive plants? Have you had questions about where invasive plants occur and how they are impacting the most pristine to the most degraded ecosystems? Maybe you just want to know what an invasive plant is. If so, then you need to sign up for the all new course entitled, "Invasive Plants: Impacts on Ecosystems". In this 15-week course offered through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, you'll learn how invasive plants in arid climates are affecting hydrological cycles, the changes below-ground caused by invasive plants, the legacies of invasive plants, and much more.

The format of this 3-credit course is similar to other college-level courses, except that the all of the instruction, materials, and activities are located online. You won't have to leave the comfort of your own home (or your nearby Starbucks) to hear the pre-recorded lectures, and participate in the discussion board and complete the problem sets and other various assignments. To put all of your new found knowledge to use, an optional final project on several topics including land manager interviews, invasive plant spotlights, and creating an educational program will be available.

For any professional, researcher, student, or instructor working or teaching in the fields of conservation or land management, this course is for you. No other course is going to teach you the 'why' and 'how' relating to the establishment of invasive plants in terrestrial ecosystems. Find out more by contacting Dr. Steve Young (steve.young@unl.edu) or downloading a brochure. The next course begins January 2014. Sign up today!


2012-2013 NAIPSC Webinar Series

The NAIPSC Webinar Series ended May 8, 2013. We started with Phragmites and ended with native plants - very appropriate for how we would like to see many areas infested with invasive plant species. We have archived all 16 webinars on the NAIPSC OC website, which includes 18 hours of viewing and listening. Did you miss one? Have a favorite? Don't worry because you can go back at any time and replay the recorded versions. Contact information for each speaker is also listed should you have any questions or comments. 

The NAIPSC Webinar Series will be on break until next fall. If you have a suggestion or idea, please contact me. We're always looking for new topics. Are you interested in being a speaker for a webinar? Let me know.

Keep checking back for the next agenda.


Contact: Steve Young, NAIPSC organizer (steve.young@unl.edu)