Trainings & Short Courses
Ten short courses and trainings are currently scheduled for dates before and after the formal NACCB.
Most classes will be held at the Marriott conference site or at UC Berkeley's Geospatial Innovation Facility.
Please remember that you must sign up and pay for short courses/trainings when you register for the Congress. Short course/trainings reservations are first come, first served.
Short Course/Training 1 FULL! (SCT1). An Introduction to Best Practices in Species Distribution Modeling in Conservation. Saturday, July 14th, 2012, 8:00AM-3:00PM.
Species distribution models (SDMs) are commonly used in conservation to anticipate the effects of global climate change on species of concern. This course will demonstrate how SDMs can be used to connect nature, climate, and people by exploring the ecological theory behind SDMs (climate-species relationships) and how their implementation and output can be interpreted in light of management goals (nature-people relationships). We will pay special attention to modeling rare species with few distributional records. By the end of the course participants should be able to: (1) obtain and clean species distribution records; (2) select and process predictors used in the model (e.g., climate layers); (3) implement at least one commonly used SDM (MAXENT); (4) interpret model results; and (5) analyze output maps. We will walk through an exercise with prepared data, but participants are encouraged to bring their own species data. The exercises will use the most commonly employed SDM (MAXENT), but we will also explore other models. Participants will become familiar with several SDM software platforms like ModEco and the R package dismo. Half of the course will involve hands-on modeling using computers at UC Berkeley’s GIF Lab (participants do not need to bring laptops).
Lead Instructor: Adam B. Smith, Postdoctoral Fellow, Missouri Botanical Garden
Cost: $60.00 [THIS COURSE IS FULL]. Location: GIF Lab, UC Berkeley Mulford Hall. Group size: 30 maximum.
Short Course/Training 2 (SCT2). Working with ModelBuilder for ArcGIS. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 8:00AM-5:00PM.
This course will show how to use ModelBuilder to create tools to perform basic and advanced geoprocessing and analysis tasks. The course will first cover the ArcGIS Geoprocessing environment, which provides the foundation for ModelBuilder operations. Students will then learn how to create models and tools (dialog boxes with user input) in ModelBuilder. Students will see how to use ModelBuilder to both automate basic workflows and to also perform complex analysis. The models will cover a variety of functions, including iteration, batch operations, and branching. Students will also learn how to add Python Scripts to ModelBuilder. This is a practical, hands-on course designed to increase your productivity, making both analysis and basic tasks more efficient. All exercises work with conservation oriented data and scenarios. This course will help anyone who is involved in any type of habitat analysis, conservation planning, corridor analysis or other conservation needs that will require developing and testing models.
Lead Instructor: John Schaeffer, GIS Analyst and Lead Instructor, Juniper GIS\SCGIS
Cost: $60.00. Location: GIF Lab, UC Berkeley Mulford Hall. Group size: 27 maximum.
Short Course/Training 3 (SCT3). An Overview of Structured Decision Making. Thursday, July 19th & Friday, July 20th, 2012, 8:00AM-5:00PM. NOTE: this is a two-day course
Structured decision-making (SDM) is the application of formal decision analysis to natural resource management. This introductory course was developed to provide conservation managers, policy makers, and scientists with an overview of SDM and the skills a manager would need to frame and analyze a decision; the quantitative aspects of decision analysis are not emphasized. The course takes managers through the PrOACT process, where decision-makers and stakeholders outline the Problem being addressed, the Objectives of the management program, the Alternative actions that could be implemented, the Consequences of these alternative actions, and the Tradeoff analyses needed to make a decision about which alternative to implement. Other concepts covered include dealing with uncertainty, risk, and stakeholder involvement in decision problems of both small and large scale. This course meets all the goals outlined by SCB by instructing managers, policy-makers, and stakeholders on a systematic and transparent process for making better decisions for biodiversity management. Those taking the course will leave with the knowledge to show others how to use this process for better decision-making and how to engage all decision-makers and stakeholders in the decision-making process. Without such clear decision-making processes and focused engagement of stakeholders, we cannot hope to successfully engage society in conservation.
Lead Instructor: Donna Brewer, Applied Landscape Conservation Coordinator, National Conservation Training Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Cost: $120.00. Location: Marriott. Group size: 30 maximum.
Short Course/Training 4 (SCT4). Integrated Social-Ecological Resilience Assessments for Effective Community-Based Conservation in a Changing Climate. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 1:00PM-5:00PM.
This course will offer scientists and conservation practitioners a multidisciplinary framework and methods for (1) identifying social and ecological elements and processes that may be adversely affected by rapid climate change, (2) assessing ecological and social vulnerability in the face of rapid global change, and (3) developing strategies to build or sustain adaptive capacities and resiliency of societies and ecosystems. Instructive case studies from the Asia-Pacific region, California and the Southwestern U.S. will be presented, offering tools and tips developed in projects around the world. The course addresses the need to cope with global changes that affect our climate, population, and natural capital. We offer participants an opportunity to integrate rigorous social and natural sciences into conservation, fostering stronger connections between science and practice that addresses people, nature, and climate. This course also emphasizes application of science to manage ecosystems, species and natural capital at multiple scales from landscapes to ecoregions, while also taking into consideration human well-being and sustainable development. Our case studies are drawn from working landscapes where we and our partners are working to sustain the natural ecosystems that support people and nature. The session will introduce conservationists to science-based, pragmatic methods for integrating social science into conservation that have been tested and refined at diverse places in North America and around the world.
Lead Instructor: Supin Wongbusarakum, Senior Social Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
Cost: $40.00. Location: Marriott. Group size: 48 maximum.
Short Course/Training 5 (SCT5). Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Integration with Adaptation Planning into a Conservation Planning Approach. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 8:00AM-5:00PM. [Note: as of 28March, this course is merged with former SCT8 "Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Course." The description below is thus slightly modified and the course time has been extended from 9:00AM-3:00PM to new time of 8:00AM-5:00PM. Price is unchanged at $60]
This short course, delivered in two parts, is appropriate for those conducting watershed, resource management, conservation, or land use planning that wish to integrate climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning. The course will help natural resource managers and conservationists to: 1) assess the vulnerability of resources and infrastructure to a variety of stressors including climate change, and 2) develop landscape-scale adaptation alternatives. Using "Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment," the first section of the course will give an overview of a training given at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center. This training assists practitioners in identifying which species or habitats are likely to be most strongly affected by projected changes, understanding sources of vulnerability for these resources, and provide an overview of tools supporting these methods. The guide is the product of an expert working group on climate change vulnerability assessment convened by the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The second half of the course will focus on an approach and toolkit adapted from NatureServe's work on a land-sea decision support toolkit, the Refuge Vulnerability Assessment process developed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Yale framework for climate adaptation. All steps in the approach are supported by a decision support toolkit, and the process is intended to be carried out by natural resource planners and managers and GIS staff, consultants, or partners. This part of the course will be a participatory session with presentations on the process and participant exercises and interaction to further illustrate the methodology. Participants will be provided with hard copies of the Scanning the Conservation Horizon guidebook and digital copies of the Integrated Land-Sea Technical Guide and Refuge Vulnerability Assessment Handbooks for further guidance.
Lead Instructors: John Rozum, EBM Tools Training Coordinator, Coastal Marine Ecosystem-based Tools Network; Jennie Hoffman, Directing Scientist, EcoAdapt; Michelle Haynes, Course Leader, Applied Landscape Conservation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center; Patrick J Crist, PhD., Director, Conservation Planning & Ecosystem Management, NatureServe
Cost: $60.00. Location: Marriott. Group size: 35 maximum.
Short Course/Training 6 (SCT6). Orienting with GPS, Map and Compass. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 1:00PM-4:30PM.
This course will explore fundamentals of orienting - knowing where you are and how to get where you're going - and gathering geographic data in the field. Learn about commonly used earth coordinate systems, formats, and datums. Dash through some quick basics on using topographic maps. Orient yourself with sun or stars without any technology. Introduction to the compass, still an important tool and safety backup. Record and follow field bearings. Learn to use a GPS unit for common fieldwork needs and safety. Hands-on step-through of GPS operation, menus, setup, calibration, and practical guidance. Bring your own GPS unit and compass (ideally) or use one provided. Participants should come prepared to go outside for a portion of the course, rain or shine.
Lead Instructor: D.H. Wright, Staff Environmental Scientist, California Department of Fish and Game
Cost: $40.00. Location: GIF Lab, UC Berkeley Mulford Hall. Group size: 20 maximum.
Short Course/Training 7 (SCT7). Wildlife Camera Tips. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 9:30AM-11:30AM.
Participants will gain practical knowledge of trail camera use, and should be able to successfully design and implement a wildlife camera study using common camera brands. Emphasis will be on practical details of "trail camera" study design, protocols, camera placement, and camera operation, with hands-on practice and review using two common brands of cameras.
Lead Instructor: D.H. Wright, Staff Environmental Scientist, California Department of Fish and Game
Cost: $40.00. Location: GIF Lab, UC Berkeley Mulford Hall. Group size: 20 maximum.
Short Course/Training 8 (SCT8). Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Course. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 8:00AM-5:00PM.
Please see "Short Course/Training 5 (SCT5) above, with which SCT8 has been merged (as of 28MARCH). Congress registrants interested in a SCT8 are directed to SCT5 "Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Integration with Adaptation Planning into a Conservation Planning Approach"
Short Course/Training 9 (SCT9). How to Sketch Waterfowl and Wildlife. Thursday, July 19th, 2012, 8:30AM-12:30PM.
Learn techniques to quickly and accurately sketch wildlife from life. Drawing is a useful tool to augment your field notes and help you observe wildlife more carefully. In this outdoor workshop, we will learn how to quickly draw waterfowl and other animals at the Lake Merritt Rotary Nature Center. With a combination of demonstrations, technique lectures, and time to practice you will refine your ability to draw what you see, capture behavior and posture, correct anatomical details, deal with moving subjects, and learn how artists simplify complex subjects to help you get it down on paper with speed and accuracy.
Lead Instructor: John Muir Laws, Biologist/ Illustrator, California Academy of Sciences
Cost: $40.00. Location: Rotary Nature Center at Lake Merritt. Group size: 50 maximum.
Short Course/Training 10 FULL! (SCT10). An Introduction to Remote Sensing: Working with Digital Imagery. Sunday, July 15th, 2012, 8:00AM-5:00PM.
This short course consists of two parts and is appropriate for participants with little to no experience in remote sensing. The first section will introduce the very basic principles of understanding digital imagery, both satellite and aerial. Through a combination of lecture and interactive activities, we will explore what makes up a multi-spectral image, where to find and download them, and how to view them using a variety of software applications. The second section introduces digital image analysis techniques using Erdas Imagine, ENVI, and eCognition software. This includes pixel based classification techniques utilized to create land cover maps from raw satellite imagery using "unsupervised" and "supervised" classification approaches, as well as segmentation methods using Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA).
Lead Instructor: Kevin Koy, Executive Director, Geospatial Innovation Facility, U.C. Berkeley
Cost: $60.00 [THIS COURSE IS FULL]. Location: GIF Lab, UC Berkeley Mulford Hall. Group size: 25 maximum.
PLEASE NOTE: Short courses and trainings will be cancelled with full refund if minimum number of participants is not met by May 15, 2012.