Extension, Outreach and Training Events
SNR hosts a number of extension, outreach and training events. Some of these events are listed here by general topic:
Title: Central Region Woodland Stewardship Conference
When: Yearly on a Saturday in November
Where: National Arbor Day Foundation’s Lied Lodge in Nebraska City, NE
Sponsored by: State and Extension forestry in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska
Description: The conference is specifically designed to provide landowners in the four-state area with the knowledge and skills to manage their woodland and related resources using good stewardship principles. The conference format includes hour-long presentations in four concurrent sessions covering wildlife, woodland management, working trees (agroforestry) and tree care, along with evening sessions on tree identification and pruning, and tours of the Arbor Day Farm Conservation demonstrations.
Attendance: Limited to 250
Title: Nebraska Tree Care Workshops
When: Annually in March
Where: Six locations across Nebraska
Sponsored by: Nebraska Forest Service, UNL Cooperative Extension and Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Description: These popular, award-winning workshops provide basic and advanced, up-to-date information about tree care to arborists, nursery professionals, grounds keepers, master gardeners, landowners and others who work with trees. Landscape tree care is the main focus of the workshops, though many of the topics covered apply to trees in any situation.
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
Title: Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT)
When: ad hoc, as scheduled; see http://www.calmit.unl.edu/training.php for more information
Sponsored by: CALMIT
Description: CALMIT provides training in the geospatial technologies through university classes, short courses, seminars, web tutorials and video-conferencing. Training is conducted at CALMIT's PC Lab, the University of Nebraska Technology Park and on-site for special events. CALMIT faculty have extensive experience in current remote sensing and GIS software. Software taught includes: ArcGIS, a scalable system of software for GIS; Imagine, image processing software for geographic imaging and photogrammetry; and ENVI, an image processing package with advanced, yet easy-to-use spectral tools.
Title: Nebraska Well Drillers Association (NWDA) Short Course
When: Annually, the second week in January
Where: Kearney, Nebraska
Sponsored by: Nebraska Well Drillers Association and SNR (Conservation and Survey Division, state geological, water and soil survey)
Description: The short course is designed to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that meet state of Nebraska regulations for those holding licenses in water well-related industries. The conference format includes individual sessions on various topics. These may include new regulations, safety, industry techniques and new products. Participants are required to attend the complete event in order to earn CEUs, meals and breaks are included with registration.
Attendance: Open to NWDA members and non-members; particularly useful to well drilling industry and natural resource district personnel
Title: Nebraska Well Drillers Association (NWDA) Convention
When: Annually in mid-February
Where: Lincoln, Nebraska
Sponsored by: Nebraska Well Drillers Association, SNR (Conservation and Survey Division), NWDA suppliers and jobbers
Description: The annual convention serves as the site for NWDA Annual General Membership meetings and committee meetings. The event features a trade show, educational activities which are designed to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) that meet state of Nebraska regulations for those holding licenses in water well-related industries, and social activities for members and other interested parties.
Attendance: Open to NWDA members and non-members
Title: Nebraska Water Conference
When: Yearly for two days, normally in early to mid-March.
Where: Varies on a yearly basis. Normally rotates between Lincoln, Kearney and North Platte. For more information, see http://snr.unl.edu/waterconference/
Sponsored by: UNL Water Center, School of Natural Resources and the Nebraska Water Conference Council.
Description: The conference typically explores timely water and water-related issues of interest to and impacting all Nebraskans. The central topic or theme varies each year. Programs and abstracts are available.
Attendance: 150-200 (not limited)
Contact information: UNL Water Center, 402-472-3305
Title: Water and Natural Resources Tour
When: Yearly, normally for two to three days and normally conducted during the third week in July.
Where: Varies on a yearly basis. The tour is normally conducted in Nebraska, though it has traveled to neighboring states, as well as other locations nationally and internationally. The tour is normally staged from either Lincoln or Kearney.
Sponsored by: UNL Water Center, School of Natural Resources, Nebraska Water Conference, Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, Nebraska Public Power District, Nebraska Association of Resource Districts and others.
Description: The tour began many years ago as the annual irrigation tour. More recently it has expanded from looking solely at irrigation-related topics to a variety of water and natural resources issues affecting all Nebraskans. State and regional topics of interest and controversy often take precedence, though a very wide range of topics has been presented through the years.
Attendance: Normally limited to about 100.
Contact information: UNL Water Center, 402-472-3305
Title: Platte Watershed Symposium.
When: Every other year for two days, normally in November.
Where: Kearney, Nebraska
Sponsored by: UNL Water Center, Platte Watershed Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others.
Description: The bi-annual symposium explores research and educational programming related to the ecology of Nebraska’s Central Platte River Basin area.
Attendance: Approximately 200.
Contact information: UNL Water Center, 402-472-3305
Title: Central Plains Severe Weather Symposium
When: Early Spring (one day event)
Where: Southwest High School in Lincoln
Sponsored by: High Plains Regional Climate Center, School of Natural Resources, Lancaster County Office of Emergency Management, National Weather Service, Omaha/Valley Nebraska, University of Nebraska Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Description: The first Symposium was held on Aug. 29, 1999, in Omaha, Nebraska. The event was then moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, and has been organized by Dr. Ken Dewey, High Plains Regional Climate Center, School of Natural Resources, UNL, since 2000. The symposium is now offered on an annual basis in Lincoln. The popularity of the event has been phenomenal. About 500 people attended the first symposium in 1999, and about 4,000 attended in 2005. The number of exhibits has increased from five in 1999 to 37 in 2005. National and local experts will be invited to talk about how to better prepare to mitigate injuries and loss of life and property from all forms of severe weather. The exhibitors also provide brochures and handouts that help the public better plan to "survive the storms."
Attendance: free, open to all ages, up to about 5,000 rotating through, depending on building safety.
