WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES PROTOCOL - ATLANTIC CANADA (WESP-AC) TRAINING COURSES

Transcription

1 FROM: WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES PROTOCOL - ATLANTIC MARITIME COLLEGE OF FOREST TECHNOLOGY SUBJECT: WESP-AC TRAINING COURSES SEPTEMBER 18 th - 19 th & 20 th 21 st 2018 The Maritime College of Forest Technology s, Department of Continuing Education is pleased to offer our Wetland Ecosystems Services Protocol- Atlantic Canada (WESP-AC) Training Course in Amherst, Nova Scotia with Dr. Paul Adamus as your instructor. Due to expected demand, we are offering two sessions. The first session will be held on Tuesday September 18 th and Wednesday, September 19 th, with the second session Thursday, September 20 th and Friday, September 21 st. In the event that there are insufficient numbers to run a second course we will only run the September 18 th and 19 th session. The classroom sessions will be held at the Super 8 Amherst with field sessions in Aulac, New Brunswick. Please note seats are limited, so please apply early. The cut-off date is September 13 th at 5 PM. If you have any questions or wish to reserve a seat on this or any other course, please call (506) Todd MacPherson, Supervisor Department of Continuing Education 1350 Regent Street Tel: (506) Fredericton, NB Fax: (506) E3C 2G6 info@mcft.ca A LEADER IN FORESTRY EDUCATION SINCE 1946

2 WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES PROTOCOL - ATLANTIC DATES: LOCATION: CANDIDATES: FORMAT: SESSION 1: Tuesday September 18 th and Wednesday, September 19 th SESSION 2: Thursday, September 20 th and Friday, September 21 st Super 8 Amherst 40 Lord Amherst Drive, Amherst, NS B4H 4W6 Telephone : Toll-Free Reservations : This two-day course on WESP-AC will be useful to environmental consultants and agency staff responsible for assessing wetland functions and benefits, monitoring restored wetlands, or conducting watershed assessments. Authored by the instructor, the field-calibrated versions of the WESP-AC data forms, manual, and spreadsheet models were released in April 2017 for each of the provinces in Atlantic Canada. They are useful for rapidly assessing the ecosystem services of wetlands, usually in support of environmental impact assessments and monitoring of restoration projects. Earlier versions of this tool are now being officially required for use by the Province of Alberta, as well as by the states of Oregon and (in part) Alaska. Regionalisation for resource agencies Atlantic Canada began in 2015 in New Brunswick and was followed by field visits to hundreds of wetlands in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland-Labrador as necessary to calibrate to those provinces. AGENDA: DAY 1 On the first day the instructor will describe its origins, overall structure, and how it is being used elsewhere. He will conclude by explaining components of each of the models which automatically compute relative estimates of a wetland's importance for three hydrologic functions, four water quality functions, nine habitat functions, and carbon storage. We will visit and spend several hours assessing 3 wetlands over the two days. Please be prepared with field gear for rain or shine. 8:30 9:00 Introduction to the Course & Instructor Agenda/Schedule Attendee introductions 9:00 10:30 Definitions Functions Assessment vs. Classification vs. Delineation Overview of Wetland Functions WESP-AC History, Policy Context BREAK

3 DAY 1 (continued) 10:45- noon Tour of Non-tidal Wetland Calculator Delimiting the Assessment Area Demonstration of Office Questions & Data Sources LUNCH 12:45 1:45 Review of Non-tidal Field Questions 2:30-4:00 Visit & Assess Non-tidal Site #1 4:30 5:00 Discuss Results (classroom) DAY 2 8:30 10:30 Meet at Non-tidal Site #2, Do Assessment 11:00- noon Discuss Results (classroom) LUNCH 1:00 2:00 Tour of the Tidal Wetland Calculator 2:30 4:00 Visit & Assess Tidal Wetland 4:30 5:00 Discuss Results, Wrap-up INSTRUCTOR: Paul Adamus is a wetland scientist from Oregon State University, with a BSc and PhD in Wildlife Science and an MS in Aquatic Biology. He is the creator of WESP-AC as well as similar tools he was asked to develop and field-calibrate previously for governments in Alberta, Alaska, and Oregon. He has authored over one hundred publications and most recently co-authored the book, Wetland and Stream Rapid Assessments as well as major parts of the Wikipedia entry on wetlands. Before joining the university faculty, he worked for 10 years in the US Environmental Protection Agency s National Wetlands Research Program. Although retired now, he still advises graduate students, publishes, and conducts trainings like these at the request of sponsoring agencies. Before moving to Oregon, he spent 16 years in Maine. While a college student there, one summer he assisted in Maine s first wetlands inventory. An avid birder, he also helped coordinate and publish Maine s first Breeding Bird Atlas Project. Years later while in Oregon, he directed a similar project that is the largest wildlife inventory ever conducted in Oregon.

4 ENROLMENT: Enrolment will be limited to twenty-five (25) candidates per session on a firstcome, first-served basis. ACCOMMODATIONS: MCFT has a room rental agreement with the Super 8 Amherst. Please mention the name Maritime College of Forest Technology to get the conference rate. You must book your room by no later than 4 PM on August 29th, Super 8 Amherst is located at 40 Lord Amherst Drive, Amherst, NS B4H 4W6. Please reserve your room by calling or toll-free at There will be a room charge if you cancel your room after 4 PM on September 14 th. The reason is that this is the end of tourist season and they need lead time to sell the rooms. Costs for rooms are: $ for rooms with either a single king, or queen, and our 2 queen beds $ for junior suites, which has a king size bed separate living room area with a sofa bed (when out as bed, size of a double) MEALS: TUITION: We will provide one nutrition break and lunch each day. Snacks and drinks will be made available in the field. Tuition for the program, including supplies, is $ HST. WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES PROTOCOL - ATLANTIC is equivalent to 18 Continuing Forestry Education Credits.

5 WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES PROTOCOL - ATLANTIC Name Job Title Employer Employer s Address Home Phone Postal Code Fax Contact Person Business Phone Please select the session that you wish to attend: Attending September 18 th and 19 th session - $ plus HST Attending September 20 th and 21 st session - $ plus HST Please add me to your list to receive future course announcements from MCFT Cancellation Policy Course fees must be paid in full, two weeks prior to the course dates. Payment can be made by cheque and Visa or MasterCard. If payment is not received in advance then you will not be permitted to take the course. There is a $ cancellation fee if you cancel within two weeks of course start date. All registrations submitted less than two weeks before course start date are non-refundable. Please indicate method of payment: Visa Card No. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Exp. / / / Mastercard Card No. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Exp. / / / Cheque Money Order Amount enclosed Please forward-completed application to: Todd MacPherson Maritime College of Forest Technology 1350 Regent Street Fredericton NB E3C 2G6 Phone: (506) Fax: (506) ce@mcft.ca