Rock River Basin Events Update
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Rock River Updates is a listing of events and other items of interest for people in and around the Rock River Basins of Wisconsin. We email the update at the beginning of each month. Inclusion is not an endorsement of a program, publication or website.
Subscribe to this list at: https://lists.uwex.edu/mailman/listinfo/rock-river-basin-update.
This update will also be posted at http://www.rockrivercoalition.org/events/calendar.asp
Rock River Coalition/UW-Extension Sponsored Events
Fall 2011 Rock River Reflections Newsletter available at http://www.rockrivercoalition.org.
‘Like’ the Rock River Coalition on Facebook, and keep up-to-date on activities.
Water Star Webinars are archived at http://www.waterstarwisconsin.org
Jan 21 RRC Annual Board Retreat: 9:00 am– 3:30 pm, Lake Mills Library
Natural Resource Calendar of Events
Jan 7 Winter Survival for Families: 10 am - Noon. Welty Environmental Center at Beckman Mill County Park
Beloit, WI. All ages (accompanied by adult). Cost: $10 per person, family maximum fee $25. Registration: 608-361-1377 or info@weltycenter.org
Jan 9 Full Moon Ski, Hike, Snowshoe: 6:30 pm. Magnolia Bluff County Park outside Evansville, WI. All ages welcome, children must be accompanied by adults. Cost: $5/person, $20/family maximum. Includes use of snowshoes - first come, first served. 608-361-1377.
Jan 9 Fireside Chats – Readings from Local Writers: 5:00pm, Brocach on the Square, Madison, WI. Hear from Wisconsin writers who write about Wisconsin and some of the reasons that its environment is so spectacular.
info@sustaindane.org
Jan 11 Mpower Business Public Workshop: 7:30 - 9:30 am. The Goodman Atwood Community Center, Evjue Room D, 149 Waubesa St., Madison. Free; Registration required. Seating limited. Info: info@mpoweringmadison.com Register: http://www.mpoweringmadison.com/reg
Jan 11 Using and Amending Your Comprehensive Plan: Live WisLine Teleconference Session (#1782-4) 10:30 am-Noon . Offered by UW-Extension. Cost: $20. Register: 608-262-0810. http://lgc.uwex.edu/WisLines/AllAboutWislines.html
Jan 11 Clean Lakes Alliance Open house: An after-hours affair at new offices - 8020 Excelsior Dr., Suite 201, Madison, in Harris Bank/UBS Building. Healthy Lakes. Healthy Community. Info: don@cleanlakesalliance.com; 608-836-4001.
Jan 12 Webinar: Planning & Executing an Effective Pavement Preservation Program: 2 pm EST / 11 am PST, 1 hr . Presenter: David Hein, P. Eng., V.P. of Transportation, Applied Research Associates; 1 PDH / 0.1 CEU Cost: $59. https://forester.net/fedu_order.html
Jan 12 Frac Sand Mining in WI Towns: CLOSED-filled to capacity. Wisconsin Towns Association. 8:00 am – 3:30 pm, Eau Claire. Cost: $25. A repeat of December’s conference due to popular demand. Contact: 715-526-3157 or view the brochure at http://www.wisctowns.com.
Agricultural Enterprise Area Workshops: Free; pre-registration online requested, or contact Coreen Fallat at
608-224-4625 or Coreen.Fallat@wisconsin.gov. https://datepservices.wisconsin.gov/confreg/AEAsorkshop.jsp
Jan 12 Board Room, 1st floor, DATCP, Madison
Jan 17 DNR Service Center, Black River Falls
Jan 19 J. P. Coughlin Center, Oshkosh
Jan 13 Deadline to sign up for Conservation Stewardship Program: The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting new applications for the Conservation Stewardship Program for possible 2012 funding. Info: www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov or NRCS office in your county.
Winter Bald Eagle Watching Events:
Jan 13-14 25th Annual Bald Eagle Watching Days: Sauk City & Prairie du Sac, WI
Jan 28-29 18th Annual Bald Eagle Days: Cassville, WI
Feb 25 Bald Eagle Appreciation Day: Prairie du Chien, WI
Jan 20-21 Women Transforming the Landscape: Women, Food & Agriculture Network 2012 Annual Conference, Des Moines, IA. Keynote speaker: FoodCorps founder and organic farmer Debra Eschmeyer. http://www.wfan.org/Women,_Food_and_Agriculture_Network_Home.html
Jan 25 WI Farm to School Summit: Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, WI. Meeting in conjunction with the WI Local Foods Network Conference, Jan 26-27 in Delavan. http://healthinpractice.org/ Farm to School Summit page.
Jan 26-27 Wisconsin Local Food Summit: Lake Lawn Resort, Delavan, WI. Questions: 715-339-5345; jane.hansen@ces.uwex.edu; Register at http://wilocalfood.wordpress.com/discussions/2011-2/register/
Jan 28 16th Annual Conference on Native Plants and Natural Landscapes: 8 am- 4 pm, Oshkosh Convention Center, Oshkosh WI. Sponsored by Fox Valley Area Wild Ones. www.towardharmonywithnature.org.
Jan 29-31 50th Annual WAA/DNR Annual Urban Forestry Conference & Trade Show: Hyatt on Main & KI Convention Center, Green Bay, WI. Save $25 when you register before January 18th. www.waa-isa.org.
Jan 31 Webinar: Exploring the Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, and Cost Savings that can be Achieved through Producer Responsibility: 2-3:30 pm EST; Product Stewardship Institute. https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/863181078
Feb 1 Making the Connections, Environmental Protection and the Public Health: 7:00 pm. Free lecture on air pollution, wastewater, drinking water and storm water programs. Horicon Marsh International Education Center, N7725 Hwy 28, Horicon, WI; Auditorium at lower entrance. www.horiconmarsh.org
Feb 2 Webinar: Advanced Stormwater Treatment - Dissolved Pollutants: 2 pm EST / 11 am PST, 1hr; 1 PDH / 0.1 CEU. $59. Presenter: Andrew J. Erickson, M.S., P.E. Research Fellow, St. Anthony Falls laboratory, University of Minnesota. https://forester.net/fedu_order.html
Feb 3 Deadline To apply for Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program at all USDA Centers in Wisconsin, to be considered for 2012 funding. www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov or contact the NRCS office serving your county.
Feb 4 The Horicon Basin’s Water of Life: Milwaukee Audubon Society Annual Natural Landscapes Conference: 8 am-5 pm, Concordia University Center for Environmental Stewardship. Focus will be on Horicon Marsh area by speaker Bill Volkert! http://www.zvents.com/z/mequon_wi/concordia-center-for-environmental-stewardship
Feb 4 23rd Annual Southeast Wisconsin Woodland Owners Conference: 7:30 am-4:00 pm, Country Springs Hotel & Conference Center, Waukesha, WI. http://basineducation.uwex.edu/woodland/conference/SE12.htm
Feb 8 State Land Use Programs Updates: Live WisLine Teleconference Session (#1782-5) 10:30 am-2:00 pm, offered by UW-Extension. Cost: $20. Register: 608-262-0810; http://lgc.uwex.edu/WisLines/AllAboutWislines.html
Feb 9 Webinar: Differentiating & Monitoring Groundwater Plumes: 2 pm EST/11 am PST, 1 hr. Presenter: William G. Soukup, Sr. Hydrogeologist, Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC, 1 PDH/0.1 CEU. $59. https://forester.net/fedu_order.html
Feb 9 Understanding & Protecting Wisconsin’s Groundwater: 2012 Wisconsin Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society Winter Conference. 8:30 am-4:15 pm, Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Stevens Point, WI. Register by January 31, 2012. http://wi-swcs.org/9.html
Feb 11 Ties to the Land: Two-session workshop, 9:00 am-noon (2nd Session: Mar 8, 6:00-9:00 pm) at Leopold Center, Baraboo, WI. Class Limit: 30. Contact Alanna Koshollek 608-355 -0279 ext. 30; alanna@aldoleopold.org; http://www.wisconsinwoodlands.org/
Feb 19 Annual Great Backyard Bird Count: 9:00 am. Madison Audubon leader Paul Noeldner will bring birding aids to help you learn about how to do a GBBC count and enter data. Meet at Cherokee Marsh parking lot. http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/fieldtrips/2011fieldtripdetails.htm;
Feb 22-23 Urban Wetlands: 17th Annual Wisconsin Wetlands Association Conference: Grand Geneva Resort, Lake Geneva, WI. Early Bird Registration rates good through January 20, 2012. Pre-Registration until Feb. 15, 2012. http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2012program.htm Also: See following re: Special Session on February 23.
Feb 23 Special Session: Biologist Without Borders: 8:30 am-Noon. Collaborative efforts to address ecological and biological issues across political boundaries (e.g. county and state lines) to promote protection, restoration, and management of wetlands and associated ecosystems. http://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/2012specialsession.htm
Feb 23 Webinar: Stormwater Pond BMP Management - Design, Operation & Maintenance: 2pm EST /11am PST, 1 hr. Presenter: Shahram (Shane) Missaghi, Assistant Extension Professor, Water Resources, University of Minnesota. 1 PDH / 0.1 CEU. http://www.foresteruniversity.net/stormwater-pond-bmp-management.html
Feb 25 Madison Area Woodland Owners Conference: 8:00 am-3:40 pm. American Family Insurance Training Headquarters, Madison. http://basineducation.uwex.edu/woodland/conference/madison12.htm
Feb 29-Mar 2 Aquaculture America 2012: Las Vegas, Nevada. Aqua America 2012
Feb 29 Regulating Sand and Gravel Mining: Lessons from Michigan - APA Webcast; Noon - 1:30 PM CST. An update of the planning law session conducted as part of the Bettman Symposium at the Spring 2011 APA National Conference in Boston
Mar 1 Planning for the Next Generation: American Planning Association Spring Conference: Oshkosh Convention Center, Oshkosh, WI. confregistration@planning.org; 312-334-1250.
https://www.planning.org/ecommerce/conference/viewConferenceDetails.aspx?conferenceId=16
Mar 2-4 Aldo Leopold Weekend 2012: A program model for bringing your community together around Aldo Leopold's idea of a land ethic. www.aldoleopold.org/weekend/weekend.shtml
Mar 4-7 3rd Annual Upper Midwest Stream Restoration Symposium: Holiday Inn Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN. Hear about innovative restoration designs and approaches and have the opportunity to network with the region’s leading stream restoration practitioners. www.prrsum.org
Mar 7-8 23rd Annual Rural Community Economic Development Conference: Presented by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, IIRA@WIU.edu www.iira.org
Mar 10 Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference: Sinsinawa, WI. http://www.ilforestry.org/Events?eventId=409415&EventViewMode=EventDetails
Mar 29-30 2012 Niagara Escarpment Symposium - Cultivating a Sense of Place: University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. Green Corridors, History & Sense of Place, Geotourism, Creating a Land Ethic, and Building Capacity.
Mar 29-30 Introduction to Prescribed Burning: 8:30 am-5:30 pm, Leopold Center, Baraboo. $100 ($90 members.) Learn about fire ecology, fire behavior principles, and how to plan for using fire in managing prairies. http://www.aldoleopold.org/woodlandschool/
May 12 Herpitiles & Insects: 9:00 am–3:30 pm. Leopold Center, Baraboo, WI. $30 ($25 members) Learn life histories of many species and their habitat needs, along with tips on making your property more herp-friendly. http://www.aldoleopold.org/woodlandschool/courses.shtml#herps
Jun 5-6 and 6-8 MCRSA's 43rd Annual Conference/9th Biennial IMPLAN National User’s Conference: Bloomington, MN, Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America. www.mcrsa.org and www.implan.com
Aug 19–23 11th Annual StormCon Conference: Denver, CO. World's largest conference on stormwater pollution prevention. Full conference description and submission of abstracts at www.StormCon.com
ORGANIZATIONS WITH FREQUENT PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Check out their websites for full schedule and topics
Aldo Leopold Foundation, Baraboo, www.aldoleopold.org
Friends of Cherokee Marsh, Madison, www.CherokeeMarsh.org
Horicon Marsh International Education Center, www.horiconmarsh.org
Madison Audubon Society, Inc, www.madisonaudubon.org
Midwest Renewable Energy Association, www.the-mrea.org
Niagara Escarpment Resource Network, www.escarpmentnetwork.org
Riveredge Nature Center, Newburg, www.riveredge.us
Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee, www.urbanecologycenter.org
UW Madison Arboretum, www.uwarboretum.org
Woodland Owner Education Gateway, http://woodlandinfo.org/
Woodland School, http://www.aldoleopold.org/woodlandschool/
Wisconsin Wetlands Association, www.wisconsinwetlands.org/
Grants/Awards/Contests
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five-Star Restoration Matching Grant Program: $10,000- $40,000. http://www.nfwf.org/AM/TemplateRedirect.cfm?template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=22049
Deadline: February 15, 2012.
EPA Urban Waters Small Grants: $1.8 to $3.8 million for projects that help restore urban waters by improving water quality and supporting community revitalization. http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/funding. Deadline for questions: January 16, 2012. Deadline for proposals: January 23, 2012. Grants awarded Summer 2012.
Grants for Conservation Easements: To facilitate partner participation, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program provides 50% match grants to eligible nonprofit conservation organizations. Deadline for fiscal year 2013 awards is February 15, 2012. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cfa/Grants/easement.html
Publications
The Great Arc Bike Route Map: Published by The Niagara Escarpment Resource Network. Main route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/334553; East Alternate Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/334187; Washington Island Route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/334100.
Winter 2011-2012 issue: Wisconsin Urban & Community Forestsnewsletter is available (electronic format only) at http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/uf/resources/vol19no2.pdf.
Wisconsin Wildlife Phenology Calendar: Incorporates Aldo Leopold and Nina Leopold Bradley's average dates for phenological events in Wisconsin, paired with stunning wildlife photography. http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Search.aspx?k=phenology+calendar
A New GIS-Based Toolkit to Help Planners and Developers with Sustainable Land Planning: Z. Aslıgül Göçmen, UW – Madison/Extension. gocmen@wisc.edu
Job Opportunities
Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation Program/Development Coordinator: Position-12-25AS32. UW-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources. Appointment date: February 2012. Application deadline: January 17, 2012. http://www.uwsp.edu/equity/Pages/positions/12-25AS32.aspx
Education & Outreach Specialist – UW-Madison: Listing #72405; Application to Pam Arnold by January 16; 608-890-2286; parnold@glbrc.wisc.edu; http://eeinwisconsin.org/core/item/page.aspx?s=99773.0.0.2209&utm_sour
Websites
The interactive story of the last great supply of fresh drinking water on earth: http://waterlife.nfb.ca/
Candlelight Ski & Hike Events – Wisconsin State Park System: (January & February) http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/news/candlelight.htm
Check out Wisconsin Water Library online! Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Madison-WI/UW-Wisconsins-Water-Library/92090121028?ref=nf> or Twitter<http://twitter.com/WiscWaterLib>, and learn more about Water Library news and resources: Aqualog.<http://aqualog2.blogspot.com/
Miscellaneous
Mendota Freeze Contest: Participants can register at www.mendotafreeze.com and submit the date on which they think Lake Mendota will freeze, as determined by Wisconsin State Climatology Office. Grand prize is a complete cross-country ski package from Erehwon Mountain Outfitter. www.cleanlakesalliance.com
Get the Meds Out! New Mail-back Disposal Program: Coordinated by UW-Extension, funded by U.S. EPA grant. Free, convenient, environmentally safe way to clean out the medicine cabinet. Locations for free pre-addressed envelopes: http://www4.uwm.edu/shwec/meds/index.cfm or contact your pharmacist or clinic.
Draft Watershed Plans and Impaired Waters List available for comment through Feb 20. DNRImpairedWaters@wisconsin.gov
2012 Wisconsin Sustainability Intern Project Request: A program to help Wisconsin organizations and industries find cost-effective ways to cut or eliminate waste through pollution prevention. marlene.jaglinski@ces.uwex.edu or call 414-227-3371. Deadline: 1-31-12.
UW Sea Grant Institute is accepting applications from graduate students for the National Sea Grant College Program's 2013 Sea Grant Intern Program. Applications are due at Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute by 5 pm, CST, Feb 17, 2012. http://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss/ 2013 Internships begin Feb 1, 2013.
New recycling signs are available for electronic access. The signage uses visuals to indicate which recyclables are accepted. Signs are also available for trash and composting. Signage is free to be used in your business or other setting.
K-12 Teachers and Students
New Book on Evaluating EE Programs: New National Science Foundation Workshop report available online for those seeking new ideas for evaluating EE programs. http://caise.insci.org/uploads/docs/Eval_Framework.
Teachers’ Outdoor Environmental Education Fund: Grants up to $1,000 for public school teachers (K-12) to undertake outdoor environmental education projects. Submit a grant application form to the Natural Resource Foundation postmarked no later than Jan 17. 866-264-4096 or info@wisconservation.org.
Wisconsin Environmental Education Board 2012-2013 Grant Program: Seeking proposals for the 2012-2013 grant cycle. The Board anticipates awarding $140,000 for general environmental education grants, $90,000 for forestry grants, and $90,000 for school forest grants. Proposals due Feb 11, 2012.
Sticker Design Contest: WI state park and forest annual vehicle admission stickers are designed by students and chosen in a statewide contest. Open to all high school age students and sponsored by the WDNR. Entries for 2013 sticker design are accepted through March 27, 2012. http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/stickers/index.html
Young Wisconsin Conservationist Program of the Izaak Walton League: Developed to encourage and assist K-12 school classes and organizations to carry out environmental and conservation activities. They will provide up to $200/project in funding for worthwhile projects. Lyle Nauman at 715-592-4888 or lnauman@uwsp.edu.
“Survival” is a free, quick-fire mobile game to raise awareness about the world’s most endangered animals. http://www.arkive.org/apps/survival
Jan 26-Apr 27 NRES 410/610:Environmental Education Theory & Practice: On-line environmental course. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 3 grad or undergrad credits available or non-credit workshop.
Jan 27-29 Awareness, Action & Enjoyment: WAEE Winter Workshop, Treehaven Field Station, Tomahawk, WI. Presented by Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education.
