Successful Outreach Strategies Workshops Coming in August
The next round of SOS experiential workshops will take place on the following dates:
- Aug. 5, Grand Rapids
- Aug. 7, Mankato
- Aug. 8, St. Cloud
These workshops will introduce participants to designing events that incorporate engaging, focused methods for gathering input from others. Attendees will experience these processes firsthand and explore “real time/real work” opportunities to apply them directly to their work. Please hold the date. More information and registration will be provided in June. Visit the SOS webpage here to learn more about SOS.
Prescribed Grazing Office Hours
Do you have questions regarding grazing management and other conservation practices that facilitate grazing management? Now is your chance to ask your questions! On June 12 at 9 a.m. Jeff Duchene, NRCS State Grazing Specialist, along with other grazing specialists in Minnesota will lead a virtual office hour to answer any questions you have about grazing management techniques, planning grazing management, planning and technical specifications of conservation practices used to facilitate grazing management or any other questions you may have related to grazing. If you have topics of interest that you want discussed further, please complete this survey to submit your questions by Friday, May 30. The first half hour of the session will be spent providing answers to questions that were received, while the last half hour of the session will be spent answering live questions from participants. Additional information and a link to join the live session can be found on the Grazing Systems Virtual Office Hours page.
Soil Mechanics and Waterway I&E In-field Training
A Soil Mechanics hands-on refresher and Grassed Waterway Inventory and Evaluation in-field training will be held June 12 in and near Rose Creek, MN. This training will be for staff wanting to build off of soil texturing (SM-1) and apply it in the field to various conservation practices. We’ll also use this as a waterway I&E training, teaching staff how to identify resource concerns for possible structural practices, what preliminary work should be done, and how to tackle a design survey. Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Soil Mechanics and Grassed Waterway I&E page.
Agricultural Peat Soils
Join us on June 17 in Cologne for a one-day training on agricultural peat soils, designed for conservation professionals. This course covers peat soil formation, hydrology, nutrient dynamics, and carbon storage, with a focus on managing subsidence, nutrient loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. The morning session provides classroom instruction on best management practices, while the afternoon features hands-on field training, including soil sampling and water table measurement. Learn from industry experts and producers about sustainable peat soil management. Gain practical skills to support conservation in agricultural landscapes! You can register unique training opportunity on the Agricultural Peat Soils page.
Irrigation RCPP Technical Training Workshop
The Irrigation RCPP Team is offering a technical training workshop for irrigation practices at Central Lakes College in Staples, June 24-25. The workshop is intended for NRCS and SWCD staff interested in training on irrigation practices and technology, and irrigation practice certification. This training consists of two days mixed with classroom presentations, hands-on exercises, and in-field demonstrations all at the Central Lakes College-Staples facility. This year is more advanced than the two irrigation technical workshops held in 2023 and 2024. Past attendees will benefit from attending this year’s workshop to expand their knowledge about advanced irrigation technology and practice certification. Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Irrigation RCPP Technical Training Workshop page.
Prescribed Grazing
A day-long classroom and field training on Conservation Practice Standard 528, Prescribed Grazing, will be held on July 9 in Waite Park. This training covers the planning requirements used when developing prescribed grazing systems, such as producer goals and objectives, resource inventory, forage balance, contingency planning, and monitoring plans. This training also includes pasture fertility and soil testing. The field portion of the training covers pasture monitoring and the requirements of CPS 528, including measuring stubble heights, paddock rest, reviewing grazing records, photo documentation, and opportunities for improvement. Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Prescribed Grazing page.
2025 Conservation Planning Course
The 2025 Conservation Planning Course is tentatively scheduled for July 21 to 25 at the West Central Research & Outreach Center in Morris, but it may be cancelled or postponed due to a number of factors. So, while we aren’t ready to open the full registration, we are putting together a list of planners interested in attending.
Course attendees are required to be Level 1 Conservation Planners before attending, and it is expected that those attending this course will complete the additional requirements to become Level 3 Conservation Planners. The Level 1 Conservation Planner requirements can be found here. In addition to being a Level 1 Conservation Planner, all attendees need to complete the Core Competency modules before attending. The prerequisites for this course will take approximately 55 hours to complete, and it is recommended that attendees have at least one year of experience before attending.
Those interested in attending can join the preregistration list.
New Trainings Available on Minnesota’s Core Competency Conservation (MNC3) Training Site
The sixth and final module in the Habitat Management series, Terrestrial Invasive Plant Management, has been posted to the MNC3training.com website. This module discusses mechanical, chemical, biological, and fire-based strategies for controlling invasive species, and includes real-world scenarios that planners may encounter.
2025 Shared Training Calendar
An updated working version of the 2025 training calendar is now available. This 12-month view of training offerings is regularly updated and provides information about upcoming training events, including potential dates and locations. Please see the legend at the top and note that the further out a training is proposed, the more likely adjustments will need to be made. The dates, locations, and other details are always tentative until the event is posted on the Training Calendar.
BWSR Sponsored Training Events
August
October
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Minnesota Wetland Professional Certification Program |
Registration is open for April-June classes and all Introduction to Wetland Delineation & Regulation classes. Registration for July-November classes opens the week of June 16.
Upcoming MWPCP Training Courses:
Wetland Delineation Methods with Field Practicum – Cloquet Forestry Center – May 20-22
Introduction to Wetland Delineation and Regulations – Shoreview MNDOT Training Center – June 9-13 (Full)
Plant ID – Shoreview MNDOT Training Center (July 14) and Cloquet Forestry Center (July 16) (Two one-day classes)
MWPCP Regional Wetland Training - Northeast MN – Hermantown City Hall – Aug. 12-13
Introduction to Wetland Delineation and Regulations – Northland Arboretum, Baxter, MN – Sept. 8-12
Introduction to Wetland Delineation and Regulations – Shoreview MNDOT Training Center – Oct. 6-10
Hydrogeomorphic Method of Classifying Wetlands – Hartley Nature Center, Duluth – Oct. 28-29 (Two one-day classes)
Wetland Banking & Monitoring for Consultants – Shoreview MNDOT Training Center – Nov. 12-13
More information on MWPCP courses: https://bwsr.state.mn.us/wetland-training-opportunities
Technical Training & Certification Program Trainings
Tech Talk Webinars: Mondays at 1 p.m.
- July 14, A Day in the Life of a Seed Vendor
June
- June 10-July 10, 2025 DNR Native Plant Community and Plant Identification Training, Multiple Locations
- June 12, Soil Mechanics and Grassed Waterway I&E, Rose Creek
- June 12, Grazing Systems Virtual Office Hour - June 2025, Online
- June 17, Agricultural Peat Soils, Cologne
- June 24-25, Irrigation RCPP Technical Training Workshop, Staples
July
September
- May 2 to June 2, Planting Green Field Day Series, MOSH, Multiple Locations
- Through May 28, Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship - Spring Series, DNR, Online
- June 10, Why Burn? Ecological Benefits of Prescribed Burning and Implementation on the Landscape, PF, Rochert
- June 18, Technology in the Field, PF, Buffalo
- June 24-25, Tribal-State Relations Training, State of Minnesota, Onamia
- July 1, Grass with a Purpose, PF, Austin
- July 23, CRP Management & Conservation Equipment, PF, Litchfield
- July 28 to Nov. 17, Cover Crop Essentials, MCCC
- Aug. 13, Trees in the prairie? The Use of Windbreaks/Shelterbelts, PF, Marshall
- Sept. 4, Building Habitat Friendly Right of Ways Workshop, MN MECA, Andover
- Sept. 17, Succession Solutions: Creating Habitats for Early Successional Wildlife, PF, Sandstone
- Sept. 23-25, 2025 Minnesota Agroforestry Institute, UMN Extension, Baxter
- Through Nov. 10, Livestock 101: Livestock Production Fundamentals, Conservation Webinars, Online
- Through Dec. 16, Managing Forests as Habitat in a Changing World, USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub, Online
- Through May 28, Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship - Spring Series, DNR, Online
Not all training takes place in a classroom. Check out the links below to learn at a time and place of your choosing.
We’ve also put together a searchable library of recorded modules, webinars, videos and other resources to help our staff and partners find professional development information on a variety of topics. You can visit BWSR’s Online Learning page to find web-based technical training resources sorted by category.
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Program Contacts
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