Basic Cover Crop
Join us for the 2026 Basic Cover Crop training, designed to provide essential knowledge and practical tools for successfully integrating cover crops into Midwestern cropping systems. This webinar and in-person training covers everything from selecting the right cover crops to understanding termination methods, enhancing soil health, and supporting sustainable farming practices. Participants will gain hands-on experience with tools like the Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC) Cover Crop Selection Tool and NRCS Seed Rate Calculator. Led by subject matter expert trainers from NRCS, UMN, and local seed vendors and agronomists, this training is ideal for new conservation professionals or those needing a refresher. Don't miss out! Register by March 20 for a live webinar series and in-person sessions in Brainerd or Austin to strengthen your expertise in cover crop implementation! For additional information or to register, visit the Basic Cover Crop page.
Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation Training
Most large-scale native habitat plantings are created with seed mixes. Plant diversity is a requirement for pollinators, other wildlife, and the foundation of ecological resilience, but it can be a complicated and consequential challenge to select the best mix for any given site. Building high-quality native seed mixes that serve multiple species, replicate natural plant associations, establish readily, conform to certain conservation practice standards, and fit within budget constraints requires training and experience. It takes a lot of familiarity with native flora, experience with specialized design tools like seed calculators, and awareness of the commercial availability of various species in your region. Two workshops will be held:
- April 15, Carlton
- April 29, Marshall
This workshop is similar to Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation workshops that were offered last year. Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation page.
NEW for this year! Seed Mix Design and Evaluation for Wet Sites Workshop
Designing effective native seed mixes for wetland and shoreland restorations takes more than just picking “wet-tolerant” species. Hydrology, fluctuating water levels, ice scour, erosion, and seasonal inundation all influence what will truly establish and thrive.
This interactive workshop combines classroom instruction, a panel of wetland restoration professionals, and hands-on small group exercises to help you confidently design, evaluate, and refine seed mixes for wet sites. Participants will work with seed calculators and practical planning tools to develop diverse, cost-effective mixes that align with natural plant communities and conservation practice standards.
If you design, review, or install shoreland or wetland seedings, this training will strengthen your technical skills and improve project outcomes. Two workshops will be held:
- April 17, Detroit Lakes
- April 22, Farmington
Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation for Wet Sites page.
GIS Pro Basics – April Session Added
TTCP has added an ArcGIS Pro virtual training on April 30. This is the same class that was offered in several locations last winter as well. This is intended for TTCP partner staff needing to learn the basics: we’ll give an overview of the differences between ArcMap and Pro, and tour the new Pro features. There will be examples on editing feature classes (e.g. shapefiles), labeling features, making map layouts for printing, and other common procedures. Most of the day is hands on.
The March 31 virtual session is full and has a waitlist. Registration is open for the virtual session April 30. For additional information and a link to register, visit the Basic ArcGIS Pro page.
Basic Soils and Landscapes for Conservation Planners
Soils form the foundation of effective conservation planning. The Basic Soils and Landscapes for Conservation Planners training is a comprehensive, hands-on course designed to strengthen your understanding of Minnesota soils and how to apply soil survey information in real-world planning.
This immersive three-day (May 26–28), training in/around Duluth blends classroom learning with field experience to build confidence in evaluating soils, landscapes, and conservation limitations and opportunities.
Key topics include:
- Soil formation, properties, and classification
- Soil survey program and mapping concepts
- Web Soil Survey analysis for conservation planning
- Field methods and hands-on soil pit evaluations
This training counts toward Level 1 Planner Certification – Soils Basics (NRCS-NHQ-000009) and can be used in place of the web-based AgLearn course (NRCS-NEDC-000416). If you’re involved in conservation planning, resource assessment, or technical assistance, this course provides essential, practical soil knowledge you can immediately apply in the field.
Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your soils foundation — where landscapes meet planning success! For more information and a link to register, visit the Basic Soils and Landscapes page.
Conservation Planning Course
Conservation planning is the process used to identify and evaluate resource concerns, analyze information, and recommend conservation alternatives to treat identified problems. Conservation plans provide a sound foundation for technical and financial assistance to local landowners and managers looking to address their resource concerns.
Registration is now open for the 2026 Conservation Planning Course, which will be held July 20 to 24 at the West Central Research & Outreach Center in Morris. Course attendees are required to be a Level 1 Conservation Planner before attending, and it is expected that those attending this course will complete the additional requirements to become Level 3 Conservation Planners. The requirements for each designation can be found on the Conservation Planning page.
In addition to being a Level I Conservation Planner, all attendees need to complete the Core Competency modules before attending. The prerequisites for this course take approximately 55 hours to complete, and it is recommended that attendees have at least one year of experience before attending. At this time, we are planning to hold this course again in 2027, so get started now, but if you aren’t ready by July, that’s ok!
Additional information and a link to register can be found on the Training Calendar. If you have completed this course in the past and you are still interested in pursuing a Conservation Planner credential, get in touch with us to figure out where to go next.
Native Plant Community Training
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and your Technical Training and Certification Program are offering a series of Regional Plant Ecology trainings focused on Minnesota’s native plant communities. These courses are largely field-based and emphasize plant identification, giving participants hands-on experience recognizing species and interpreting plant communities across the landscape.
Participants will strengthen their ability to apply ecological knowledge to conservation planning, habitat management, and site assessment. Class sizes are limited and these trainings fill quickly, so early registration is strongly encouraged.
For additional information and a link to register please visit the .
Minnesota Agroforestry Institute
Join experts, practitioners, and fellow conservation professionals for the Minnesota Agroforestry Institute, a two and a half day training focused on integrating trees and perennial systems into working agricultural landscapes. Through classroom sessions, field tours, and hands-on design exercises, participants will explore agroforestry practices such as alley cropping, silvopasture, forest farming, riparian buffers, and windbreaks.
This interactive institute, planned for Sept. 15-17 at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Zimmerman, will help technical staff and educators understand how agroforestry can improve farm profitability, water quality, wildlife habitat, soil health, and climate resilience, while providing practical tools to support landowners interested in adopting these practices.
For more information and a registration link visit the Agroforestry Institute page.
Job Approval Authority Updated in eLINK
Updated Job Approval Authority (JAA) information has been added to eLINK. This update reflects JAA credentials as of Feb. 24. You can view your JAA by looking at the My Credentials tab, following the user guidance instructions. If you have questions or if something doesn’t look right, get in touch with us.
Tyler's Three Things: Conservation Planning
Phase One of Conservation Planning is Collection and Analysis
Phase Two of Conservation Planning is Application & Evaluation
Phase Three of Conservation Planning is Decision Support
Can you describe the Nine Steps of Conservation Planning? Visit MNC3 Training: Conservation Planning to learn more!
2026 Shared Training Calendar
An updated working version of the 2026 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
March 31 from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., BWSR Spring Training, Online
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Minnesota Wetland Professional Certification Program |
Upcoming Minnesota Wetland Professional Certification Program Course Schedule:
April 14 & 15 - TEP Academy- St Cloud MNDOT
April 23 & 24 - Hydrogeomorphic Method of Classifying Wetlands - Baxter
April 28 & 29 - Hydrogeomorphic Method of Classifying Wetlands - Rochester
May 20 & 21 - Soils on the Landscape - North Branch
June 8-12 - Introduction to Wetland Delineation & Regulation - Shoreview
July 7 - Plant ID & Rapid FQA - Cloquet
July 21 - Plant ID & Rapid FQA - Lino Lakes
Aug. 31 - Sept 4 - Introduction to Wetland Delineation & Regulation - Cloquet
Sept. 14-18 - Introduction to Wetland Delineation & Regulation - Brainerd
Oct. 13 & 14 - Functional Assessment Method - Shoreview
Nov. 18 - WCA Rule Virtual Training (registration opens summer 2026)
Dec. 8 - New Normal?: Emerging Topics in the Wetland World -St Paul
MWPCP Registration Information:
Registration for Introduction to Wetland Delineation & Regulation opens March 9: Registration Link
Registration for all remaining courses opens March 16 (unless noted otherwise): Registration Link
Technical Training & Certification Program Trainings
Tech Talk Webinars: Mondays at 1 p.m.
- March 23, Soil Mechanics
- April 6, Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Estimators
- April 13, Farm Economics - Overview
- April 20, Soil Fertility Management on Pasture
- May 4, Stream and Oxbow Restoration in Minnesota
- May 11, Farm Economics – Crops
- May 18, Minnesota Core Competency Conservation Training
- June 15, Farm Economics – Livestock
- July 13, Job Approval Authority
- Sept. 21, Individual Development Plan Tool
- Nov. 16, Technical Training Resources
March
April
- April 2, Basic Cover Crop 2026, Online
- April 7, Basic Cover Crop 2026, Austin
- April 9, Basic Cover Crop 2026, Baxter
- April 15, Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation, Carlton
- April 17, Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation for Wet Sites, Detroit Lakes
- April 22, Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation for Wet Sites, Farmington
- April 29, Native Seed Mix Design and Evaluation, Marshall
- April 30, Basic ArcGIS Pro, Online
May
June
July
August
- Jan. 7-March 25, Strategic Farming: Let's Talk Crops!, UMN Extension Online
- Jan. 13-Oct. 13, SFEC's 2026 Webinar Series, SFEC, Online
- Jan. 30-April 24, Fridays with a Forester, UMN Extension, Online
- Feb. 9-Oct. 29, Livestock 101 Webinar Training Series - Part II, Conservation Webinars, Online
- *March 25-26, Tribal-State Relations Training, Prairie Island Indian Community, Welch
- April 6, How to Plan a Successful Conservation Event: Tools, Templates, and Community Capacity, PF, Online
- April 6, Forest Pest First Detector Training, Shoreview, UMN Extension
- April 7-29, Weed 'Em Out Workshops, SFEC, Multiple Locations
- May 28, Field Applications to Fire Dependent Forest Ecosystems, SFEC, Cloquet Forestry Center
- June 2, Northern hardwoods silviculture: What's next after creating gaps?, SFEC, Aitkin
- June 3, MN Forest Management Guidelines Field Workshop, SFEC, Hackensack
- June 9, Cover Crop Academy, UMN Extension, Multiple Locations
- June 17, Ecological Silviculture Applications to Mesic Hardwood Forests, SFEC, Grand Rapids
- June 18, Field Silviculture Application to Wet and Ash Dominated Forests, SFEC, Cass Lake
- June 25, Forest Pest First Detector Training, Cloquet Forestry Center, UMN Extension
- July 28, Recognizing and Managing Oak Wilt, SFEC, St. Croix State Park
*LGUs need to identify in their requests that they work with BWSR.
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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