Environmental Professional Program

EPP 221 - Introduction to River Restoration, Part I: Physical Processes

Dates: March 9-11, 2010

(River Restoration Professional Certificate Core Course 1) Successful river restoration projects are planned within a watershed context and incorporate techniques based on the developing theoretical framework for river restoration science. For professionals, it is no longer enough to be expert in a field of discipline; it is necessary to understand the collaborative process and know how to integrate individual practice with other disciplines on the team.

This required introductory course provides a wide-angle view of the constantly evolving philosophy and science of river management and restoration. It will give you an understanding of the full range of skills and project roles needed to develop and implement a river restoration project. This course is designed for consultants, natural resources managers, regulators, environmental planners, engineers, biologists, contractors and concerned members of the public that have an interest in river restoration. It will be led by facilitator and program technical director Dr. Janine Castro, a regional expert in river restoration and geomorphology, and will feature invited speakers and field visits. This three day short course will introduce you to:

Restoration philosophy

History of river engineering

Watershed processes & channel form

Hydrology

Hydraulics

Soil mechanics

Sediment dynamics

Geomorphology

Vegetation dynamics

Stream classification systems

Stream continuum concept

Useful models

Facilitator: Janine Castro, Ph.D.

Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Portland, Oregon

Fee: $525

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, lunch if you are scheduled to be in the field, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Available Professional Credit: 2.3 CEU, 23 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 1 graduate credit available for a fee.

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EPP 222 - Introduction to River Restoration, Part II: Ecological Processes

Dates: April 20-22, 2010

(River Restoration Professional Certificate Core Course 2) This three-day course will provide river restoration professionals with essential knowledge of the types of streams present in the Pacific Northwest and the habitat and aquatic ecosystems common and unique to each. Stream ecosystems are as complex and varied as the types of streams themselves, from ephemeral mountain creeks to large, industrialized waterways like the Willamette River. Each has complex collections of habitats and life forms adapted to living and breeding in flowing water. Habitats vary widely between undercut banks and pools, midstream riffles and rapids, and alcove and other off-channel refugia. Each habitat has its own specifically adapted assemblage of aquatic creatures who interact in a complex web of nutrient processing, predation, and habitat alteration.

The instruction will focus on stream ecology as it relates to river restoration planning, implementation, and monitoring. Participants will learn how the success of river restoration is dependent on the proper assessment of current and desired-condition stream ecology. Instruction will be field-intensive and focused on the biology and habitat needs of salmonids. Facilitator, Chip McConnaha, will lead the course, supported by regional experts in biology, fisheries, water quality, and environmental sustainability. This three-day course will teach you the basics of:

Stream types and habitat elements

Stream biodiversity, limiting factors and carrying capacity

Water quantity and quality

Life cycles, seasonality, and nutrient cycling

Biofilms

Aquatic species and predator/prey relationships

Environmental sustainability: concepts and connections

Facilitator: Willis (Chip) McConnaha, Ph.D, Bianca Streif

Time: 8:00 to 5:00 pm

Location: Portland State Business Accelerator, Portland, Oregon

Fee: $525

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, lunch if you are scheduled to be in the field, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Available Professional Credit: 2.3 CEU, 23 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 1 graduate credit available for a fee.

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EPP 223 - Stream Reconnaissance and Assessment Tools

Dates: September 21-24, 2010

(River Restoration Professional Certificate Core Course 3) The success of a river restoration project depends on the understanding of the river system and its function within the watershed. Complex interacting processes occur on a variety of temporal and spatial scales, and numerous tools are available to help analyze these processes and predict the likely impact of restoration measures. The ability to choose and implement assessment methods appropriate to the project at hand can make the difference between expensive studies that yield few useful results, and insightful tools that help guide planning for years.

This course will familiarize participants with the most widely-used assessment and reconnaissance methods in our region, and will provide a framework for developing river restoration assessment and monitoring plans. The focus will be on best practice methods and integrating new studies with watershed-wide and regional corridor studies. Led by Mitchell Swanson and John Dvorsky, the course will feature instruction by regional experts in stream corridor evaluation / assessment techniques and modeling. This three and a half-day course will teach you the basics of:

Watershed analyses

Interrelationships of watersheds and streams

Geomorphic assessments

Evaluating stream stability

Riparian and aquatic habitat evaluation and assessment techniques

Stream classification

Air photo interpretation

Remote sensing

Data collection and management

Useful models

Monitoring parameters, design, and funding

Integrating regulations and permits

Facilitators: Janine Castro, Ph.D. and John Dvorsky

Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Leach Botanical Garden, Portland, Oregon

Fee: $700

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Available Professional Credit: 3.1 CEU, 31 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 2 graduate credits available for a fee.

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EPP 224 - Restoration Design

Dates: November 1-5, 2010

(River Restoration Professional Certificate Core Course 4) Recent research has found that many river restoration designs fail because they were created to achieve a preconceived notion of the ideal form and function of the stream without recognizing the dynamic processes at work in that watershed. Others fail due to lack of sound alternatives analysis and fundamental engineering. The most successful rely on a fusion of stream mechanics knowledge and progressive design techniques. This approach establishes and supports those stream processes that create and maintain channel form and associated habitats.

In this course, participants will learn about a variety of design approaches and steps for alternative analysis of stream restoration projects. A design process will be demonstrated that integrates landscape scale considerations of geology, soils, and hydrology, with stream processes of hydraulics, sediment transport and geomorphology. Alternative analysis will focus on providing resiliency to stream systems in light of dominant stream processes overlain with biologic goals and human values. The overall focus will be on understanding and design of best management practices in the river restoration context, and on use of process-based design approaches. Classroom and field case examples will be used to demonstrate implementation of a variety of design approaches and techniques. Led by Rob Sampson P.E., the course will feature instruction by regional restoration design experts. This five-day course will teach you the basics of:

Obtaining input and scientific information

Placing alternatives in context of geomorphology, hydrology, channel geometry, sediment budget, sediment transport and management

Gathering and analyzing basic data

Surveying, soil mechanics, hydraulics, modeling

Design process, products and practice

Standards, specifications and design notes

Floodplain restoration techniques

Streambank and shoreline protection techniques

Stream channel stabilization techniques

Open channel restoration techniques

Fish stream improvement

Bioengineering techniques

Design drawings – conveying information

Operation, maintenance and monitoring plans

Best management practices

Construction sequencing

Environmental change and building resilience

Facilitator: Rob Sampson, P.E.

Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Leach Botanical Garden, Portland, Oregon

Fee: $875

Pre-requisite: Introduction to River Restoration, Part I: Physical Processes

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, lunch if you are scheduled to be in the field, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Available Professional Credit: 3.5 CEU, 35 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 2 graduate credits available for a fee.

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EPP 225 - Restoration Project Management

Dates: December 7-9, 2010

(River Restoration Professional Certificate Core Course 5) While river restoration science is complex, many projects fail due to lack of funding and coordination between the partners. In a climate of restricted funding, project management skills and systems are critical to maximizing project cost-effectiveness. In addition, restoration projects depend heavily on collaboration and buy-in of affected landowners, local governments, and other stakeholders. The collaborative nature of river restoration projects requires the cooperation of multiple agencies, consultants, and stakeholders at every phase of project selection, planning and implementation. Many river restoration teams undertake complex and large-scale projects without a full appreciation for these management and communication complexities.

This course will lead participants through the process of building multi-agency and interdisciplinary teams, setting up administrative systems, and creating internal and public communication plans. Case examples will be provided for various restoration project types and scales. Facilitated by Bruce Henderson and Dan Warren, speakers will include representatives from state and federal agencies, consulting firms, and non-governmental organizations. This three day course will teach you the basics of:

Project management principles and goals management

Building the project: choosing and managing interdisciplinary teams

Communications and information management

Defining the internal capacity to do the job

Project scheduling

Marketing and public relations

Stakeholder assessment, management, and compliance

Administration: coordinating MOAs and contracts

Project levels, structures, schedule, and fiscal management

Managing designers, construction crews, contractors, and volunteers

Designer-contractor interactions and responsibilities

Restoration politics

Facilitators: Bruce Henderson and Dan Warren, MBA, PMP

Location: Leach Botanical Garden, Portland, Oregon

Fee: $525

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, lunch if you are scheduled to be in the field, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Available Professional Credit: 2.3 CEU, 23 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 1 graduate credit available for a fee.

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EPP 226 - River Restoration Field Institute

Dates: TBA 2011

See Field Institute web page for details.

Fee: TBA

EPP 231 - Principles of Streambank Analysis & Stabilization

Dates: TBA

This three-day lecture and field course is designed for both public and private professionals engaged in stream investigation, management, stabilization and restoration. The course is designed to clearly demonstrate the essential links between research, analysis, design, project implementation, and post-project evaluation. Lectures will introduce the fundamental concepts linking streambank processes and geomorphic adjustments in the fluvial system. Field work will allow students to evaluate and quantify force and resistance mechanisms that control streambank-erosion processes, failure mechanisms, and the importance of basal scour to sustained bank retreat in alluvial channels. Hands-on modeling will provide students with the opportunity to investigate the factors which control bank stability, while also recognizing the significance of these factors when designing mitigation measures. All students will be provided with bank-stability modeling software for future use.

Course highlights include:

Review of fundamental principles behind channel adjustment

Role of bank erosion in fluvial adjustment and sediment yields

Mechanics of streambank erosion

Field investigation methodologies

Bank-stability modeling

Guiding principles for bank stabilization

Post-project appraisal approaches

Prerequisites: Students attending this course should have solid algebraic and analytical skills.  Experience using Microsoft Excel or similar spreadsheet programs is highly recommended. A laptop computer is also recommended for running bank-stability software provided during class.

Time: 8am to 5pm

Location: Portland, OR

Instructors: Andrew Simon, Ph.D., Geomorphologist, USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS; Colin Thorne, Ph.D., Professor of Physical Geography, University of Nottingham, UK; Janine Castro, Ph.D., R.G., Geomorphologist, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Portland, OR

Fee:TBA

Fee includes: All instruction and program facilitation, resource manual, transportation to/from the field, morning coffee/tea, lunch if you are scheduled to be in the field, a certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

This course meets one Elective requirement for the PSU River Restoration Professional Certificate.

Available Professional Credit: 2.0 CEU, 20 PDH.

Academic Credit: Optional 1 graduate credit available for a fee.

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EPP 232 - Soil Bioengineering Practices

Dates: TBA

Bioengineering is a relatively low-tech method of construction that uses living plants in combination with non-living materials to deal with soil or bank erosion, water quality treatment, flood control, sediment accumulation, or habitat improvement concerns. Bioengineering combines biological, ecological and engineering concepts, using plants as the primary technical component to produce living, functioning systems. Soil bioengineering may be used in combination with, or often as an alternative to, traditionally engineered methods of managing eroded or destabilized stream banks or areas affected by stormwater runoff. Used appropriately, bioengineering methods are cost-effective, favour native biodiversity and habitat function, meet scenic vista standards resolve stormwater compliance problems, meet most regulatory requirements and may exceed permit standards.

This four day course puts students in the field with experienced professionals.  They will demonstrate a range of stream and upland sites, focusing on the urban environment that use soil bioengineering methods to resolve a diversity of common but complex stormwater and erosion problems. The focus of this course is to provide a practical understanding of the value of bioengineering methods and the associated design considerations and installation methods. This lecture and hands-on field class will present:
- Knowledge of the principles of bioengineered project assessment and design
- Exposure to the diversity and complexity of bioengineering methods
- Experience installing various bioengineering methods for small stream and upland erosion projects
- Knowledge of when to contact an engineer, hydrologist, geomorphologist, landscape architect or other specialist
- Understanding of the decision making processes for implementing stormwater management, erosion and/or bank stabilization design for landscape projects

Instruction will focus on:
- Design specifications and applications
- Application of soil bioengineering techniques
- Design considerations
- Installation methods and requirements
- Monitoring and on-going maintenance

The course incorporates classroom presentations, site-viewing field trips, field demonstrations and hands-on field workshop sessions. These field sessions will expose students to methods commonly used in the Pacific Northwest which include the installation of live cuttings, facines, brush-layered soil wraps, brush-mattress, erosion control fabrics and native plantings.

This course is designed for supervisory and technical consultants, landscape architects, developers, landscape contractors and supervisors, and agency planners, inspectors, regulators, and site restoration crews.

This course is not directed at the technical assessment of stream and sediment flow dynamics, slope stability physics or other areas of stream engineering or fluvial geomorphology that may be required prior to the design and installation of bioenginered shoreline, stream bank or slope stabilization construction projects.

Instructor: Clayton Anderson, CPESC, Consultant, Contractor
Time: 8:00 – 5:00 Tuesday – Thursday, 8:00 – 3:00 Friday
Location: Leach Botanical Garden, Portland, Oregon
Fee:     TBA
Fee includes: morning coffee, snacks, trespass permission, handouts, transportation
Transportation: Van

Available Professional Credit: 3.0 CEU or 30 PDH

Academic Credit: None

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EPP 716 - Basic Wetland Delineation

Dates: March 15-19, 2010

A great training course needed by anyone who intends to delineate,
restore, or work with wetlands. The course includes both lecture and
"hands-on" field work.

Following completion of this course, you will understand how to identify
and delineate wetlands according to the procedures and standards
established by the US Army Corps of Engineers, with particular emphasis
on the Regional Supplements for the Western Mountains, Valleys and
Coast, as well as the Arid West.  The course is designed and taught by
expert practitioners in the field of wetland delineation with decades of
field experience. This course is appropriate for both professionals and
students; it qualifies as credit towards certification through the
Society of Wetland Scientist Professional Certification Program.

Our PSU Basic Wetland Delineation Training Course, though nationally
applicable, focuses on wetlands of the Pacific Northwest. Topics include
wetland parameters (hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils)
and regional field indicators, technical criteria, delineation
procedures, disturbed areas guidance, and recognizing problem areas.
Class text includes lecture notes and field handouts.

Instructors: Phil Scoles, Charlie Newling

Date: March 15-19, 2010

Time: 8:00am to 5:30pm

Location: Portland State University

Fee: $975

Available Professional Credit: 3.8 CEU, or 38 PDH.

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EPP 718 - Delineation Regional Supplement Training

Dates: June 15-16, 2010

The Environmental Professional Program is pleased to offer this 2-day course!  This class will provide the latest training and application of the Regional Supplements to the 1987 Corps Wetland Delineation Manual.  The Western Mountains, Valley & Coast, and Arid West Regional Supplements are now required for all wetland delineations throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as other lands west of the Rocky Mountains.  The course is geared toward anyone previously trained to use the 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual.  This course is designed as an advanced supplement, not a replacement, to Basic Wetland Delineation training.  Curriculum and lectures focus on the background for regional supplements: the differentiation between regional indicators and "retired" national indicators; an explanation of updated field methods; an understanding of problematic situations; a navigation of field indicators of hydric soils; and a data discussion.  Day two will focus on field application of the regional supplements at several nearby locations.  This will provide students with "hands-on" experience using the new supplements.  Class attendees will receive Lecture Notes, a Pocket Guide to Hydric Soil Field Indicators, a CD with the available Regional Supplements to date, and Version 6.0 of the NRCS Field Indicators of Hydric Soils.

Instructors:Phil Scoles

Date: June 15-16, 2010

Time: 8:00am to 5:00pm

Location: Portland, Oregon

Fee: $450

Available Professional Credit: 1.6 CEU, or 16 PDH.

Academic Credit: None

EPP 717 - Hydric Soil Indicators for Regional Supplements

Dates: April 13-14, 2010

This is a recommended 2-day advanced course for wetland delineators. The course covers the fundamental relationship between soil formation and hydric soil indicators, in the context of delineating wetlands according to the procedures and standards established by the new regional supplements for the Western Mountains, Valleys and Coast, plus the Arid West.

This lecture and field course will focus on a "hands-on" understanding and the ability to interpret landforms, document soil profiles, describe redoximorphic features, and hydric soil determination.

One-third of the course will be lecture; the remaining time will involve numerous field stops within the Portland Metropolitan area. Field study will include examining redoximorphic features, describing drained hydric soils, and properly applying hydric soil indicators. Other topics include land forms and geomorphology, soil taxonomy and chemistry, sampling depths and measurements, and analysis of wetland situations lacking hydric soil indicators.

This course requires some wetland hiking, carrying field gear and some labor. Hiking/walking may involve slippery or wet, uneven ground that is often without trails.

Time: 8 am to 5 pm

Location: Portland State University

Instructor: Phil Scoles

Fee: $450

Fee Includes: Resource manual, coffee and snacks, and field transportation.

Text: None

Available Professional Credit: 1.6 CEU, or 16 PDH.

Academic Credit: None

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EPP 719 - Wetland Hydrology Indicators and Problem Situations

Dates: May 13-14, 2010

This two-day course will provide wetland professionals with an in-depth understanding of hydrologic conditions that form and sustain wetlands.  Instruction will focus on identification of hydrology sources (precipitation, ground water, streams), as well as the hydrology indicators specified by the Western Mountains, Valley & Coast and Arid West regional supplements to the 1987 Wetland Delineation Manual. 

The course will examine delineation situations where one or more of the evaluation parameters has been disturbed or missing (problematic situations).  Common examples of these situations include grazed pastures, cultivated fields, drained/artificial wetlands, seasonal wetlands, and riparian wetlands.  These examples are common occurrences in urban areas within the Western U.S., as well as other regions.  This course is intended for wetland professionals wanting to expand their knowledge of wetland hydrology and better assess disturbed delineation sites.  It qualifies as credit towards certification through the Society of Wetland Scientist Professional Certification Program, as well as elective credit toward the PSU River Restoration Professional Certificate.

The course instructor has over 20 years of wetland delineation and training experience, with an emphasis on hydric soils, wetland hydrology, and disturbed site delineations.  The course format will be mostly instruction in the mornings and field visits in the afternoon.  The field visits will teach participants to apply wetland hydrology indicators, examine hydrology sources, document problematic situations, and refine delineation skills.  This two-day course will teach you the basics of:

Wetland hydrology fundamentals

Regional delineation indicators for Western U.S.

Field documentation of wetland hydrology

Understanding of problematic delineation situations

Application of wetland indicators on problematic sites

This course requires some wetland hiking, carrying field gear and some labor. Hiking/walking may involve slippery or wet, uneven ground that is often without trails.

Time: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Portland State University

Instructor: Phil Scoles

Fee: $450

Fee includes: All instruction and field activities, lecture notes, transportation to/from the field sites, morning coffee/tea, plus lunch/drinks on the second day of course.  A certificate of completion for this offering is provided.

Text: None

Available Professional Credit: 1.6 CEU, 16 PDH.

Academic Credit: None

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EPP 720 - Wetland Plants of the Pacific Northwest

Dates: June 7-11, 2010

This five day laboratory and field wetland plant identification course focuses on teaching you to identify wetland plants. You will learn the taxonomic identification skills necessary to identify most common species of wetland plants in the Pacific Northwest. Students will be introduced to the National List of Plants Species that occur in wetlands, and will consider the indicator status of species seen in various habitats across the wetland landscape. Lecture-labs (with lots of microscope and hand-lens work) and field study will cover terminology, field characteristics, keying, habitat preferences, species distribution and species assemblages. Emphasis will be placed on teaching field characteristics of the wetland plants, including how to key sedges, grasses, rushes, and willows. Participants should have some familiarity with our NW flora and be aware of the National List of Plants that occur in wetlands. An "advanced beginner" course, students are NOT expected to be proficient in plant taxonomy or wetland ecology. This course is intended for those interested in:

Wetland plants

Delineation

Restoration

Native landscaping

Function assessment (including the Hydrogeomorphic Approach)

Time: 9 am to 5 pm

Location: Portland State University

Instructor: Sarah Spear Cooke, Ph.D., and Kate McWiggins, Botanist

Fee: $850

Fee Includes: Instruction, resource manual, specimens, microscope use, a very significant manual covering all the wetland plant families, complete with diagrams, notes, and hard to find keys.

Needed in Class: Cooke, Wetland Plants of Western Washington and NW Oregon.

Recommended: Hitchcock, Flora of the Pacific Northwest

Available Professional Credit: 3.2 CEU, 32 PDH.

Academic Credit: 2 optional graduate credits for additional fee.

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EPP 751 - NEPA: Overview and Refresher

Dates: May 25, 2010

“If you work for the Federal Government or your projects receive any federal funding, you need to understand and know how to work with NEPA.” 

Besides the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is the most important environmental law in our country.  This course shows you how NEPA establishes national environmental policies, how it provides the framework for federal agency planning, and what the procedures are that ensures the federal agencies consider the environmental implications of their actions before they make decisions. 

Covered in the course is how to prepare Environmental Assessments (EA's) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS's), both mandated by NEPA.  

This class is for anyone implementing federal funds for environmental projects including regulators, engineers, scientists, consultants, and planners. 

You will benefit by learning: 

Time: 8:30 am to 5 pm

Location: Portland State University

Instructor: Ronald Bass, Coauthor of The NEPA Book, A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Comply with the National Environmental Policy Act

Fee: $200

Available Professional Credit: 0.8 CEU, 8 PDH

Academic Credit: None

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EPP 753 - Environmental Planning, Permitting, and Project Management

Dates: March 4, 2010

“Project managers don’t like costly surprises. Especially regulatory surprises!” 

This course should not only prevent regulatory surprises, but teach you to coordinate your planning so that you may integrate all your permits at the planning stage, identify environmentally superior alternatives, and reduce costs and project schedule time.

Many projects trigger the need for multiple environmental permits and certifications that require similar information and involve parallel permitting schedules. This one-day course will focus on how to integrate federal, state, and local environmental regulations and permits into a “no-surprises” project plan. Emphasis will be on providing the resources and information needed to conduct a preliminary constraints analysis, understanding the various permitting processes and how they relate to one another, and the importance of early and frequent coordination with the appropriate resource agencies. 

The course presents regulatory constraints in a graphic, geography-based manner utilizing case studies to illustrate the planning and permitting process. The primary regulations covered iinclude the Clean Water Act (wetlands and water quality), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the National Historic Preservation Act. As examples of local regulations, e.g., Oregon’s wetland removal/fill law and Statewide Planning Goals will be covered briefly.

This course is designed for professionals faced with projects that are potentially constrained by natural resource issues, permitting schedules, and connections to natural resource function and values.  It is particularly important for land managers, regulators, environmental planers, and civil engineers, landscape architects, contractors, and scientists.

This course does not cover any one of the regulations in exhaustive detail. As a planning methodology, it will provide a basis for understanding common regulatory integration issues.

Instructor: Shane Latimer, Ph.D., Ecologist, Consultant, Jones & Stokes

Time: 8am to 5pm

Location: Portland, OR

Fee: $200

Fee Includes: Instruction, course material, manual

Available Professional Credit: 0.8 CEU, 8 PDH

Academic Credit: None

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EPP 752 - The Endangered Species Act: Overview and Best Approaches to Compliance in Oregon

Dates: This material will be covered in the Environmental Planning, Permitting, and Project Management course.

Participants in this course will gain a thorough understanding of the current federal laws, regulations, policies, and practices concerning threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. This program presents the latest case law and regulatory changes in the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) and practical advice for resolving endangered species conflicts with proposed projects.

This course presents an overview of the federal ESA, reviewing the primary sections of the ESA, as well as presenting an overview of how the ESA relates to Oregon issues. A short overview of state species preservation laws will be presented.
The following key aspects of the ESA are addressed, including the most recent case law and agency policies:

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EPP 754 - Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring

Dates: August 16-17, 2010

Aquatic macroinvertebrate biomonitoring is a quick, cost-effective method for assessing
the water quality and habitat conditions of streams and small rivers.  Biomonitoring is
particularly useful for monitoring and assessing river restoration and habitat
improvement projects.  The two-day course will provide professionals with the skills and
knowledge needed to conduct Rapid Bioassessment field techniques for aquatic
macroinvertebrate Biomonitoring. 

This training program focuses on:
- Family-level taxonomy and identification of common macroinvertebrates.
- Macroinvertebrate collection and sampling
- Data analysis and interpretation.

Instructor: Patrick Edwards

Time: 8am to 5pm

Location: Portland, OR

Fee: $450

Available Professional Credit: 1.6 CEU, 16 PDH

Academic Credit: None

All collecting and identifying equipment will be provided.

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EPP 720b - Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of the Pacific NW

Dates: TBA 2011

This three day laboratory course will teach you how to identify grasses, sedges, and rushes in the Pacific Northwest. Coursework will cover the vocabulary needed to use technical keys and the majority of class time will be spent learning to use both locally developed keys and more technical resources such as Hitchcock and Cronquist, Flora of the Pacific Northwest. In addition to keying, we will also cover the field identification characteristics used to identify each species. Through in class samples and a 1/2 day field trip, students will be exposed to more than 50 of the most common grasses, sedges, and rushes of fresh and salt-water wetlands and associated upland and riparian habitats in Oregon and Washington. The class manual will include diagrams, locally developed keys, and other resources. Prior experience using botanical keys is recommended, although not required. This course is appropriate for anyone interested in learning to identify grasses, sedges, and rushes.

Instructor: Jennifer Goodridge, Invasive Plant Coordinator, City of Portland

Time: 9am to 5pm

Location: Wilsonville, OR

Fee: TBA

Fee Includes: Instruction, resource manual, use of microscopes, and coffee

Available Professional Credit: 2.4 CEU or 24 PDH credit

Academic Credit: None

Required Text: Hitchcock and Cronquist, 1973, Flora of the Pacific Northwest

Or

Hitchcock, Cronquist, Ownby, and Thompson, 1971, Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest, Part 1: Vascular Cryptogams, Gymnosperms, and Monocotyledons

Required Materials (bring to class as these are not provided): Hand Lens (10x) and dissecting kit that includes a probe, razor blade, ruler, and fine tipped tweezers

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EPP 662 - Wetland Mitigation, Construction and Installation

Dates: TBA

This four and a half day lecture and field class will teach you how to design, construct and supervise the installation of wetland mitigation projects. Lectures will cover Design, Construction, Installation, and Monitoring/ Maintenance. The class includes a hands-on, "how-to" practicum in the field.

Design topics include:

Project goal determination

Landscape evaluation

Reference site selection

Functional evaluation

Plant community selection

Hydrologic regime modeling (including grading, inlet/outlet design)

Substrate evaluation

Habitat feature design

Agency guidelines for design

Construction and installation oversight methods and monitoring and maintenance will also be reviewed.

Instructors: Sarah Spear Cooke, Ph.D. and Charles J. Newling

Time: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

Location: Portland, OR

Fee: TBA

Fee Includes: Substantial reference manual, morining coffee, water and snacks in the field. There is no text that covers this topic. The included reference manual is in excess of 300 pages.

Available Professional Credit: 3.6 CEU, or 36 PDH.

Academic Credit: 2 optional graduate university credits available for additional fee.

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