Introduction to Land Management June Session
Hitchcock Nature Center, Pottawattamie County
Saturday, June 24, 2017
All members of the public including students, land owners, and
anyone interested in learning responsible land management practices are invited
to join us for our new Introduction to Land Management program.June's class
session will be When and How to Control Noxious and Invasive Herbaceous Plants (a focus on Canada thistle [C. arvense] and sweet clover [M. alba & M. officinalis]).
This is one session of a six-class series that will be held the
4th Saturday of the month, May through October. Class will be held 8:00 a.m. to
noon each day, rain or shine. Register here for the June session of this
six-class series at $15.00 per person. Register for the entire six-class series
at $75.00 per person by clicking "Six-Class Series" course on our
event page.
This six-class series is designed to provide members of the
public the basic knowledge and skills required to create and maintain a healthy
environment in a Midwestern natural areas setting. The series will provide
extensive hands-on experiences facilitated by natural resource professionals in
the ares of invasive and noxious weed control, brush management, timber stand
improvement, seed harvesting, and the application of prescribed fire. Students
will gain holistic and working knowledge of the tools and philosophies employed
by the regional leaders at Pottwattamie County Conservation to mange county-
and privately-owned lands including the safe operation of power tools (e.g.
chainsaws and brush cutters), responsible herbicide application, working with
the timing and rhythms of the land, prescribed fire ecology and theory, and the
Natural Areas Management Program's "Guiding Principals".
Upon completion the ILM series will provide attendees a
responsible framework in which they will be able to:
- Understand and
identify the needs of a degraded or healthy natural area
- Employ specific and
targeted management practices on a micro and macro scale
- Improve wildlife
habitat and timber quality
- Encourage the
return/increase of game species
- Increase biodiversity
- Reduce erosion
- Improve water quality
- Connect with natural
resource professionals with over 40-years of combined experience
The series is intended for people of all experience levels;
those with little or no experience should feel encouraged to attend. Attendees
should note: the series will primarily take place outdoors in the Loess Hills
of western Iowa and will, at times, require pedestrian travel over difficult
terrain. Classes will meet at the Natural Areas Management headquarters
(a.k.a. The Barn) at Hitchcock Nature Center.
The fee for the entire six-class series is $75.00; Individual
classes can be attended for $15.00 per class. Pre-registration is required. Due
to the hands-on nature of the series, class sizes will be limited and early
registration is required. Register online in minutes! Please call
712-545-3283 for more information.College students can receive a discounted
student rate for the series; please call 712-545-3283 for details or
email jeff.franco@pottcounty-ia.gov. Student ID is required.
