Natural Areas Training Academy - 9/23-25/2008, Kissimmee

Registration is open! Natural Areas Training Academy   Conservation Site Assessment and Planning   Date:               September 23-25, 2008 Location:        Disney Wilderness Preserve, Kissimmee   Fee:                 $380.00 (fee includes registration, materials, and lunch daily)   The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the participant to assessment and planning techniques being successfully used in Florida . For more information and on-line registration please visit the Natural Areas Training Academy web site at:  http://nata.snre.ufl.edu/ Site Assessment ▪Participants will be introduced to the role information plays in developing effective natural areas management plans. They will be exposed to the types of ecological and cultural information that can be used to form the foundation of a plan. Sources of information for Florida will be made available. ▪Participants will be exposed to the role ecological modeling plays in providing input and direction to the planning process. ▪Participants will conduct a field site assessment for a case-study area. Site Planning ▪Using the same case-study and site assessment information as mentioned above, participants will engage in a process of setting conservation targets and defining goals for those targets ▪Participants will determine threats to the existence of the stated conservation targets, prioritize the threats, and determine strategies to abate the high priority threats. ▪Participants will develop a basic action plan and budget to implement strategies to abate threats. ▪Participants will determine how to plan for public use of the case-study natural area using use zones can be implemented within the limits set by the needs of priority conservation targets ▪Participants will outline a plan as to how to identify and involve stakeholders in the planning process ▪Participants will compare their plans to the plan that is in place at the case-study site. Lunch is included daily. For more information and on-line registration please visit the Natural Areas Training Academy web site at:  http://nata.snre.ufl.edu/ Conservation Site Assessment and Planning Disney Wilderness Preserve, Kissimmee September 23-25, 2008   Draft Agenda Subject to change September 23, 2008          8:30         Check-in/Registration          9:00         Welcome, warm up and introductions               9:30         Elements of a good management plan        10:00                     Break        10:15         Overview of TNC's Conservation Action Planning process        10:35         Site assessment        11:00         Case study background/maps and aerials        11:45         Case study site tour          1:00                     Working lunch/work with maps          2:00         Site assessment group exercises (field)          4:15         Prepare site assessment posters (work session)          5:15         Poster session/social mixer          5:35         Review case study site assessment   September 24, 2008          8:30         Warm-up activity                    8:45         TNC Conservation Action Planning Process        10:00                     Break        10:15         TNC Conservation Action Planning Process continued        11:15         Strategy development exercise        12:30                     Picnic Lunch (weather permitting)          2:00         Group report and discussion          3:00         Case study management plan review/discussion          3:30                     Break          3:45         Operational planning          4:00         Operational planning team exercise   September 25, 2008          8:30         Warm-up activity          8:45         Sarasota County Management Planning (Belinda Perry)          9:30         SWFWMD land management planning process (Kevin Love)        10:15                     Break        10:30         FFWCC OBVM and other planning initiatives (Kathleen Swanson)        11:15         FDEP/Florida Park Service Conservation planning for recreation (invited)        12:00                     Lunch          1:00         USFS National Forest System Land Management Planning (Carl Petrick)          1:45         Panel Discussion and Q & A (Team)          2:15         Elements of a good management plan/discussion          3:00         Wrap up/Evaluations          3:15         Presentation of certificates          4:00         Adjourn   Instructors include:  Monica Folk and Gene Kelly with The Nature Conservancy.  Invited guest speakers include: Belinda Perry, Sarasota County Natural Resources, Kevin Love, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Kathleen Swanson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Lew Scruggs , Florida Division of Recreation and Parks, and Carl Petrick, National Forests in Florida .     Linda Demetropoulos, Manager Natural Areas Training Academy The Nature Conservancy/ University of Florida/IFAS Extension School of Natural Resources and Environment P.O. Box 110230 , University of Florida Gainesville , Florida   32611 Phone (352) 392-3210 FAX (352) 392-7383 LDemetropoulos@TNC.org http://nata.snre.ufl.edu