This might be of interest to some on this listserv. Forwarded by Jane Clark From: Smith, Margaret A [VAA] NatureMapping Workshop July 26 Folks, The chance of a lifetime! Well, okay, this summer, at least! Join us on our farm in Franklin County on Saturday, July 26 for NatureMapping training. I'm excited to begin monitoring wildlife on our farm and think that the NatureMapping framework and this training will give me the tools to get started. NatureMapping is Iowa's volunteer-driven wildlife monitoring program designed to train individuals, school, and community groups to monitor wildlife in a specific area chosen by the participant. The current focus of Iowa NatureMapping is on land-based vertebrates. Data collected are useful for farmers and other land managers to help them track the effects of their management on wildlife populations, and for folks interested in statewide trends in wildlife. All NatureMapping data are entered online, summarized, and are available in a statewide database. Find out more about NatureMapping and register online at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/naturemapping/. Registration is $30.00 and includes lunch. Doug Alert and Margaret Smith are hosting this Level I, NatureMapping training on their farm. They have an organic row crop, small grain and forage rotation, and manage the grazing of their cow herd on savannah pasture. The training is co-sponsored by PFI, Franklin County/ISU Extension, and the Franklin County Conservation Board. You do need to register online before the workshop. The coordinators need a minimum registration to conduct the workshop. At this time we need 7 more registrants to make it happen. It would be great to have a number of PFI members monitoring wildlife on their farms in this statewide monitoring program. Keep in mind that the program encourages you to enter the wildlife info that you have collected online, but this is not required. If you don't find that idea of entering your data and/or sharing it with other, you, of course, can use the information for your own enjoyment and management. Please also encourage any senior 4-H members or your older high-school-aged children if they think that this sounds interesting. Margaret and Doug Margaret Smith and Doug Alert Ash Gove Farm Hampton, IA 50441 Tel: 641-456-4328 Margaret Smith Value-added Agriculture Program 2104 Agronomy Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 Tel: 515-294-0887 FAX: 515-294-9985 email: [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp