NAISMA Online Invasive Species Management Training Program – Spring 2018 Semester

Over the past 10 years, my wife Becky and I have developed and offered a series of six online Invasive Species Management Training Courses that cover all aspects of IVS Management – from Regulatory Exclusion at Ports of Entry - to EDRR - and Long Term Control.  The courses were initially offered as part of Becky’s Environmental Science Technology Program at Southeastern Community College - here in southeastern North Carolina, until her recent retirement.  The courses include:

-          ISM 110 - Introduction to Invasive Species

-          ISM 210 – Overview of IVS Management Strategies

-          ISM 211 – Overview of Federal, State, and Local IVS Management Programs

-          ISM 220 – Invasive Plant Survey Methods (With Field Lab Component)

-          ISM 221 – Invasive Plant Control Methods

-          ISM 260 - State Pesticide Exam Preparation

The courses are based primarily on the concepts I learned as a Federal IVS Prevention Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1979-2012. 

We are now offering these online courses in association with the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA). Students who complete the six course program will earn a Certificate of Invasive Species Management from NAISMA.  This new partnership with NAISMA provides a very unique opportunity for training IVS field personnel – and an opportunity to network with professional IVS field specialists worldwide.

The overall goal of the NAISMA Online IVS Management Training Program is to help train the next generation of IVS Field Managers – to give them a broad foundation of knowledge about IVS Prevention and Management – and to learn about IVS programs – local to international – such as the South Fork Weed Management Area in Park County, Wyoming, USA, and the Working for Water Programme in South Africa.

Spring 2018 Semester:  The Spring 2018 Semester of the NAISMA Online IVS Management Training Program will begin on Monday, February 5, 2018, with a completion date of Wednesday, May 23, 2018.  This Spring, we will be offering ISM 110 (for new students), as well as ISM 210, ISM 211, ISM 220, and ISM 221 (for returning students).

Program Costs:  The cost of each course is $100/Credit Hour (ISM 110, 210, 211, 221 – 3 Credits each; ISM 220 – 4 Credits; ISM 260 – 1 Credit), for a total of $1,700.00 for all six courses. 

Link to Program Page:  Click on the link below for more information about the program, including an outline of each course and a registration link.

http://www.naisma.org/programs/ism-course

Randy and Rebecca Westbrooks

Randy G. Westbrooks, Ph.D., U.S. Federal IVS Prevention Specialist, 1979-2012
Rebecca M. Westbrooks, Environmental Science/Biology Educator
NAISMA Online IVS Program Developers/Directors/Instructors
Chadbourn, North Carolina - USA
E-mail: RandyWestbrooks@gmail.com 
Phone/Texts: 910-918-6374

Partnerships Now…..  Weeds Won’t Wait!