Great Lakes Worm Watch training workshops for formal and non-formal educators are hosted periodically during the year and at different locations across the region. Check back for updates as new workshops are scheduled, or contact us if you would like to schedule a workshop in your area.
Typical workshops include:
Introduction to the research, what it shows and how it led to Great Lakes Worm Watch.
Earthworm anatomy and identification of ecological groups and species.
Sample methods and strategies for designing a study of your own.
Getting into the field, hands on introduction to earthworm surveying/sampling options basic soil characteristics; describing habitat and vegetation in a site.
Learning activities you can use including instructions for conducting habitat, soil & earthworm surveys, Forest ecosystem game “Invasion of the exotic worm!” and making earthworm observatories
First Annual “Big Worming Week” with Great Lakes Worm Watch
September 28th- October 5th
Join the force!
Throughout this year we will be offering a range of workshops geared towards preparing folks to participate in our first annual "Big Worming Week". Various evening to full-day workshops will explore how exotic earthworms impacts forests of the Great Lakes region through a range of hands-on activities including a cool game showing how exotic earthworms affect forests and opportunties to conduct earthworm surveys. Learn about the research related to exotic earthworm invasions, how to identify earthworms using our new, fabulously illustrated book “Earthworms of the Great Lakes” and how to use earthworm observatories to create experiments, nature center displays or for science fair projects! Find out what you can do to prevent further spread of earthworms. Learn how to conduct earthworm surveys and contribute your work to this growing citizen science effort.
Upcoming Workshops in 2008
July 29th – “Big Worming Week” at Kemp Station
Researchers have been studying the affect of exotic earthworms on ecosystems since the 1990's. Dr. Cindy Hale, the pioneer researcher to study European earthworm communities in Minnesota hardwood forests, will provide an overview of this research and an update on what is going on today. Learn about earthworm anatomy and identification, how exotic worms may be impacting Wisconsin's forests, and how you can get involved in earthworm surveys.
To get involved, contact:
July 30th – Northern Wisconsin Partnership for Science
The Northern Wisconsin Partnership for Science returns for the third year to the Northwoods Academy July 28th-August 8th, 2008. As part of their staff development, Cindy Hale will conduct Great Lakes Worm Watch training on Wednesday, July 30th for district teams. During the training participants will discover the impact that non-native earthworms are having on Wisconsin’s forests. They will collect worm samples to determine the ecological groups and species present, density and biomass. The final step will include reporting their findings on the Nature Mapping website.
Staff development experiences offered during this two week period are designed to involve the participants in standards based, hands-on activities and data collection to improve teaching and learning in the schools. The experiences will be transferable to the participant’s classrooms and are designed to increase comfort level, knowledge and skills to involve their students in real world citizen science. All costs associated with participation by district teams will be covered through grant funds. Teams from the following districts have already been established and this training is full: Crandon, Elcho, Goodman, Laona, Phelps, Mercer, Tomahawk and Wabeno.
The Northwoods Academy is a collaborative effort of the Nicolet distance Education Network (NDEN), Cooperative Educational Service Agency #9 (CESA), the Northwoods School to Work Consortium, Nicolet Area Technical College and is part of the Wisconsin Academy Staff Development Initiative (WASDI), a statewide professional development consortium. To learn more about the Northwoods Academy visit: www.nden.k12.wi.us
and click on the Northwoods Academy link or call the NDEN office at 715-365-4685.
August 9 – “Hands-on Citizen Science, Earthworms and More”
Urban Ecology Center, Milwaukee, WI
A full day workshop will include background on the last two decades of research on the impacts of exotic earthworms, hands on training to survey and identify earthworms and how to participate in this citizen science effort using Wisconsin Nature Mapping.
Time: Check back for workshop details as they emerge
Location: Riverside Park
1500 E. Park Place, Milwaukee, WI 53211
For maps and directions click here.
Registration: check back for registration information.
Cost: to be determined
August 22 – Exotic Earthworms in the Prairies!?
Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, Fergus Falls, MN
This full day workshop, for citizen volunteers and educators alike, will include a discussion of the research on the impacts of exotic earthworms in the Great Lakes region and what we know about them in the prairie region (not a lot!). You will get hands-on training to enable you to survey and identify earthworms and learn how to submit your preserved earthworms and data to Great Lakes Worm Watch so this valuable data can be added to our growing database. You can be one of the first to provide data from the prairie region, an exiting opportunity to be at the cutting edge!
Participants will receive our new book “Earthworms of the Great Lakes” and a survey kit including mustard powder (to extract the earthworms from the soil), sample vials and preservation fluid for earthworm specimens, lesson plans and activities that you can use with your students. Educators can receive 6 hours of continuing education credit.
Time: 9am-3pm
Location: Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
602 State Highway 210E, Fergus Falls, MN 56537
Registration: To download a registration form, click here (space is limited to register now).
Cost: $20
September 10 – “Big Worming Week” & Wisconsin Nature Mapping training at Beaver Creek Reserve Citizen Science Center, Fall Creek, WI (near Eau Claire)
Learn how our exotic earthworm friends got
here, how to identify them, and how to entice them from their
underground lairs! This workshop will also teach you how to enter your
worm observations into the WI NatureMapping database where the data will
be used by Worm researcher Dr. Cindy Hale of the Great Lakes WormWatch
and University of Minnesota-Duluth. This program is long one and may be
too long for young children. Older children should be accompanied by an
adult!
Participants will receive our new book “Earthworms of the Great Lakes” and a survey kit including mustard powder (to extract the earthworms from the soil), sample vials and preservation fluid for earthworm specimens, lesson plans and activities that you can use with your students. Educators can receive 8 hours of continuing education credit.
Time: 8am-4pm
Location:
Beaver Creek Reserve - Citizen Science Center,
Fall Creek, WI 54742
For maps and directions click here.
Contact: Sarah Braun, (715) 877-2212
<sarah@beavercreekreserve.org>
Registration: by Sept 10th, space is limited so register now! Late registrants will be accomodated as space is available
Cost: FREE, thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring program!
October 4 – “Big Worming Day ” at Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center, Duluth MN
‘Big Worm Day’ is your chance to be a scientist! by helping to collect data on invasive earthworm species. A free public event to raise awareness and understanding of exotic earthworms. Participants will work with naturalists and researchers to collect earthworm data in different habitats in the Boulder Lake Management Area. Fun and open to all ages.
Time: 1-4pm
Location:
Boulder Lake ELC, 7328 Boulder Dam Road, Duluth
For maps and directions click here.
Registration: deadline for registration is Sept. 30th, space is limited so register now! Late registrants will be accomodated as space is available
Cost: FREE
October 14-17 – 35th Natural Areas Conference, Nashville, TN
“Exploring exotic earthworm impacts on forest floor dependent species”
This workshop, in conjunction with the Natural Areas Conference, will explore what we know about how exotic earthworm invasions may be affecting other organisms that rely on the forest floor such as ants, spiders, amphibians, small mammals and ground nesting birds, with ample opportunity to try out the field sampling methods and identification of exotic earthworms.
To check the Natural Areas website for conference details as they become available, click here.
October 24th – Citizen-based Monitoring Network of Wisc. Annual
Conference, Onalaska, WI
Great Lakes Worm Watch and Wisconsin NatureMapping join forces to offer a great conference workshop! Learn how exotic earthworm got
here, how to identify them, and how to sample them using several methods. This workshop will also teach you how to enter your
worm observations into the WI NatureMapping database for use by researchers and educators alike.
Participants will receive our new book “Earthworms of the Great Lakes” and a survey kit including mustard powder (to extract the earthworms from the soil), sample vials and preservation fluid for earthworm specimens, lesson plans and activities that you can use with your students. Educators can receive 4 hours of continuing education credit.
Time: 1-5pm
Location: Stoney Creek Inn, Onalaska, WI
For directions, conference agenda and registration information, click here.
Workshop Contact and Registration: deadline, Oct 17th - space is limited so register now! Late registrants will be accomodated as space is available. Contact Sarah Braun, (715) 877-2212
<sarah@beavercreekreserve.org>
Cost: FREE, thanks to a grant from the Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring program!
