The Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council sent the information for this new online training; hope some of you find it useful enough to pass along to others who may be interested. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council List Serve Digest 1. Online Invasive Species Management Training Program Greetings everyone! Do you have on-going research or information you would like to share? Please send it to Lizbeth Seebacher at: lizbetha@uw.edu. Remember, doing web searches with Good Search can help raise money for PNW IPC. Go to <http://www.goodsearch.com/> http://www.goodsearch.com/ and find us listed under 'Who do you Goodsearch for?'. We are listed as: Pacific Northwest Invasive Plant Council (Seattle, WA) 1. Southeastern Community College Online Invasive Species Program Program Fact Sheet - Environmental Science Technology Program - Invasive Species Management Introduced invasive species such as Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) are the number two threat to native plants and animals in the U.S., and cause over $150 billion in losses to the American economy, annually. Efforts to control invasive species are piecemeal and under-funded. Compounding the problem is a lack of trained technicians to assist with control and management efforts. People seeking invasive species management positions generally have training in biology, forestry, agronomy, or related fields - but generally no training or field experience in controlling invasive species. In response to this need, Southeastern Community College is offering the first ever college-level program to train invasive species field managers. Under this program, students may complete classes for continuing education requirements, a Certificate of Invasive Species Management, or an Associate in Science degree in Environmental Science Technology with a second year focus in invasive species management. Career Opportunities.... Federal Agencies - USDA Forest Service - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Bureau of Land Management - National Park Service State Agencies - State Departments of Transportation - State Departments of Agriculture - State Departments of Natural Resources - State Forestry Service - State Parks County Agencies and Municipalities - Cooperative Extension Service - County Weed & Pest Departments - City Parks Departments, etc Private Industry - Landscaping Companies - Environmental Consulting Firms - Invasive Plant Control Companies - Pest Control Companies For more information, call Rebecca Westbrooks at 910-642-7141, Ext. 291. Contact her by e-mail at rwestbrooks@sccnc.edu. 4563 Chadbourn Hwy, P.O. Box 151, Whiteville, NC 28472 USA Visit SCC on the Internet at www.sccnc.edu. Southeastern Community College Whiteville, North Carolina USA Overview of the SCC Online Invasive Species Management Training Program Randy G. Westbrooks, Invasive Species Prevention Specialist Rebecca M. Westbrooks, Chair Natural and Social Sciences Southeastern Community College has developed an online program to train invasive species field managers. The five core courses in the program cover all aspects of invasive species management - including pre-clearance of commodities at foreign ports of exports, border clearance at ports of entry, early detection and rapid response, and control. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------- Lucy Sustain biodiversity; garden with native plants. laweinberg at comcast dot net 206.364.8433