6th Annual Conference

The Alliance fosters peer-to-peer learning for professionals administering new and evolving programs.

6th Annual National Conference of the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach & Service Programs

September 20th – September 24th, 2010

Moline, Illinois

Come join us on the banks of the mighty Mississippi! Learn ways to strengthen your program and network with other leaders in natural resource outreach and service programs.


DOWNLOAD THE FULL CONFERENCE DETAILS HERE (.pdf)


NEWLY ADDED: Award Opportunities!!!!

The Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs is proud to announce the newly designed awards program.  Awards have been created to emphasize the outstanding creative accomplishments of the program members and their partners.  You are encouraged to apply.  Award descriptions and forms are listed below.   Applications are due to Amy Rager rager001@umn.edu by September 1, 2010.

Overview of ANROSP Awards

Outstanding Team Award: Outstanding Team Award recognizes program teams for their ability to define an issue and create a functional team to address the needs.

Program of the Year: Program of the Year Award recognizes an especially innovative ANROSP program, including a set of educational materials and events aimed at a specified audience for its unique, cutting edge, risk-taking educational programs that succeed in meeting their objectives.  At least one ANROSP member in good standing must have a significant role in conducting the program.

Outstanding Support Materials Award: Outstanding support materials award recognizes programs for their contribution to the field by their use of educational materials, Marketing materials, video/DVD, technology, or other program materials.

Friend of ANROSP: The Friend of ANROSP Award is to recognize both ANROSP members and non-members who have contributed significantly to advancing the mission and goals of ANROSP.

About the Conference

This dynamic conference is for professionals and partner organizations who coordinate, administer, or host training and volunteer programs in natural resource conservation, education, and outreach and for those interested in developing such a program. Conference participants will learn from a diverse range of presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and hands-on activities, network with colleagues, and obtain valuable tools to enhance your existing program or develop a new one.

Our off-site sessions are frequently cited as a highlight of the conference – you will have the opportunity to choose from four – Urban Wilds Rock!, Learning through Discovery, Mississippi Palisades, and Rooftops, Rain Gardens, & the River – each will include presentations by local Master Naturalists and highlight volunteer projects.

Along with the many presentations, special topics this year include grant writing, the recipe for success in building a Master Naturalist type program from the ground up, and partnership development.

About ANROSP

ANROSP (www.anrosp.org) is a national alliance of adult natural resource education and stewardship programs, including Master Naturalists, Master Watershed Stewards, Coverts, Wildlife Stewards, Master Woodland Managers, and more. ANROSP facilitates networking and exchange of resources and information among coordinators of citizen-based environmental programs across the United States, helping create healthy ecosystems and communities through citizens who learn, teach, and practice natural resource stewardship.

Registration Fees, Scholarships, and Cancellations

Registration can be completed online at https://www.regonline.com/anrosp_2010_conference. All fees must be paid in advance.  Payment by credit card, purchase order, and check are all accepted.  The full conference registration fee includes access to all conference sessions and trainings, training materials, one off-site field session (including transportation), and conference proceedings.  Also, lunch Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and dinner Tuesday and Wednesday are included with registration.  Breakfast each day is on your own, but included with lodging at the conference hotel.

Basic Conference Fees

Category Early Bird: Prior to July 15 Standard: After July 15
ANROSP Member Full Conference – up to three registrations per program membership are allowed at this discounted rate $250 $275
ANROSP Non-member Full Conference $300 $325
Member or Non-member 1-day registration $125 $125

Optional Add-ons

Post-conference trip to the National Missississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, IA

http://www.mississippirivermuseum.com/#images/hm_features_attraction.jpg

 $35 $35
ANROSP Programmatic Membership Renewal $150 –
ANROSP Individual Membership Renewal $40 –
New ANROSP Programmatic Membership (pending approved membership application) $100
New ANROSP Individual Membership $25

Scholarships

The Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs has some funds in reserve to provide scholarships for the annual conference.  Our goal is to provide assistance to individuals who would not otherwise be able to attend the conference.  First-time conference attendees are especially encouraged to apply.  If you are interested in applying for a partial scholarship, please e-mail ANROSP Board Member Sara Focht at sara.focht@idfg.idaho.gov by July 10 with the following information:

  1. Name and affiliation
  2. Statement describing why you want to attend the conference and how you hope to use the information and contacts you gain there
  3. The size, scope, and mission of your program (or planned program).
  4. Your estimated cost for the conference, including travel, conference fee, lodging, etc.
  5. The amount that you or your employer can provide and the amount that you are requesting from ANROSP.

You will receive an e-mail confirming the receipt of your application.  Our funds are limited so we cannot guarantee that we will be able fulfill all requests.  Scholarship applications will be reviewed by committee and winners will be notified prior to the July 15 early bird registration deadline.

Cancellations

In the event of a cancellation, notification must be received in writing or email by August 1.  Cancellations are subject to an administrative fee of $25.  No refunds of any amount can be made after August 1, 2010; however, you may transfer your registration to another individual.

Detailed Conference Schedule

ANROSP 2010 Annual Conference Schedule

Monday, September 20

Board meeting all afternoon.

Participants arrive.

Registration/social time in the evening.

Tuesday, September 21

8-9:15 am           PLENARY SESSION

Welcome

Keynote Address “Illinois: An Epic Landscape” -  Mike Jeffords, Entomologist and Public Relations and Education Liaison for the Illinois Natural History Survey

9:20-11:40          Concurrent Sessions

PROGRAM BUILDING

9:20 – 10:00        From idea to building the team – How to Develop a  Master Naturalist type program Part ONE? Led by Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist and Zoe Whyman, City of Ft. Collins Natural Areas Program

SKILL BUILDING

9:20 – 10:00        National Public Lands Day and the National Environmental Education Foundation – Jessica Jones, National Environmental Education Foundation

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10:00 – 10:20     Break

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PROGRAM BUILDING

10:20-11:00        What do we teach, and who is going to pay for it?! – How to Develop a Master Naturalist type Program Part TWO – I have a team, now what?  Curriculum and funding. ? Led by Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist and Zoe Whyman, City of Ft. Collins Natural Areas Program

11:00- 11:40       Successes and Cautions of a Chapter Based Program – Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist, and Michelle Haggerty, Texas Master Naturalist

SKILL BUILDING

10:20-11:00        What is a Naturalist? — Lessons for introducing volunteers to the many facets of being a naturalist. – Rob Blair and Amy Rager, Minnesota Master Naturalist

11:00-11:40        Citizen Science Informs Monarch Conservation Efforts – Priya Shahani, Monarch Joint Venture

Noon -1 pm        Lunch  at Stoney Creek

1-1:30                  Informal discussions and Nature Break

1:35- 4:35            Concurrent Sessions

PROGRAM BUILDING

1:35-2:15             Continuing Education Credits for Environmental Education Programs – Chris Boyd, Mississippi Master Naturalist

2:15-2:55             Tracking Volunteer Hours Online – Sara Focht, Idaho Master Naturalist

SKILL BUILDING

1:35-2:55             Archaeology and the Environment – A Hands-On Examination of Tools from the Past – Alice Berkeson, Public Service Archaeology and Architecture Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and East Central Illinois Master Naturalist

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2:55-3:15             Break

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PROGRAM BUILDING

3:15-3:55             Junior Master Naturalists Roundtable – getting started and experiences. – Frank Rouse, Indiana Master Naturalist

3:55-4:35             Caring for Nature: Motivations for and outcomes of conservation volunteer work. – Margaret Guiney, Karen Oberhauser, Rob Blair, and Amy Rager, Minnesota Master Naturalist

SKILL BUILDING

3:15-3:55             Nature Breaks –  Activities for Your Volunteers and Students

* Medicine Bag (Make It, Take It) – Illinois Master Naturalists

* Ethnobotany Nature Bag – Illinois Master Naturalists

3:55-4:35             Using Global Positioning Systems Hand Held Units to Find, Locate, and Mark Natural Resources – Chris Boyd, Mississippi Master Naturalist

4:40-5:30             Geocaching! Led by Chris Boyd, Mississippi Master Naturalist and Becky Pfeifer, Indiana Master Naturalist – BYO GPS or use one of our loaners!

5:45                      Dinner at Stoney Creek.  Silent Auction OPENS.

7-9 pm                 First Night Social and Poster Session

Wednesday, September 22

8–9:15   am  Growing Forward with ANROSP

Once your program is up and going, what else might be achieved at a national level through ANROSP?  Want to help us grow to the next level?  Are you or your program connected to potential funding partners?  Do you have ideas about what the organization might do to garner support from funding agencies?  If we can figure out what our future needs are, what strategies might we pursue to grow ANROSP forward?—Discussion led by Karen Hall, South Carolina Master Naturalist

9:30       Depart for Off-Site Educational Sessions

3:30       Return from Off-Site Educational Sessions

3:30 or at your leisure    Depart for Black Hawk Historic Site at Rock Island.

Repeating hikes, tours will be available. (Each about 30 minutes.  4, 4:30, 5 start times.):

5:30-6:15             Evening Social

6:30-7:30             Dinner /Evening entertainment

7:30 pm               Storytelling,  Campfire, Night hike

Thursday, September 23

8:15 – 9:15 am   Featured Speaker -  John Davis, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department– “The Importance of a Master Naturalist– A biologist’s attempt at valuing the invaluable.”

9:15-9:25             Break

9:25 – 12:35        Concurrent Sessions

PROGRAM BUILDING

9:25-9:55             Building Organizational Capacity through Interdisciplinary Partnerships – Annabel Major, Nebraska Master Naturalist

9:55-10:25          Nevada Naturalist Program:  The Benefit of Having Effective Partnerships – Denise Parsons, Nevada Master Naturalist

10:25-10:55        A Midwest Regional Master Naturalist Program: a template for new programs – Annabel Major, Nebraska Master Naturalist; Liz Haynes, Illinois Master Naturalist; and Rebecca Cristoffel, Iowa Master Conservationist

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10:55-11:05        Break

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PROGRAM BUILDING

11:05-12:35        Advanced Training: Giving volunteers more than they ever knew they wanted. – Rob Blair and  Amy Rager, Minnesota Master Naturalist, and Marty Main, Florida Master Naturalist

SKILL BUILDING

11:05-12:35        GRANT WRITING 501 – How can I improve my grants?  What if my grant application is rejected?  How do I use evaluation/impact data to improve my chances and to show I’ve been effective?

– Mark Jackson, Illinois Interstate Resource Conservation and Development District

- Ann Ring, Illinois Interstate Resource Conservation and Development District

——————————   12:45   Silent Auction Closes    ————————————

12:40-2 Luncheon at Stoney Creek – Member meeting/awards

2:00 – 3:00          PLENARY SESSION

Product driven workshop(/open topics/roundtable) – Helping you take it back to your program – Developing and strengthening Partnerships for Your Natural Resource Program – Q&A; drafts of memorandum of understanding, others?

3:00-3:10             Break

3:10-4:00             Taking it home and knowing you’ve succeeded…Marilyn (SWCD & Master Naturalist) & Amber Andress (USFWS & Master Naturalist) – Mother Daughter Illinois Master Naturalists

6 pm                     Networking Dinners – sign ups throughout conference, various locations.

Friday, September 24

8 a.m. – 5 p.m.    Optional Friday Tour

Participants Depart.

Off-Site Sessions During Conference (participants may choose one)

Urban Wilds Rock! -  Join host Illinois Master Naturalist Julie Werthmann for a tour of an urban jewel – Nahant Marsh.  Nahant Marsh is a 513-acre area next to the Mississippi River in southwest Davenport that encompasses different wetland community types including bottomland forest, open-water habitat, and a marsh–all surrounded by suburban, industrial, and agricultural land.  Learn about the MN education and Citizen Science projects located here and enjoy wildlife viewing, explore the nature center, and try your hand at invertebrate sampling from the docks.  Lunch will be on the grounds of the Marsh.  Then you’ll cross the river to visit the Fryxell Geology Museum with one of the largest and finest collections of rocks, minerals and fossils in the Midwest.   Finish the trip with a hike along the Rock River at Black Hawk State Historic Site.

Learning through Discovery – Experience nature up close through a variety of educational displays & hands-on exhibits at the Discovery Park Learning Center with your hose Curt Weiss, the director of the Center. The center is the focal point for studies in nature appreciation and conservation management practices for youth and families in the Greater Quad Cities Area.  Continue the adventure at Andress Prairie Rose Farm & learn about learn how this abandoned Midwestern farmland was lovingly restored to prairie by the an Illinois Master Naturalist and her family.  You’ll have the chance to greet domestic animals and wildlife – and stop by the Native American burial mound overlooking the breathtaking Mississippi River.  Lunch will be on the farm overlooking the Mississippi River.  You will enjoy a hayrack tour of the conservation practices and wetland/prairie restorations at this site.  Finish the trip with a walk through “Milan Bottoms,” a wetland restoration site asdopted by local Illinois Master Naturalists.

The Mississippi Palisades – For those that enjoy scenic overlook  and steep cliffs, come explore the Mississippi Palisades State Park with its dolomitic formations  and karst topography.   The Native American pathfinders along the rock palisades of the Mississippi River did as present-day hikers do – in coursing the bluffs, they took the paths of least resistance. Walk them and you’ll trace the footsteps of all those who came before you, some of whom came this way nearly a thousand years ago. Visit the Savanna Army Depot.  In 1918 this facility was used as an artillery firing range and later was a testing & munitions storage area.  Since 2000, over 10,000 acres of this old depot are part of The Fish & Wildlife Service & the Illinois DNR.  Areas of interest include a shoreline that contains the tallest natural dune system on the Mississippi River in Illinois and the largest upland sand prairie region.  The area is home to nesting bald eagles, regal fritillary butterflies, and grasshopper sparrows.  Enjoy a leisurely drive to Heritage Canyon for your lunch break.  Heritage Canyon is a 12-acre wooded structure nature walk dotted with buildings that take the visitor back to the 1800’s.  Finish the day with an impressive interpretive hike at one of the most important archaeological sites in Illinois. Containing evidence of continuous human occupation over the last 10,000 years, the mounds and native prairie will  transport you to another time and place.

Rooftops, Rain Gardens & the River – Begin the trip with a tour of Rooftop Gardens in Rock Island.  See the impact they make on the environment and the effect they have on those who enjoy them.  Then make your way to Arsenal Island for a hands-on tour of Lock & Dam 15.  Since the early 1800’s the Corps of Engineers has been instrumental in making the river navigable for both commercial and recreational vessels. Come to the visitor’s center to watch boats pass through the lock.  Finish the trip with demonstrations of permeable pavement & rain gardens by local Illinois Master Naturalist Don Bardole.

Optional Post-Conference Field Trip

Friday, September 24,            8 am – 5 pm Cost $35

Hosted by Illinois Master Naturalist Coordinator, Liz Haynes

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium – Dubuque, IA & Historic Galena, IL;

Enjoy a scenic drive upstream to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. Six large aquariums and many exhibits feature giant catfish, turtles, otters, ducks, frogs, reptiles and the history of America’s most famous river, the Mississippi River. Interactive exhibits and Living History demonstrations bring this exciting river-front campus to life. Enjoy lunch and afternoon sightseeing in picturesque northwestern Illinois.  The year-round natural beauty of Galena, Illinois is renowned for unparalleled opportunities to experience art, history, architecture, recreation, and rest and relaxation.

Program Marketplace/Poster Session

This informal networking opportunity will allow you to interact with representatives from a variety of natural resource volunteer programs.  Registered attendees may bring a floor or tabletop display for their program or organization to set up at the Program Marketplace. Please indicate on your registration form if you will be bringing a display. Space for each program to display is limited to a maximum size equivalent to a 6-foot table, so please plan your materials to display accordingly.  Tables will be provided as space permits, but you will be responsible for supplying your own extension cords or other equipment as needed.  Poster presentations will be included in the Program Marketplace.

Silent Auction

We ask each of our registrants to bring an item for the ANROSP silent auction.  All proceeds from the silent auction will go towards supporting scholarships and special guest speakers at future conferences.  ANROSP is a 501(c)3 organization, so your donation is tax-deductible.  Popular items from past silent auctions include items unique to your state or program, naturalist guides and books, autographed books or artwork, and limited edition gear for the natural history enthusiast—really, anything you would want for yourself!

Travel Information

Conference Hotel

Conference activities will be held at Stoney Creek Inn, Moline, IL.  A special conference rate is available.  Conference attendees are responsible for making their own reservations.  Breakfast is included with the room rate. This property is a 100% Smoke Free Facility.

Stoney Creek Inn

101 18th St.
Moline, IL 61265
Phone: 309-743-0101

http://www.stoneycreekinn.com

Airport Information

The Quad City International Airport (QCIA) serves travelers throughout Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. There are currently four airlines serving 8 nonstop hub, or connecting cities.   The airport code is MLI.

Complimentary shuttle service to Stoney Creek Inn is available through Stoney Creek Inn (309-743-0101) from 7am – 10pm.  Advanced reservation is required for shuttle service.

Carriers and cities served are:

American Eagle Chicago O’Hare and Dallas/Ft. Worth
AirTran Airways Atlanta and Orlando
Delta Atlanta, Detroit, Memphis, and Minneapolis/St. Paul
United Express Chicago O’Hare and Denver

The QCIA makes travel easier by offering nonstop flights to 8 cities. With just one connection through these cities, there are hundreds of domestic and international connections beyond. The QCIA continues to experience passenger growth from throughout Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.  AirTran Airways, the only low cost commercial carrier in the regional area, offers frequent airfare sales to over 50 cities via the Atlanta hub.

http://qcairport.com/

QC Airport Terminal Map

The Quad City International Airport is located at:
2200 – 69th Avenue
Moline, IL 61265

Driving Directions from QCIA to Stoney Creek:  Google Map: Quad City Airport to Stoney Creek Inn

For more information on the conference or ANROSP, please contact:

Becky Pfeifer

ANROSP Vice President and 2010 Conference Chair

Indiana Master Naturalist State Advisory Council

317-462-1113

rapfeife@purdue.edu