Webinars
Each year the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, and Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute and other partners offer free webinars on contemporary topics in wilderness stewardship. Webinars are generally recorded for later viewing.
Upcoming Webinars
A Tale of Two Rivers; The Transboundary Flathead and Kootenai Watersheds
March 31, 7-8:30pm mountain time, with Erin Sexton, Senior Scientist, Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana (part of the Wilderness Issues Lecture Series, now offered free online)
Balancing Advocacy and Stewardship to Protect Wild Lands: The Great Old Broads for Wilderness Model
April 14, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, Join Great Old Broads for Wilderness Associate Director, Lauren Berutich, to explore how the alignment of a solid advocacy and stewardship plan can effectively and deeply shift community activism to a new level of success.
Ecosystem Response to the Removal of the Elwha River Dams
April 14, 2020 7-8:30pm mountain time, with George Pess, Program Manager of the Watershed Program, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (part of the Wilderness Issues Lecture Series, now offered free online)
Bristol Bay, Alaska: Where the World's Last Great Salmon Fishery is Threatened by Development of Industrial-Scale Mining
April 21, 2020 7-8:30pm mountain time, with Daniel Schindler, Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington (part of the Wilderness Issues Lecture Series, now offered free online)
Fisheries and Wildlands Management in the Rattlesnake Wilderness
April 28, 2020 7-8:30pm mountain time, with Ladd Knotek - Fisheries Management Biologist, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (part of the Wilderness Issues Lecture Series, now offered free online)
Citizen Science--Innovative Approaches to Engagement, Data Collection, and Management Support
May 12, 1-2pm mountain time, In the face of agency reductions, and the parallel growth of a wide-ranging base of engaged and knowledgeable volunteers in our wild areas, “Citizen Science” has become a key approach to gathering solid data and sustaining the science which supports wilderness management. Join Mark Eller from Leave No Trace, Lisa Gerloff from the Wilderness Institute at the University of Montana, and Michelle Toshack from Adventure Scientists.
Women-Led Stewardship and Conservation: Panel Discussion
June 16, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, From Marjory Stoneman Douglas to Mardie Murie to Winona LaDuke and more, women have long led the fight for land protection, conservation, and stewardship. Yet women’s contributions have often gone unrecognized, and too few have held leadership positions in national, regional, or local organizations. Join Shelley Silbert, Executive Director of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, for a panel to explore why women are so critical to public lands protection, and how women’s leadership is critical to protection of our last wild places.
Mindfulness: How do you feel about your wilderness experiences in our fast paced world
July 14, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, with Michelle Reugebrink, other details TBD
Back Country Horsemen of America - 3S's for Safe Horsemanship Around other Users
August 11, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, with Randy Rasmussen and Cate Bendock, other details TBD
Public Lands and Climate Change: Panel Discussion
September 8, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, Ecological change is happening before our eyes, brought on by climate change. Regardless of the cause, the changes in the natural world are evident and swiftly reshaping environments. This is felt keenly on public lands. Our panelists will discuss ways that stewardship groups can involve themselves in the monitoring and preparation for climate change adjustments in your local areas. This session will help set a framework for climate change understanding leading into the National Wilderness Workshop in Merced, California in October.
Poop in the woods: Why managing human waste in wilderness matters
October 7, 2020, 1-2:30pm mountain time, Human waste can be one of the most significant impacts on public lands, particularly in pristine areas such as wilderness. Given the increase in recreational use of our shared lands, understanding the issues and impacts associated with human waste is imperative for ensuring that it is dealt with appropriately and effectively. From catholes to groovers, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Education Director Ben Lawhon will cover the specific impacts of improper disposal of human waste, will explore the science of human waste, and will review strategies and techniques for minimizing the impact of this waste in wild places.
Ethics in Digital Media
October 20, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, with Lisa Ronald and Mikensi Romersa from the University of Montana, other details TBD
Working with Kids in Nature: Panel Discussion
November 10, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, with Fish and Wildlife Service educator Sue McDonald, other details TBD
Strategies for Trail and Land Designations
December 8, 2020 1-2pm mountain time, with Andrew Downs, other details TBD
Past Webinars
Wilderness and Accessibility: Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Visitors Who Use Wheelchairs (2020)
Wilderness areas offer unique opportunities for self-reliant experiences to everyone. But how do people who have disabilities fit into wilderness? Accessibility expert Janet Zeller discusses what responsibilities wilderness managers have and don't have to provide access for visitors with disabilities. With the advent of increasingly-innovative mobility technologies, she also provides tools to identify what kinds of wheelchairs and other mobility-assisting devices are allowed in wilderness.
Wilderness and Accessibility recording from February 4, 2020
Sustainable Camping on the Pacific Crest Trail (2018)
During this webinar, recreation ecologist Jeff Marion discussed the challenges of camping impacts and "Best Management Practice" options for increasing campsite sustainability. Unregulated camping with visitor-selected sites frequently result in unacceptable resource and social conditions. New research findings reveal the advantages of three alternative options: Designated and Established Site Camping, and Dispersed Pristine Site Camping. Innovations such as shifting camping to naturally-occurring or constructed "side-hill" campsites and using printed and digital maps to shift campers to the most sustainable campsites will also be described. Dr. Lisa Machnik, a Forest Service wilderness manager, discussed wilderness character implications.
Wilderness Stewardship Performance (2017/2018/2019)
Plants Element
William Carromero (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Plants Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Plants Element.
Plants Element webinar recording from September 26, 2019
Recreation Sites Element
Kevin Cannon (Forest Service) and Charis Parker (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Recreation Sites Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Recreation Sites Element.
Recreation Sites Element webinar recording from September 26, 2019
Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element
Eric Sandeno (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element.
Non-Compliant Infrastructure Element webinar recording from March 14, 2019
Cultural Resources Element
Molly Westby (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Cultural Resources Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Cultural Resources Element.
Cultural Resources Element webinar recording from March 14, 2019
Agency Management Actions Element
Bjorn Fredrickson (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Agency Management Actions Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Agency Management Actions Element.
Agency Management Actions Element webinar recording from February 19, 2019
Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Elements
Eric Sandeno (Forest Service) and Colter Pence (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and present detailed information on scoring for the Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element.
Motorized Equipment/Mechanical Transport Use Authorization Element webinar recording from February 19, 2019
Education Element
Nancy Taylor (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Education Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Education Element.
Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element
Dr. Troy Hall (Oregon State University) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Opportunities for Primitive and Unconfined Recreation Element.
Wilderness Character Baseline Element
Adam Barnett (Forest Service) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Wilderness Character Baseline Element along with examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Wilderness Character Baseline Element.
Trails Element
Jaime Schmidt (USDA Forest Service National Trail Program Manager) and Stacy Duke (USDA Forest Service, Hoosier National Forest) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance and presented detailed information on scoring for the Trails Element including examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Trails Element.
Solitude Element
Troy Hall (Oregon State University) and Stacy Duke (Forest Service) provided a short introduction to the Forest Service wilderness performance measure, Wilderness Stewardship Performance, presented detailed information on scoring for the Solitude element, and provided examples of required deliverables associated with the element. The webinar concluded with information on where to find support resources related to the Solitude element.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Wilderness (2017)
Bob Wick (Bureau of Land Management), Parker Martyn (National Park Service), Jeff Lucas (Fish and Wildlife Service), and Sandy Skrien (Forest Service) talked about how each agency handles UAS use from an administrative, outside request (e.g. research, SAR, commercial etc.), and public/recreational standpoint.
Evaluating Proposals for Ecological Intervention in Wilderness (2017)
Beth Hahn and Peter Landres, ecologists from the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, presented the final version of their supplementary tool intended to provide support to agency staff in completing an MRA or MRDG for proposals that involve ecological intervention in wilderness, including projects motivated by the preservation of cultural resources. This supplement is needed because ecological intervention proposals commonly entail complex legal, scientific, and ethical questions that may be beyond the realm of a typical MRA or MRDG. By asking questions early in the proposal evaluation process, this supplement is intended to help agency staff identify issues that need to be resolved before moving forward with the MRA or MRDG and other required analyses.