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Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring: Terrestrial Survey Methods Seminar

**On behalf of Dr. Nichole Barger**

Hello everyone!

Welcome back and I hope you all had an amazing summer. I want to let all of your know of an amazing opportunity to get a certification in the Bureau of Land Management’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) methods. If you are interested in field crew positions for the summer of 2023, this training will definitely give you a foot in the door for these jobs. We are piloting this program this fall in the hope we will be able to offer it every fall. Here is the description of the program:

Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring: Terrestrial Survey Methods Seminar

This class provides the framework and skills to understand the condition and trends of terrestrial resources through implementing a monitoring program which is consistent with the Bureau of Land Management’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy. You read more about AIM here: https://www.blm.gov/aim/strategy

Terrestrial monitoring methods will focus primarily on field measurements of vegetation and soils. Guest lecturers associated with the BLM will guide students through all segments of the curriculum. The primary AIM methods training segments include:

  1. core monitoring concepts
  2. biotic and abiotic indicators
  3. site characterization techniques
  4. quantitative data collection protocols
  5. data quality assurance and quality control
  6. data management best practices
  7. two field sessions of quantitative data collection at a local field site

Following completion of this course students will be able to measure and calculate the AIM terrestrial quantitative indicators using standard field methods.  Ensure monitoring data quality using quality control and assurance mechanisms such as calibration, electronic data capture and data management.  Implement monitoring in a structured and consistent manner.  Additionally, students will develop an understanding of sample design development, statistical approaches to data analysis, and a selection of current data applications to land management. This course will cover all primary AIM training components to prepare students for AIM field crew seasons, should students be interested in applying for these seasonal positions. A wide array of state and federal agencies conduct similar inventory and monitoring programs for natural resources. This seminar course will provide an introduction to this type of work and a discussion of potential employment paths students could pursue related to this work.
Lectures will be held weekly, on Tuesdays, from 4 pm to 6 pm, beginning the week of August 22nd and ending October 18th . There will be no lectures the week of September 12th. Field days will be 6 hours in duration and will be held Saturday September 24th and Saturday October 1st . Students must provide their own transportation to a field site in the local area. To get the certification all sessions must be attended. Class size will be capped at 15 students. First come, first serve!

If you are interested please fill out this short survey:

https://forms.gle/AEr3BVfoghUNk8t88

You can also contact me directly with questions at nichole.barger@colorado.edu.

Best,
Nichole

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