Launch of the NAISMA Online IVS Management Training

Subject: Global Announcement - Launch of the NAISMA Online Invasive Species
                Management Training Program – February 6, 2017
To:          IVS Colleagues Worldwide

Over the past 10 years, my wife Becky and I have developed and offered a series of six online Invasive Species Management Training Courses that cover all aspects of IVS Management – from Regulatory Exclusion at Ports of Entry to EDRR and Long Term Control.  The courses were offered as part of Becky’s Community College Environmental Science Technology Program here in southeastern North Carolina, until her recent retirement.  The courses include:

-          IVS 110 - Introduction to Invasive Species
-          IVS 210 – Overview of IVS Management Strategies
-          IVS 211 – Overview of Federal, State, and Local IVS Management Programs
-          IVS 220 – Invasive Plant Survey Methods (With Field Lab Component)
-          IVS 221 – Invasive Plant Control Methods
-          IVS 260 - State Pesticide Exam Preparation

The courses are based primarily on the concepts I learned as a Federal IVS Prevention Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1979-2012. 

We are now offering these online courses in association with the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA).  Students who complete the six course program will earn a Certificate of Invasive Species Management from NAISMA.  This new partnership with NAISMA provides a very unique opportunity for training IVS field personnel – and an opportunity to network with professional IVS field specialists worldwide.

Program Launch Date:  The first semester of courses will begin on Monday, February 6, 2017, with a completion date on Friday, May 26, 2017.  Summer 2017 Semester courses will begin shortly after that in early June, 2017.

Program Costs:  The cost of each course will be $100/Credit Hour (IVS 110, 210, 211, 221 – 3 Credits each; IVS 220 – 4 Credits; IVS 260 – 1 Credit), for a total of $1,700.00 for all six courses.  Students may take one or more courses per semester, as desired.

Note: Each course will be graded on a Pass-Fail basis (Pass = 70 or Above).  The last course in the series (IVS 260 – State Pesticide Exam Preparation) may be exempted if a student already holds a current State/Provincial Pesticide License. 

Link to Program Page:  Click on the link below for more information about the program, including an outline of each course and a registration link.

http://www.naisma.org/committees/ivs-course

Please pass this announcement on to all field personnel who would benefit from taking these Professional Development Courses.  E-mail or call us directly if more information concerning the program is needed.

Sincerely,

Randy G. Westbrooks

Randy G. Westbrooks, Ph.D.
NAISMA Online IVS Program Developer/Director/Instructor

Chadbourn, North Carolina - USA
E-mail: RandyWestbrooks@gmail.com
Cell Phone: 910-918-6374