EmpowerU! Advocating Invasive Species Management
Learn how to work with decision makers, influence management decisions, and stop the spread of invasive species!
Overview | Target Audience | Course Outline & Expectations | Course Learning Objectives | Course Details & Registration | VMNs & Advocacy | Invasive Species Focus | Partners & Sponsors
Overview
Have you been working on invasive species issues but feel compelled to do more? Taking part in the EmpowerU Advocacy Training Program will move your invasive species work to the next level!
In this 4 week course, woodland and shoreline owners, master volunteers, and natural resources professionals can grow their skills to meaningfully engage decision makers about invasive species. Through a series of self-paced online learning activities and one in-person workshop, participants will:
Have you been working on invasive species issues but feel compelled to do more? Taking part in the EmpowerU Advocacy Training Program will move your invasive species work to the next level!
In this 4 week course, woodland and shoreline owners, master volunteers, and natural resources professionals can grow their skills to meaningfully engage decision makers about invasive species. Through a series of self-paced online learning activities and one in-person workshop, participants will:
- Gain understanding of the roles and levels of government and who to contact regarding invasive species management
- Learn to use skills such as influence, power, persuasion, framing, questioning and listening in interactions with decision makers
- Know where to find reputable information on the status of invasive species in your area
- Create an engagement plan and experience practicing it in a safe, peer-learning environment
- See yourself as a resource to decision makers on invasive species management
- View engagement with decision makers as a norm and encourage others to do it
- Network with other people passionate to make a difference around invasive species
Image by VMN-Riverine Chapter
Target Audience
This program is open to natural resource volunteers and forest landowners with an interest in developing skills to engage decision-makers about invasive species management. Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers and contacts from the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program are our primary audiences, but others are welcome to participate.
Course Outline and Expectations
- Course length: 4-5 weeks
- Delivery method: hybrid (online and in-person)
- Time commitment: Participants will complete 8 online modules which should take about one hour each. The required in-person workshop will be a full day (~6 hours).
- Recommended course completion timeline:
- Week 1 - Online modules 1 & 2
- Week 2 - Online modules 3 & 4
- Week 3 - Online modules 5 & 6
- Week 4 - Online modules 7 & 8
- End of Week 4/Beginning of Week 5 - Workshop (full day; in-person and required)
- Technology requirements:
- We will be using a program called Canvas as the online course delivery system. You will need reliable internet access and a computer or mobile device with an updated web browser. In addition, you will need the ability to playback media content (including audio and video).
- Supported operating systems and web browsers: Canvas runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, or any other device with a modern web browser. Canvas supports the last two versions of every browser release. We highly recommend updating to the newest version of whatever browser you are using as well as the most up-to-date Flash plug-in. Learn more about which browsers Canvas supports here: Which browsers does Canvas support?
- Word processing software such as Microsoft Word OR a Google account for use with Google Docs.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader or another supported PDF reader.
- You will need access to a printer to print your student workbook (optional) and your completed Engagement Plan (required).
Course Learning Objectives
During the online modules, participants will:
These skills are introduced and then incorporated into your personalized Engagement Plan via assignments within the online learning modules. By the end of the online course, you will have a 4-6 page roadmap to address your invasive species engagement issue. You will need to complete your plan a few days before the in-person training so the instructors can review it.
During the required in-person training participants will:
During the online modules, participants will:
- Learn about engagement
- Learn how to find reliable information
- Identify who can solve specific invasive species problems
- Understand influence, power and persuasion
- Review best practices for listening and questioning
- Learn about framing an issue
- Create a plan to engage the right people to move their invasive species issue forward
These skills are introduced and then incorporated into your personalized Engagement Plan via assignments within the online learning modules. By the end of the online course, you will have a 4-6 page roadmap to address your invasive species engagement issue. You will need to complete your plan a few days before the in-person training so the instructors can review it.
During the required in-person training participants will:
- Meet others passionate about invasive species
- Practice reflective listening
- Develop questions and frame issues
- Practice one-on-one meeting skills or presenting at a public meeting
- Review your engagement plan with others to make it better
Course Details
- In-person workshop dates and locations (you will choose one of these during the registration process):
- Friday, February 15, Prince Edward Extension Office in Farmville, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Saturday, February 16, Squires Student Center at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Friday, March 8, New Kent Forestry Center in Providence Forge, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- Saturday, March 9, Madison Extension Office in Madison, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
- The online course will open one month prior to the in-person workshop. You will be notified via email when the online course is open.
- Lunch is included.
- Course fee: $25. Refunds will not be provided after the online course is opened to participants, even if you have not logged in to the course.
- How To Register:
- If you would like to pay by credit card, you must register online. Visit the VFLEP registration site, choose the EmpowerU! program and the in-person date you plan to attend, and complete the rest of the registration information. Please complete a separate registration for each person who wants to attend and do not use the "guest" fields.
https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/onlineregistration.html - If you would like to pay by check, you must print, complete, and mail in the registration form with the check. Download the PDF registration form here.
- Space is limited to about 25 participants per workshop. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we will maintain a waiting list.
- Registration at least one month prior to the in-person workshop is preferred so that you have the full amount of time to complete the online modules. Registration will close two weeks prior to the in-person workshop.
- Questions? Please contact masternaturalist@vt.edu.
- If you would like to pay by credit card, you must register online. Visit the VFLEP registration site, choose the EmpowerU! program and the in-person date you plan to attend, and complete the rest of the registration information. Please complete a separate registration for each person who wants to attend and do not use the "guest" fields.
Image by VMN-Rivanna Chapter
Wait, I Thought Virginia Master Naturalist Volunteers Couldn't Engage in Advocacy?
Not all engagement with decision-makers is political advocacy! Please know that there are some types of engagement you might do with decision-makers that could count as VMN volunteer service, with the approval of your chapter. For example, you and other members of your chapter might adopt a local park and engage in discussions with the park manager in order to advocate for more management of invasive plants in the park. This sort of engagement is not political advocacy and could legitimately be part of a VMN project. This training is not focused specifically on lobbying elected officials or getting legislation passed, but rather on engaging the right decision-maker for the change you hope to make.
In addition, although you cannot engage in political advocacy for VMN volunteer hours or officially representing the VMN program, there might be advocacy you wish to do on your personal time. Sometimes we want to provide training and tools that will be useful to you outside of your VMN volunteer work! We certainly encourage individuals to be engaged in natural resource decision-making in their local communities if they want to be, and this workshop may help you be more effective in those efforts. This training (both the online and in-person components) meets the criteria for VMN Continuing Education hours.
Third, this training is not solely for VMN volunteers. We are also interested in reaching forest landowners and other individuals who have an interest in doing more to address invasive species issues in their communities.
Need a little inspiration? Check out this fun video How to Change the World (~3 minutes) to get you started.
Not all engagement with decision-makers is political advocacy! Please know that there are some types of engagement you might do with decision-makers that could count as VMN volunteer service, with the approval of your chapter. For example, you and other members of your chapter might adopt a local park and engage in discussions with the park manager in order to advocate for more management of invasive plants in the park. This sort of engagement is not political advocacy and could legitimately be part of a VMN project. This training is not focused specifically on lobbying elected officials or getting legislation passed, but rather on engaging the right decision-maker for the change you hope to make.
In addition, although you cannot engage in political advocacy for VMN volunteer hours or officially representing the VMN program, there might be advocacy you wish to do on your personal time. Sometimes we want to provide training and tools that will be useful to you outside of your VMN volunteer work! We certainly encourage individuals to be engaged in natural resource decision-making in their local communities if they want to be, and this workshop may help you be more effective in those efforts. This training (both the online and in-person components) meets the criteria for VMN Continuing Education hours.
Third, this training is not solely for VMN volunteers. We are also interested in reaching forest landowners and other individuals who have an interest in doing more to address invasive species issues in their communities.
Need a little inspiration? Check out this fun video How to Change the World (~3 minutes) to get you started.
Is This Only About Invasive Species?
This course, and its assignments, will focus on invasive species as the topic of engagement, but the civic engagement content could be used for many different issues. Angie, the lead natural resource instructor, immediately took the information she learned in this course and applied it to a local school board issue. You need to focus on invasive species for this course, but we realize you may find value in the information beyond your engagement as a volunteer or landowner.
This course, and its assignments, will focus on invasive species as the topic of engagement, but the civic engagement content could be used for many different issues. Angie, the lead natural resource instructor, immediately took the information she learned in this course and applied it to a local school board issue. You need to focus on invasive species for this course, but we realize you may find value in the information beyond your engagement as a volunteer or landowner.
Project Partners and Sponsors
This training is supported by a grant from the Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA). The RREA is a program within the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Educators at University of Minnesota Extension are the primary investigators for the grant and the curriculum developers, and Virginia is one of many states partnering to administer the program. The Virginia Master Naturalist program and the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program are partnering to organize the program in Virginia.
This training is supported by a grant from the Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA). The RREA is a program within the United States Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Educators at University of Minnesota Extension are the primary investigators for the grant and the curriculum developers, and Virginia is one of many states partnering to administer the program. The Virginia Master Naturalist program and the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program are partnering to organize the program in Virginia.