Iowa Learning Farms has announced its conservation webinars for the month of March. All events are held on Wednesdays via Zoom, and begin at noon Central time.
The first webinar will be held March 1 and will feature Justin Glisan, bureau chief and state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Glisan advises the Iowa secretary of agriculture on climatological matters as well as monitoring and analyzing climate and weather data important to Iowa. He provides climate summaries to stakeholders as well as looking at trends in precipitation and temperature and applying climatological analysis through the lens of agriculture.
Iowa Learning Farms is an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach conservation and water quality education program.
In the webinar, “Citizen Scientists and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network,” Glisan will discuss weather trends across Iowa and the importance of gathering unique data through observation networks to better understand what, how much and where precipitation fell. He will summarize the CoCoRaHS network program and provide information on participation.
Glisan will also discuss the variability and variety of weather and precipitation, which can be influenced by topography, storm type and season, and provide examples of how individual observers reporting “how much fell in your backyard” can provide important information to meteorologists, hydrologists, engineers, builders, farmers and many others.
“Precipitation is essential for life, and understanding where it may have poured rain or pounded a portion of a field with hail can be crucial to supporting many different interests,” said Glisan. “CoCoRaHS is a practical, enjoyable and useful activity. We welcome anyone who is interested in weather and would like to help their local community, as well as scientists and others interested in precipitation, to check out CoCoRaHS.”
Participants are encouraged to ask questions of the presenters. People from all backgrounds and areas of interest are encouraged to join.
To participate in the live webinar March 1:
Click this URL, or type this web address into your internet browser: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/364284172.
Or, go to https://iastate.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID 364 284 172.
Or, join from a dial-in phone line by dialing +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923; meeting ID 364 284 172.
The webinar will also be recorded and archived. All archived webinars are available on the ILF website, so that they can be watched at any time.
Iowa Learning Farms has applied for a Certified Crop Adviser board-approved continuing education unit for attending this webinar. Those who participate in the live webinar are eligible. Information about how to apply to receive the CEU will be provided at the end of the live webinar.
Up next on March 8 is "Iowa’s Wetlands from the Sky: Educational videos on wetland wildlife and water quality with drones," with Adam Janke and Kay Stefanik, Iowa State University. Also in March:
March 15: Daniel Kaiser, University of Minnesota.
March 22: Seth Watkins, Page County farmer.
March 29: Kara Salazar, Purdue University.
For complete information about the ILF weekly webinar, including session topics and login information, visit the Iowa Learning Farms Upcoming Events page. Never miss an event by signing up for the ILF email newsletter.
Categories: Iowa, Education, Weather