TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

WILDLIFE INTERACTION TRAINING SERIES

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WILDLIFE INTERACTION TRAINING SERIES

Rate
– Person: $10

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When

– Sharks and Marine Things and Stings – August 13, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

– Burmese Pythons – August 22, 2025 | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EDT

– Coastal and Inland Mammals – September TBD, 2025

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About

This workshop series provides an opportunity to learn more about the potential wildlife we can encounter in Florida and the best practices when these encounters do happen.

August 13, 2025 | Want to learn more about the marine creatures in our waters? Come and learn more at the Sharks and Marine Things and Stings workshop, where we’ll cover topics such as:
– How to identify marine animals that sting
– What to do when you get stung (and how to avoid it in the future!)
– Local shark species
– How to be safe around sharks
– What is Red Tide? And how can you report it?

August 22, 2025 | Are pythons plaguing your job site? Do you want to help efforts to control the invasive reptiles in Southwest Florida? If you want to be a serious contender in the Florida Python challenge, attend the **Burmese Pythons** workshop. In this workshop you can learn:
– How to identify Burmese Pythons
– How to search for pythons
– Safe capture techniques (including a live demonstration!)
– Local python control efforts

September TBD 2025 | We’re all warm blooded, hairy, and live in South Florida… it’s mammals! Come join us and acquire knowledge at our **Coastal and Inland Mammals** workshop. Participants will learn about:
– Manatees
– Dolphins
– Bears
– Coyotes

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Coastal Training Ecotour Provider E-Newsletter

Receive notifications about upcoming local eco-tour professional development opportunities including workshops, webinars, research updates, and other events at Rookery Bay!

ECOTOUR WORKSHOPS

Spring & Fall
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ECOTOUR WORKSHOPS

Join us on April 18th, 2025 | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm (EDT)

About the Workshop:

Rookery Bay NERR and Audubon Florida have partnered together to learn more about Florida’s nesting birds and their identification.

This workshop will help you identify our local water birds out in the field, as well as what to do when you and your tours encounter nesting flocks.

During this workshop you will:

  • Learn how to identify water birds
  • Become familiar with best practices on the beach
  • Gain knowledge on Critical Wildlife Areas

Cost: $5

Audience: This is a workshop created exclusively for environmental-based tourism companies and their guides who would like to learn more about conserving our unique environments in Southwest Florida.

Important Note: this workshop will be hosted outdoors at Kice Island. If you are unable to meet us on the island, please reach out to [email protected] for travel accommodations.

Speakers:

Megan Hatten, Southwest Florida Shorebird Project Manager, Audubon Florida
Derek Salge, Avian Specialist, Rookery Bay NERR

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Coastal Training Ecotour Provider E-Newsletter

Receive notifications about upcoming local eco-tour professional development opportunities including workshops, webinars, research updates, and other events at Rookery Bay!

TRAINING FOR COASTAL MANAGERS

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TRAINING FOR COASTAL MANAGERS

Economic Guidance for Coastal Management Professionals

Rate
– Person: FREE

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When
August 26, 2025 | 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EDT

Primary Audience
Environmental Practitioners & Managers, Restoration Specialists, Field staff, etc.

About
Discover the basics of coastal economic valuation & assessments. Join us for our Economic Guidance for Coastal Managers Workshop! Coastal managers often need to understand and hire economists to do economic valuation & assessments. The economic guidance modules provide information about approaches for economic analysis, ecosystem service valuation & relevant examples. These trainings will help you be a better consumer of economic information and more prepared to communicate with economists and know what types of analyses are possible.

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More Information

Module 1: Introduction to Economic Analyses and Valuation

This module provides an introduction to economic analysis terminology related to benefit-cost analysis, economic impact analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, benefit valuation methods, and more. Understanding these basics will help participants identify the most appropriate approach and the data needed.

Come Join us as we learn how to:

  • Recognize and understand basic economic terminology
  • Recognize relevant economic approaches and analyses
  • Identify the best approach to use based on project objectives, level of expertise, and funding
  • Locate support tools
  • Conceptualize appropriate questions to ask an economist or an expert

Module 2: Pathways to Valuing Ecosystem Services

This module provides an overview of three common paths used to estimate the value of ecosystem services: site specific studies, benefits transfer, and tools with built-in benefits. Each path will include information on its strengths and limitations, and on relevant support tools such as BlueValue.org (for benefits transfer) and the FEMA Benefit Cost Analysis Toolkit (for tools with built-in benefits).

Come Join us as we learn how to:

  • Discuss ecosystem service valuation terminology
  • Conduct a rough benefits-transfer estimate
  • Choose the proper pathway for ecosystem service valuation based on available time, funding, and expertise
  • Access relevant support tools and valuation data

Presenters will be from the Office of Coastal Management, under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA Economist Team will have a trainer in the room, although portions of the training may result in a virtual presenter due to travel restrictions or agency guidance.

Interested in the series or want to recommend a program need? Please contact Marissa Figueroa at [email protected]

MANGROVE TRIMMING

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MANGROVE TRIMMING & REGULATIONS

More Information Coming Soon!

Mas Informacion Muy Pronto!

PAST TRAININGS & EVENTS

Becoming a Florida Friendly Native Lecture Series

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SOUTH FLORIDA'S SOCIAL COAST GATHERING

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South Florida’s Social Coast Gathering

Virtual Gathering to Explore the People Side of Coastal Management
March 8, 2022
12:00PM – 4:00PM ET
For the last decade, every two years in February, coastal practitioners have been gathered by NOAA at the Social Coast Forum to highlight the importance of social sciences in coastal management. Unfortunately, the global pandemic has changed our plans for the Forum in 2022. Instead of an in-person event in Charleston, the Forum will happen through locally-hosted gatherings and you’re invited!

In our world now, it is so important to try to reach people where they are—in their communities and regions. Happening across the nation, the Local Gatherings will do just that. These will be spaces for participants to have deep discussions on locally relevant coastal issues, social science methods and practices, and living in coastal communities.

Impact

The impacts of climate change on our coasts have become more clear and compelling and understanding how the impacts on our communities is essential. Join us to hear from your peers, meet new colleagues, and expand your network. You will learn about several social science methods that could change the way you think about your work. We can learn and perhaps even solve some problems together. We hope to see you there!
Full Agenda
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Recorded Presentations

SCIENCE SOLUTIONS

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Science Solutions Online Series:
Working Together to Protect Rookery Bay

June - October, 2020
In our online 2020 Science Solutions series, you can learn about the conservation work happening at Rookery Bay with a FREE webinar and then take it to the next level by participating in an interactive skill building workshop.
Past Schedule of Events
More Information

Mosquito Control and a Healthy Environment: The Delicate Balance at Rookery Bay

Learn how the research at Rookery Bay resulted in changes to spraying techniques and how current mosquito control is driven by integrative pest management.

Speakers: Dr. Michael Shirley & Dr. Keira Lucas
June 18, 2020 – Click to View Recording

Social Science Basics: Understanding Stakeholders and Asking Effective Survey Questions

Explore and understand established social science methods to help increase your capacity to deal with the human dimensions of an environmental issue.

Speakers: Brenna Sweetman & Chris Ellis
June 30 & July 1, 2020

Workshop Description

Building the Alliance for Collier’s Coastal Resilience

Learn how scientists are working with community leaders to address climate change threats like sea level rise and increased hurricane intensity.

Speakers: Dr. Mike Savarese, Linda Penniman, & Kevin Godsea
July 9, 2020 WEBINAR – Download PDF of the Presentation

Hard-Wired for Stories: Translating Complex Information into Broad Understanding through Storytelling

Stories and storytelling are essential for turning our evidence into action. How people understand their communities, their environment, their politics, and even themselves is driven in significant part by story.

Speakers: Jason Jordan & Liz Lang
July 28 & 29, 2020

Workshop Description

Protecting Shorebirds at the Second Chance Critical Wildlife Area

Learn how the second chance critical wildlife area was created and how you can help protect shorebirds as a volunteer.

Speakers: Brad Cornell, Adam DiNuovo, & Keith Laakkonen
August 6, 2020 WEBINAR – Click to view Recording

15 Strategies for Communicating Science and Data to Non-Scientists

Learn how to engage your audience and design effective PowerPoint slides.

Speaker: Cathy Angell
August 20, 2020

Workshop Description

Rookery Bay Getting the Water Right Science Collaborative

Learn how this project addressed the issues of altered freshwater flows through hydrologic, ecologic, and social science research, education, and partnerships.

Speaker: Tabitha Stadler
September 8, 2020 WEBINAR – Click to view Recording

Revealing Mental Models: A First Step for Communicating Science that Motivates Action

In this workshop, you will learn about the ways mental and cultural models contribute to conflict and collaboration by participating in a situation map activity.

Speaker: Chris Feurt
September 24, 2020

Workshop Description

Restoring the Ghost Mangrove Forests of Fruit Farm Creek on Marco Island

Learn how scientific research is bringing mangroves back to life on Marco Island and why it’s important to you.

Speakers: Ken Krauss & Corey Anderson
October 13, 2020 WEBINAR – Click to View Recording

Creating Conceptual Models to Systematically Think About Ecosystem Services

Learn how ecosystem services can be used to investigate and communicate the benefits of managing natural coastal areas.

Speaker: Sara Mason
October 21 & 22, 2020

Workshop Description

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Receive notifications about local professional development opportunities including workshops, webinars, research updates, and other events at Rookery Bay!

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Reciba notificaciones sobre oportunidades locales de desarrollo profesional que incluyen talleres, seminarios en linea, actualizaciones de investigaciones y otros eventos en Rookery Bay.