Workshops
Leveraging TWIG: An Open-Access Geodatabase to Analyze Wildfire and Fuel Treatment Interactions
Aidan Franko, Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, Northern Arizona University – September 8, 1 to 4 PM, du Bois Center, Juniper
This workshop aims to enhance data-driven decision-making in wildfire and fuel treatment management. The workshop equips participants with tools to integrate TWIG into management workflows, enhancing resource planning, and wildfire mitigation strategies. Participants will learn how to analyze treatment outcomes using real-world case studies, including the 2020 Mangum Fire in Northern Arizona, fostering data-driven insights tailored to specific landscapes. The workshop guides participants in using TWIG outputs—such as statistical analyses and spatial data—to support long-term conservation planning and adaptive management.
Collecting Environmental Data for NASA: How to Engage Your Community by Collecting Tree and Land Cover Data with NASA’s Mobile App
Jenna Keany, Duan Biggs, and Chris Doughty; Northern Arizona University – September 10, 12:15 to 1:15 PM, du Bois Center, Juniper
This workshop will give participants an overview of an interactive mobile app on NASA’s Environmental Citizen Science Platform. Participants will learn what data are being collected, and how those data are utilized by environmental scientists globally regarding forest health and conservation. The workshop will also demonstrate how the mobile app is being used by local and indigenous communities both globally and locally in Northern Arizona to understand terrestrial carbon and land cover changes over time. Finally, we will walk through how to download the mobile app and use it in real time to collect data on tree size and species.
Python for Ecologists: Diversifying Skills in Open-Source Programming Languages to Advance Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Anam Khan, Marlee York, Brandon Strange, and Rohan Boone; School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems; Northern Arizona University – September 8, 1 to 4 PM, du Bois Center, Pinyon
The course aims to deliver Python coding tutorials and reference material to attendees through a simple computing environment that requires minimal setup. While installation of Python and associated packages will not be required for the tutorial, the course will provide guidance on how to set up Python on personal laptops. By the end of the course, attendees will have a working understanding of Python tools that are relevant for temporal and spatial data analysis and visualization. Attendees will also learn how to use the collaborative coding environment of Google Colab.
Using Open-Source PhenoCam Imagery and Data to Monitor Vegetation Change in Drylands and Beyond
Darby Bergl, Jacob Blais, Mostafa Javadian, Oscar Zimmerman, Andrew Richardson; Northern Arizona University; and Alison Post; University of Colorado, Boulder – September 9, 11:30 AM to 1 PM, du Bois Center, Juniper
This workshop will introduce how open-source data from the PhenoCam Network can be used to study vegetation change through time in diverse ecosystems, with an emphasis on ecosystems in drylands. With 900+ cameras across North America and the greater globe, including 50+ cameras across the Colorado Plateau and Southwest Region, PhenoCam uses timelapse photographs captured by standard digital cameras for continuous and automated vegetation monitoring. Images are captured every half-hour, from sunrise to sunset, and uploaded to the PhenoCam website for viewing in near real-time. PhenoCam automatically processes the images for a metric of vegetation greenness, which is displayed on the website and made publicly available for download as a standardized data product.
Venomous Reptile Ecology Awareness and Safe Handling Training
Erika Nowak, Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Adaptable Western landscapes, Northern Arizona University – du Bois Center, Aspen C, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
This workshop is intended to help participants learn how to safely handle venomous reptiles in a controlled, carefully supervised environment. The lecture section will be followed by a hands-on demonstration and class participation in supervised handling of non-venomous and venomous snakes, using snake-safe tongs and snake-proof holding containers. Participants will be provided handout materials that reinforce training concepts and additional resources for living safely with venomous reptiles. (Fee: $40).