Mid-Hudson Ecological Services provides training opportunities for local leaders on a variety of environmental topics.  Our courses range from basic, introductory modules to advanced workshops.  They can be presented at the location of your choice, and most include a field component where hands-on training is provided.  Courses are $400.00 for up to 8 participants ($50 per additional person) and typically last 4-6 hours.  In addition to the courses below, we can develop courses tailored to your specific needs.  Call us for more information or to schedule a training course.

Complimentary Training Course

• Online Tools for Site Review – This one-hour course introduces users to free online resources for the identification of natural resources and how these tools can be used to evaluate a proposed project site. 

Introductory Courses

• Wetland Identification – This course instructs users on how to identify potential wetlands using existing mapping resources.  Participants will use these data to create wetland maps of a site followed by a field visit to verify the maps and learn basic indicators of wetlands. 

• Habitat Identification and Assessment – This course provides participants with the basics of identifying habitats using satellite imagery and provides summaries of the key attributes of various habitats.  A field component is included where indicator plants and animals are identified and techniques for assessing the overall quality of these habitats are demonstrated.  

• Invasive Species Identification and Management – The ability to identify and manage invasive species is an essential component of proper land stewardship.  This course introduces participants to the identification of invasive species of local importance and provides management options for specific species.  A field component will be included to observe these species directly.

Advanced Courses

• Wetland Functional Assessment – This advanced course introduces participants to techniques used to assess the functional ability (e.g., floodwater retention, nutrient removal) of wetlands.  This course is ideal for individuals who review wetland permit applications.  Our Wetland Identification course or a familiarity with wetlands is a pre-requisite for this course.

• Rare Species Assessment – Identifying potential habitat for rare species is a critical component of land use decision making.  This course is specifically designed to focus on the species that occur in the localities of the participants.  Example species include bog turtles, Blanding’s turtles, cricket frogs, and timber rattlesnakes.  This course also introduces participants to DEC and US Fish and Wildlife protocols for rare species assessment.      

• Ecological Impact Analysis – Identifying the potential impacts of a proposed project is a critical component of the review process.  This course looks at the general impacts of land development on habitats and water resources and provides suggestions for better planning.  Identifying impacts to specific plants and animals will also be discussed and avoidance, minimization, and mitigation techniques presented.   

• Vernal Pool Identification and Assessment – Vernal pools are an essential component of biodiversity in the Hudson Valley, yet they lack adequate regulatory protection.  Identifying the highest-quality pools is critically important to focusing protection efforts.   This course demonstrates how to identify a vernal pool and how to determine the overall quality of a specific pool by identifying the organisms found in a pool.