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Featured Courses and Events
ECS3167 - Critical Writing/Critical Thinking
January 12-16, 2009
This intensive, hands-on writing course is designed to achieve excellence in writing through clarity in thinking. Critical thinking involves evaluating information to reach a well-justified decision or recommendation and critical writing is the clear, unambiguous communication of your information. The goal of this course is to develop your skills as a writer and editor/reviewer in order to make FWS policy and science writing clear, well-organized, persuasive, and logical.
Registration: Complete on line at https://doilearn.doi.gov
Questions: Please call Karene Motivans at 304-876-7458 or e-mail karene_motivans@fws.gov
OUT8101: Public Outreach and Education: Overview and Program Planning
Date: March 30-April 3, 2009, NCTC
About the course: Outreach is strategic communication by an organization that influences the perceptions, attitudes, expectations and actions of members of the public while providing mechanisms for the public to interact with the organization. Done purposefully, outreach plays a critical role in effectively addressing issues that impact the management of natural resources. During this course, participants will draft a site-specific outreach plan that includes specific outreach goals and objectives, key audiences, and audience-specific messages and strategies that support their station’s resource management goals.
College Credit: 2 semester hours
Course registration deadline is January 19, 2009
Contact: Sandy Spakoff, Education Outreach, (304) 876-7783, Sandy_Spakoff@fws.gov
Registration: Complete on line at https://doilearn.doi.gov/
OUT8114: Volunteer Recruitment and Management
Date: August 11-14, 2009, NCTC, Registration Deadline: Tuesday, June 2, 2009
About the course: Do you manage volunteers? Need some training on how to better recruit volunteers and manage your program? Then this course is designed for you! You'll learn the value of developing and maintaining strong programs to work with volunteers and how these partnership programs are often a critical supplement to meet the management objectives of the Service. Benefits of and sensitive issues in working with volunteers will be discussed, as well as examples of resident, non-resident volunteer programs throughout the Service.
Contact: Laura Jones, Education Outreach, (304) 876-7499, Laura_Jones@fws.gov
Registration: Complete on line at https://doilearn.doi.gov/
OUT8120: Advanced Volunteer Management
Date: August 17-20, 2009, NCTC, Registration Deadline: Monday, June 8, 2009
About the course: This course goes beyond the nuts and bolts of recruiting and managing volunteers and focuses on the leadership and effective communication skills necessary to build management support; strategies to build management support for a volunteer program and justify costs; methods of involving refuge staff in utilizing volunteer skills; and creating a positive supportive environment for volunteers. Participants will leave the course with increased skills in leadership and effective communication, engaging staff in planning for volunteer involvement, and motivating volunteers and staff.
Contact: Laura Jones, Education Outreach, (304) 876-7499, Laura_Jones@fws.gov
Registration: Complete on line at https://doilearn.doi.gov/
NCTC Deer Hunt
Date: Fall 2009
NCTC is pleased to announce that our managed deer hunt, which has taken place every year since 2003, will be continued in 2009. Dates are to be announced later. This opportunity is open to all hunters, including the disabled. West Virginia hunting seasons and regulations apply, and all hunters must have a West Virginia Hunting and Trapping License (Resident or Non-Resident), and an approved certificate for completion of a Hunter Education Course.
Look for further information, including application procedure, in the summer of 2009.
During our managed deer hunt in the fall of 2008 a total of 31 deer were harvested at NCTC, slightly higher than the average over the previous 5 years. All hunter evaluations returned indicate folks were generally pleased with the way the hunt operated and plan to hunt here again. We would like to express our appreciation to the great group of hunters who helped make the hunt safe and successful, and assisted in our effort to keep the deer population at a level appropriate for the habitat. We hope to see you in the autumn of 2009!
698 Conservation Way
Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443-9713
Webmaster email: NCTC_webmaster@fws.gov