Purdue Extension is a member of the Indiana Conservation Partnership (ICP), and one responsibility is to provide science-based information and training for partnership members (including USDA, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Soil and Water Conservation District, and Indiana Department of Natural Resources), who work with Indiana landowners and managers.
Providing natural resources training to these ICP members leverages the capacity of Purdue Extension to reach more citizens. Survey results of ICP members revealed the need for tree and shrub ID training. Early in the year, Purdue Extension presented two live webinars, “How to Identify Trees in Indiana” and “How to Identify Shrubs in Indiana”. Recordings were posted on the Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources Extension YouTube channel and made accessible by ICP members and the general public. In the fall, four Regional Tree ID Field Programs were held.
About 140 webinar and 70 field program attendees were employees of the ICP organizations. There have been more than 1,000 views of the posted videos. Webinar (38.6%) and Regional Tree ID Field Program (65.7%) participants, in post-survey responses, rated their training knowledge (5-point scale) about parts of the trees and shrubs used for ID, resources for tree and shrub ID, and tree and shrub ID principles. Webinar average scores improved 1.5 points, and Regional Tree ID Field Program average scores improved 1.2 points. Webinar (88%) and Regional Tree ID Field Program (93%) participants indicated they plan to take action steps in their job in the next year using information learned.
Webinar participants commented: “This was great ... not sure I’ve even been actually ‘taught’ this. Now I just need to somehow retain all this.” “I found both the tree and shrub webinars very fascinating! Would love to see more like this in the future.”
Regional Field Program participants commented: “Totally awesome, learned a ton, great training, thank you!!” “Great program – loved the hands-on approach.” “I already know a lot about tree ID, but learned a lot about more advanced ID using bud and twig characteristics.” “I learned a lot of things that I was out of practice on, and new things that I never knew before.” “Highly recommend this and would do it again in another area to learn even more!”
Purdue Extension’s Tree and Shrub ID Webinars and Tree ID Field Programs helped increase the knowledge of ICP employees, who will use that knowledge for instruction and engagement with clients across Indiana.