NatureServe is currently developing a number of training modules that will help you gain the skills needed to execute all stages of a NatureServe Vista project. To learn more about the training modules listed here, class fees, or to schedule a training session for your organization, please contact Rob Solomon, Product Support Program Manager, at rob_solomon@natureserve.org or 703-908-1873.
NatureServe Vista Basic Training This is an in-depth, hands-on, two-day training course that will cover all of the functionality required to implement a NatureServe Vista project. It will cover:
Entering elements and associated information into the NatureServe Vista conservation database;
Describing element conservation requirements including minimum required area, and compatibility with land use types;
Creating category systems and filters for selecting elements for analysis;
Creating weighting systems and goal sets;
Aggregating groups of elements into Conservation Value Summaries;
Importing land use and/or policy scenarios, using translators to cross-walk them to "standard" NatureServe Vista land use intent categories and/or policy types, and assessing them for their benefit or impact on conservation goals;
Modifying scenarios to resolve land use and/or protection conflicts on specific planning units by changing the conflicting land use and/or policy on the units; and
Creating conservation scenarios that meet conservation goals by selecting planning units that contribute the most to conservation goals and prioritizing those that are irreplaceable to meeting goals and at most risk.
Each topic covered will include a discussion of how associated functions work, expected outcomes, and the process for utilizing functions. Participants will also have the opportunity to work directly with Vista through a series of hand-on exercises. View the class agenda.
NatureServe Vista for Managers This will be a half-day training module intended to provide managers with an understanding of the benefits that can be achieved through their organization’s use of NatureServe Vista. It will also provide an overview of NatureServe Vista’s key analyses and the results that can be achieved with each, as well as information on the organizational resources required to implement a NatureServe Vista project. A version of NatureServe Vista for Managers will also be offered online.
NatureServe Vista for End-Users Different organizations, and different individuals within organizations, will have varying levels of involvement in the development of NatureServe Vista projects. Some individuals will be involved in the detailed conservation planning work required to set-up a NatureServe Vista project. Others will be consuming the analyses and reports that result. NatureServe Vista for End-Users will be a one day training module for those individuals who will be consumers of NatureServe Vista reports and analyses. In this session, we will focus on NatureServe Vista features such as scenario evaluation, site explorer, and reporting and documentation. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding how to interpret results, and how initial project setup, configuration and data inputs, such as importance weighting and goal setting, affect outcomes.
NatureServe Vista Customized Training This 2-day advanced users course will cover all the topics included in Basic Training but will be tailored to help participants initiate their own NatureServe Vista project as part of the classroom exercises. Each participant will be asked to bring their own data and will work one on one with instructors to assess project requirements, and set up and configure their individual project.
A Survey of NatureServe Vista Uses This will be a web-based seminar for those interested in exploring NatureServe Vista’s capability across multiple land use planning and resource management activities. Through a series of case studies and discussions it will highlight uses of NatureServe Vista across activities such as conservation planning, state wildlife action plan implementation and monitoring, comprehensive land-use planning, development project reviews, infrastructure planning, forest management, etc.
NatureServe Vista for Managers
