The First National Protecting Pollinators in Ornamental Landscapes Conference

The First National Protecting Pollinators in
Ornamental Landscapes Conference
Save the Date—Registration Opening Soon!
Date: October 13, 2015 and October 14, 2015

The First National Conference on Protecting Pollinators in the Ornamental Landscape will take place October 13 and 14, 2015 at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. Hosted by Michigan State University and North Carolina State University, this conference is intended for extension educators, academic and industry researchers, growers, and representatives of related industries interested in or involved with ornamental plant production or maintenance.

Sessions will include research presentations and discussions on topics such as: Function of urban pollinators, threats to pollinators, impacts of neonicotinoids and other pesticides, pollinator-safe products and strategies, and educating the public about pollinators. Registration will be opening in May 2015. For more information, visit www.ornamentalpollinators.org and look for more details to come!

Hosted by Michigan State University and North Carolina State University

2015 NACAA AM/PIC “First Timers” Webinar

2015 NACAA AM/PIC “First Timers” Webinar

Presented by NACAA – Early Career Development Committee

Thursday, April 30, 2015

12:00 PM Central Time

Join WebEx meeting

Meeting number:	743 125 300
Meeting password:	NACAA2015

 Click on the Join WebEx meeting above or click on the link to participate: 

 https://umn.webex.com/umn/j.php?MTID=md19568223d1502774de3d54b133303ea

To test your technology follow the Join a Meeting Test link: https://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

Have you ever wondered about some of the opportunities at an Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement? Have you ever wondered exactly what do I get for attending these conferences? This webinar can be helpful if you answered yes to either question. The NACAA Early Career Development Committee will provide a presentation regarding the NACAA AM/PIC to be held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from July 12-16^th.

The South Dakota Association of Agricultural Extension Professionals (SDAAEP) and the NACAA Early Career Development Committee would like to extend an invitation and encourage you to attend the 2015 NACAA AM/PIC. We are very excited about this year’s event and confident that the program offers opportunities for program sharing, motivational speakers, and meeting others from across the U.S. Plus, the registration fee for any first timer with less than 10 years of experience is FREE!

The first step you need to take is getting registered. For someone new to the NACAA AM/PIC, this can be somewhat of a daunting task. There is a very comprehensive schedule to navigate through and numerous decisions that need to be made on what to attend. The NACAA Early Career Development Committee is offering a free webinar that will hopefully make your decision to attend the NACAA AM/PIC process much easier.

An hour-long webinar will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. Central Time. We plan to highlight the benefits of attending the NACAA AM/PIC, what events and activities first timers and others can and should attend throughout the week and finally we will take you through the steps of the registration process. This will be a live webinar so be sure to ask questions. We are planning to record the webinar and will provide details on how to access the recorded presentation. Further questions can be directed to Nathan Winter at 320-484-4303 or by e-mail at wint0146@umn.edu. 

Also, NEW in 2015 the first timer orientation and welcome will be fun, fast-paced, and energizing to learn more about NACAA AM/PIC. You will not need to worry about feeling confused or lost as a first timer as you will be matched up with an experienced mentor for the conference! Yes, you will meet a fellow Extension professional that will help you successfully navigate your first AM/PIC. Excited yet? I know we certainly are as these are new things previously never offered to first timers!! For someone new to the AM/PIC registration process, we understand that there are many decisions that must be made. To aid in your registration process, there are various resources available. The County Agent magazine is a great place to start along with the Ag Agent’s conference website (https://agagents.wordpress.com/).

Two events that First Timer’s are encouraged to attend are:

First Timer’s Reception on Sunday July 12th, 2015

First Timer’s Luncheon on Monday July 13th, 2015

Questions regarding these events can be directed to Lindsay or Jenny:

Co-Chair:  Lindsay Chichester, Nebraska, lindsay.chichester@unl.edu

Co-Chair:  Jenny Rees, Nebraska, jenny.rees@unl.edu

Thank you,

Nathan Winter 

Early Career Development Committee, Chair