IPM News and Events Roundup 06/09/23
A weekly collection of IPM news, webinars, employment, funding opportunities, and more from the Northeastern IPM Center
If you have IPM-related research, events, or other IPM news you would like to have included, please email Jerrie Haines at jlh472@cornell.edu. If you would like to subscribe to the weekly Roundup, please email northeastipm@cornell.edu. Past Roundups are archived on our website.
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Online Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Course Coming in June, 2023
The IPM in Multifamily Housing Course is offered to help housing professionals provide safe and effective pest control in their communities.
Register for the June 2023 course here
Schedule
All Sessions will be approximately 90 minutes depending on participation. We have scheduled 2 hours for each session to allow for questions and discussions. These webinars are interactive, including polls, chats and Q&A.
June 15 Session 2: Cockroaches
June 22 Session 3: Rodents
June 29 Session 4: Bed Bugs
Check your time zone! All sessions will be held:
- 1:00pm - 3:00pm Eastern
- 12:00pm - 2:00pm Central
- 11:00am - 1:00pm Mountain
- 10:00am - 12:00pm Pacific
The course covers:
- the biology, behavior and health risks of the major pests of housing (bed bugs, cockroaches and rodents);
- how to effectively manage pests within a housing community with the least risk of pesticide exposure for residents and staff;
- and how to troubleshoot pest control failures.
***this course is also offered on-site, in-person. Reach out to us for more information.
Attend all 4 sessions and pass the quiz to earn your IPM in Multifamily Housing Certificate of completion! For more information about online or in-person training visit www.stoppests.org
StopPests in Housing is a program of Cornell University’s Northeastern IPM Center. We receive funding from HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to provide free pest management training and technical assistance to HUD-assisted properties.
In 2022, the Northeastern IPM Center launched a series of webinars to highlight and foster diversity in IPM. We have invited presenters from historically marginalized groups to discuss topics related to their research, or to share their perspectives on overcoming barriers and succeeding in their chosen profession.
Please join us for the next webinar in our series:
Promoting LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the IPM Field: Perspectives from IPM Professionals with:
Kim Skyrm (he/him), Chief Apiary Inspector at Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and East Director for the Apiary Inspectors of America (AIA),
John McMullen (they/he), Postdoctoral Fellow at Indiana University Bloomington ,
Samantha Bosco (she/they), Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education postdoctoral fellow at National Agroforestry Center (NAC),
Mary Centrella (she/her), Director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program (CCE-PSEP)
June 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Register at cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lytxoycDQeWn9XgEvLBDGw
To learn more, or to view recordings of past webinars in the series, visit www.northeastipm.org/ipm-in-action/deij-in-ipm/
Research
UNDERSTANDING & MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF AGROCHEMICALS (USDA mrfimpacts.org)
Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other agrochemicals are used on farms to protect crop yield and quality and in urban and residential settings to control pests and weeds. Despite important uses, agrochemicals can leach into soil and groundwater or flow into surface waters, where the chemicals can adversely affect human and environmental health. Agrochemicals can also accumulate in edible organisms, creating food safety concerns and contaminating livestock feed and manure.
Controlling Pests and Protecting Pollinators (NE-1501 | 2015-2020) (USDA mrfimpacts.org)
Most agricultural systems in the Northeast rely on pesticides to ensure high yields and profits, but
pesticides can pose risks to essential pollinators and environmental health. To reduce reliance on
pesticides, scientists are exploring ways to harness natural plant defenses, such as emitting chemicals
that slow insect feeding, inhibit infections, call beneficial insects to their aid, or warn other plants.
Host-seeking activity of adult Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) during winter in southern California, USA, and assessment of bluetongue virus overwintering (academic.oup.com)
In southern California, USA, annual reoccurrence of bluetongue infection in cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)) suggests that bluetongue virus (BTV) persists year-round but escapes detection during cooler months, reappearing when the weather gets warmer. The persistence of the virus in the adult biting midge vector, Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), has been suggested. However, it is unknown whether adult C. sonorensis are sufficiently active during the winter months to transmit BTV throughout this period.
Using Drones in Agriculture and Natural Resources (USDA mrfimpacts.org)
In order to maximize resilience and productivity, researchers, farmers, and natural resource managers need to know how plants and animals—and landscapes as a whole—are affected by changing
environmental conditions and other stressors. This knowledge enables farmers and natural resource managers to respond quickly to stressors with appropriate, targeted mitigation tactics. This
knowledge also guides researchers as they breed tougher plants and animals and develop better management practices and tools.
Discovery of facultative parthenogenesis in a new world crocodile (royalsocietypublishing.org)
Over the past two decades, there has been an astounding growth in the documentation of vertebrate facultative parthenogenesis (FP). This unusual reproductive mode has been documented in birds, non-avian reptiles—specifically lizards and snakes—and elasmobranch fishes. Part of this growth among vertebrate taxa is attributable to awareness of the phenomenon itself and advances in molecular genetics/genomics and bioinformatics, and as such our understanding has developed considerably. Nonetheless, questions remain as to its occurrence outside of these vertebrate lineages, most notably in Chelonia (turtles) and Crocodylia (crocodiles, alligators and gharials). The latter group is particularly interesting because unlike all previously documented cases of FP in vertebrates, crocodilians lack sex chromosomes and sex determination is controlled by temperature.
Research in the News
Blueberries and Beyond: How IR-4 Serves the Specialty Crop Community
Pesticide Risk Tool with the IPM Institute
How to Save the Florida Citrus Industry? (tellus.ars.usda.gov)
Imagine a devastating plant disease that sweeps the land, decimating crops. For Florida’s citrus growers, that apocalyptic vision is not a horror movie, but a reality: since it was first identified in the Sunshine State in 2005, citrus greening disease has reduced Florida’s citrus production by a whopping 70%. Without any treatment or cure available, desperate growers have cut down infected trees or abandoned their groves entirely. Scientists have been racing to come up with a solution. Now, one enterprising team believes it may have one, in the form of: stingrays.
2023 Cornell Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs
Written by Cornell University specialists, this publication is designed to offer producers, horticultural and chemical dealers, and crop consultants practical information on producing and maintaining ornamental trees and shrubs in New York State. This guide includes management strategies for insects, mites, diseases, weeds, and vertebrate pests affecting trees and shrubs, including updated pesticide options for 2023. A preview of the Tree and Shrub Guide can be seen online at https://cropandpestguides.cce.cornell.edu.
Feeding Deer Corn With Tick-Control Drug Shows Promise in New Study (entomologytoday.org)
Long used in the cattle industry, ivermectin has also proved to be very effective at clearing white-tailed deer of disease-causing ticks. Decades ago, in the late 1980s and through the 1990s, scientists at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Kerrville, Texas, researched the efficacy of systemic treatment of white-tailed deer—i.e., feeding deer ivermectin-treated bait—to kill various species of parasitizing ticks (see Miller et al. 1989 and Pound et al. 1996). The impetus for their research was not only to reduce tick abundances to prevent ticks from crossing over, feeding upon, and infecting cattle with agents of the deadly cattle fever but also to reduce human infection with the pathogens that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis, among others.
How a Wasp and Geographic Data are Improving Surveillance for the Emerald Ash Borer (entomologytoday.org)
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is stealth beetle. Its larvae live inside ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), making galleries in the sapwood, destroying the phloem, and eventually killing the trees. The adults flit about high up in the tree canopy and are essentially invisible. Often, the first sign of the beetles’ presence is when a tree begins to die. A key to managing this pest is finding it early in an infestation. Rutledge uses an established surveillance method involving a predatory wasp, groups of citizen scientists called “Wasp Watchers,” and baseball fields in combination with geographic information system (GIS) data on tree cover to determine specific areas where EAB is hiding.
Other News
Forever Chemicals' and Risks to Farms (dtnpf.com)
Grostic's 300-acre farm was shut down after Michigan officials concluded his water, his ground, his feed and his cattle were contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances -- known as PFAS, PFOS or PFOA chemicals. The acronyms encompass more than 5,000 various manufacturing chemicals that are created to be more resistant to heat, water or oil. The traits that make those chemicals great for manufacturing have a side effect. They are called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down, but instead remain in the environment and tend to accumulate in soil, water, animals and people.
Bed bugs at Honolulu’s airport trigger deep cleaning, gate closures (hawaiinewsnow.com)
Deep cleaning is underway at several Honolulu airport gates after bed bugs were reported.
State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said his agency got reports of the bugs in one of the E Gates in Terminal 2 on Monday. That prompted HDOT staff to clean the area and remove items they thought had attracted the bugs. But on Tuesday, a Southwest manager contacted HDOT with a sample of the bed bugs. Sniffen says Transportation Department staff responded again and began deep cleaning, pulling carpet and spraying pest control in gates E5, 6 and 7
Pest Talks with JC Chong (growertalks.com)
What the ... ?
BTM quarantine in MI
Snail and slug webinar
Management of snails and slugs
Pollinator Week
Summary of May 18, 2023, frost/freeze event in the Northeast/Upper Midwest US (data.nysipm.org)
A resource for growers across different agricultural sectors in NYS to assess the damage caused by regional freeze/frost events that occurred during the overnight hours of May 17/18, 2023.
Volunteers Needed
Summer is around the corner, and we need your help in saving our natural spaces. FL PRISM is calling volunteers to register for the Macrophyte Survey Program (MSP) and Trail Survey Program (TSP). Data collected by volunteers during these community science-based surveys helps us and our partner organizations monitor invasive species populations across the region as well as guide management initiatives. We let you survey on YOUR schedule. Training and tools provided at no cost. Get active, go outdoors, and help us protect the environment! (Please distribute to your networks - link to fliers below)
Ready to help protect our waters? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/TmyVKJVc1UKjfk9D6 or email Aquatic Invasive Program Manager: aslentz@hws.edu
Ready to help protect our lands? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/fWJu7HqNLQKsAuAZ7 or email Terrestrial Invasive Program Manager: gallo@hws.edu
Requests for Input
IR-4 Grower & Extension Survey
This biennial survey is the best way to tell us generally and specifically what disease, pest, and weed problems you face that you have a difficult time managing because you do not have sufficient management tools. Please fill out this Grower & Extension Survey which you may complete anonymously below! Please make sure you click on ‘Submit’ after the last question to send your completed survey. Alternatively, please download, print and complete this form before mailing it to us.
The deadline for submitting a survey for 2024/2025 research is September 1, 2023.
Webinars, Seminars, Meetings, and More
What’s Bugging You? First Friday Events (New York State IPM Program)
Fridays | 12:00 pm. – 12:30 p.m. EDT | Zoom | Free; registration required
In this monthly virtual series, we explore timely topics to help you use integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. What is IPM? It's a wholistic approach that uses different tools and practices to not only reduce pest problems, but to also address the reasons why pests are there in the first place. Each month, our speakers will share practical information about how you can use IPM.
2023 What’s Bugging You First Friday Schedule
Join us Live on the first Friday of every month from Noon to 12:30 EST on Zoom.
- July 7: Pest of home berry plants | Spiders in the home
- August 4: Groundhog management | Bat exclusion
- September 1: Right plant, right place | Transplanting trees/shrubs
- October 6: Jumping worms | Roof gutter pests
- November 3: Winter Garden prep | Tick check reminder
- December 1: Houseplant IPM | Firewood pests
Register for upcoming events before our session on June 2, 2023.
What’s Bugging You First Friday events are in Spanish this year. Individuals interested in these events can find more information on this website: https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/events/whats-bugging-you-webinars/conozca-su-plaga
And can register using this form: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3OQDpakcGrSd3tc
Sustainable Landscapes and Integrated Pest Management
Learn how to create a more sustainable, environmentally friendly landscape while reducing the impacts of pests during NYSIPM’s 2023 Annual Conference. Speakers will provide insight and instruction on incorporating sustainability and trusted IPM strategies to create landscapes that combine ecological, climate and societal considerations to achieve a more beautiful space with less work.
Event date: Thursday - June 15, 2023
Bilingual Pesticide Labeling National Webinar
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public webinar on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm EST to obtain input from the public on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers as required by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5).
The majority of our nation’s two million farmworkers speak Spanish. This effort will advance environmental justice by ensuring those farmworkers have access to important health and safety information on pesticide labels in their native language. During the webinar, EPA will provide a brief overview of the PRIA 5 requirements on bilingual pesticide labeling and milestones. PRIA 5 amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, requiring Spanish language translation for key health and safety sections of the end-use pesticide product labels where the translation is available in the EPA Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling. The Spanish language translation must appear on the pesticide product container or on a link to the translation via scannable technology or other electronic methods readily accessible on the product label. These translations are required on a rolling schedule from December 2025 to December 2030 depending on the type of product and the toxicity category. PRIA 5 also requires EPA to begin to seek stakeholder input on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers by June 30, 2023, and to implement a plan to ensure that farmworkers have access to the bilingual pesticide labeling by December 2025.
As EPA determines the next steps in developing a plan to make bilingual pesticide labels accessible to farmworkers, the Agency is interested in feedback on the following items.
- What communication approaches, processes or strategies should the Agency consider to ensure bilingual pesticide labels are accessible to farmworkers?? What specific approaches should the Agency avoid or adopt when implementing efforts to best ensure access by farmworkers to bilingual pesticide labels?
- What technologies, mobile applications, and internet access should the Agency consider? Would web-based labels be accessible to farmworkers? How should the Agency overcome internet connectivity issues that some farmworkers may face?
- How can the Agency effectively share health and safety information on pesticide labels with farmworkers? What should on-the-ground logistics look like? Which entities (e.g., community-based organizations) should the Agency work with to provide label information to farmworkers?
- As the Agency implements actions to meet this requirement, how can EPA effectively increase farmworker access to bilingual pesticide labels (e.g., communication plans, outreach strategies)?
Attendees have two options for webinar participation – listen only or listen and speak during the webinar to provide recommendations to EPA. Speakers will have up to three minutes to provide recommendations to the Agency depending on the number of participants interested in providing remarks. Speakers must register for the event by Friday, June 9th. Attendees can register any time until the start of the webinar as a listen only participant.
Following the webinar, EPA will open a comment period for 60 days through a Federal Register Notice to obtain written input on ways to make bilingual pesticide labeling accessible to farmworkers. Further information about the public docket will be provided during the event and in future EPA announcements.
Stakeholders are encouraged to share this announcement with their networks. This webinar will be held in English with Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation services.
Save these Dates for upcoming IR-4 Events
2023 Environmental Horticulture Workshop
The 2023 EHC Priority Setting Workshop will be held October 12-14 in Little Rock, Arkansas.
The 2023 Food Use Workshop will be held September 12 – 14 in Raleigh, NC.
2023 Industry Technology Session
The 2023 Industry Technology Session will take place virtually on Thursday, July 20.
Employment Opportunities
Assistant Extension Specialist
Rutgers University
The Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics invites qualified candidates to apply for a tenure-track faculty position as an Assistant Extension Specialist (equivalent to Assistant Professor) in Farm Viability. This is a 12-month tenure track position, housed in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. The Assistant Extension Specialist will hold a majority appointment in Rutgers Cooperative Extension and is expected to be an active member of the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. The successful candidate is expected to develop and lead externally funded research and extension programs that support and strengthen the viability of New Jersey farms, spanning different scales, commodities, and production systems. The expected outcomes are identifying needs and providing program outreach to underserved farmers and agricultural constituencies. Programmatic emphases will include sustainable agricultural production, diversified farming systems, climate resilience, feasibility analysis, farm management and business decision-making, and the development of marketing strategies. In addition, the Specialist is expected to participate in undergraduate and/or graduate teaching and advisement of independent research projects in the field of expertise.
The SARE Fellows program provides an immersive educational experience for participants to enhance their understanding of sustainable agriculture through broad-based training and interpersonal interactions at unique agriculture operations nationwide. Participating Fellows build professional relationships, improve their teaching and technology transfer skills, and are better prepared to develop programs that meet the needs of their local agricultural communities.
Program Details
The Fellows program is a two-year commitment and participants are selected on a competitive basis. Each year, one individual from each of the four SARE regions is chosen resulting in a total of eight Fellows participating in any given year.
State-based study tours are the core of the program. The tours are three to four days long and are held every spring and fall. They occur in each region on a rotating schedule, so that each Fellow visits all four regions during their two-year program. Specific dates are chosen by the host state with input from the participants. Selected Fellows agree to participate in all four study tours over the two-year period.
After completing the program, the graduating class of Fellows facilitates a “Reading the Farm” super seminar and farm tour at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) annual meeting.
All travel, meal, and lodging expenses will be covered by the program. Additionally, participants receive a complete SARE library and are eligible for a $1,500 stipend after successful completion of all four study tours. Stipends must be used for program support in their own professional outreach activities, which will require a plan of work and final report.
For more information see SARE Fellows Program Eligibility and Application.
The Suffolk County Water Authority is seeking an Ecological Field Specialist to assist with the planning and implementation of ecological management and stewardship activities and projects in the Central Pine Barrens that foster biological diversity, natural resource conservation, water resource protection, and ecosystem protection and restoration, and the implementation of a scientific ecological research program.
University of Georgia
UGA-Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health-Tifton Campus
Post-Doctoral Associate
BASE ANNUAL SALARY: $53,000
GENERAL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS:
This Postdoctoral Research Associate position will work on mapping and modeling invasive and potentially invasive species to North America as part of a U.S. Forest Service funded project. This grant-funded position is initially funded for 19 months and could be extended if additional funding is available. The primary work will be utilizing distribution data from EDDMapS (www.eddmaps.org) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (www.gbif.org) to model and map species distribution with variables of current and future climate, current land cover, and human population density. The position will be located in the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health and will work closely with the Center faculty and staff.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Doctorate in a relevant discipline (e.g., invasive species, forestry, natural resource management, ecology, entomology, weed science) with expertise in data management and geospatial analysis, particularly as it relates to species modeling and distribution. Candidates will demonstrate and be committed to thriving in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment and conceptualize, implement, and develop high quality/high impact interdisciplinary products.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in geospatial analysis, spatial data management, developing data visualizations and a working knowledge of coding geospatial operations (in R, Python, or other). Understand and synthesize knowledge across disciplines.
Assistant Director, Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources, Associate or Full Professor
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University Extension Assistant Director, Agriculture and Natural Resources program leader is responsible for the leadership and administration of the Ohio State University Extension's Agriculture and Natural Resources program area. The Assistant Director Agriculture and Natural Resources is responsible for the leadership of Ohio State University Extension's Agriculture and Natural Resources program area. This includes overall direction of educational programming within and across Ohio's 88 counties. The Assistant Director reports to the Director of OSU Extension and serves as a member of OSU Extension's Administrative Cabinet. Specifically, the Assistant Director provides leadership and direction for Agriculture and Natural Resources programming with emphasis on program and curriculum development; applied research; identifying potential collaboration and partnerships with universities, colleges, departments, peer agencies and industry partners; securing funding to support related activities; administrative leadership for the state Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources office; and professional development of faculty and staff.
The UMass Extension Agriculture Program has five Extension Educator positions open. If you want to use science to help Massachusetts farmers be more successful and sustainable, please apply for one or more of these opportunities to join our team! The default location for all positions is the UMass Amherst campus, with opportunities for hybrid work arrangements. Candidates who wish to be considered for more than one of the above positions need to apply for each position individually.
1 and 2. The UMass Extension Fruit Team is currently hiring one Extension Educator III (MS-level) and one Extension Educator II (BS-level). The successful candidate for the Educator III position will have expertise in tree or small fruit crop and pest management and will work with other members of the Fruit Team to provide science-based educational programming and technical assistance to commercial fruit growers in MA, and conduct applied research on relevant crop and pest management topics. Special consideration will be given to candidates with expertise in plant pathology and/or small fruit production. The Extension Educator II, which is a 24-month appointment that may be extended pending funding availability, will provide program support for the Fruit Team, assisting with educational programming, organizing grower meetings, contributing to publication of newsletters, and assisting with applied research trials. For more details please see the full position descriptions linked below.
Fruit Extension Educator III
https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/518181/fruit-extension-educator-iii-umass-extension
Fruit Extension Educator II
https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/518182/fruit-extension-educator-ii-umass-extension
3. Extension Educator III Production Agriculture
https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/518183/extension-educator-iii-production-agriculture
The UMass Extension Vegetable and Fruit Teams are hiring an Extension Educator III to provide cross-commodity educational programming and technical assistance for commercial vegetable and fruit growers in MA, and conduct applied research. Special consideration will be given to candidates with expertise in weed biology and management, but other cross-cutting disciplines, for example climate change and technology, will be considered. This is a 24-month appointment that may be extended pending funding availability. For more details please see the full position descriptions linked below.
4. Soil Health Extension Educator IV
https://careers.umass.edu/amherst/en-us/job/518166/extension-educator-iv-soil-health-umass-extension
The UMass Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab is hiring a Soil Health Educator IV who will develop and deliver recommendations to customers and educational resources relevant to soil fertility and health, with potential for some applied research projects. They will collaborate with Extension professionals across multiple teams in production agriculture, commercial horticulture, and urban agriculture. This is a MS-level position requiring significant experience, with a preference for candidates with expertise in analytical testing and practical recommendations in soil fertility and health. This is a 24-month appointment that may be extended pending funding availability. For more details please see the full position descriptions linked below.
5. Urban Agriculture Extension Educator III
UMass Extension is hiring an Urban Agriculture Educator III to join a recently hired Urban Agriculture Educator based in Newton and a soon-to-be hired Extension Faculty member at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. The Educator will develop and deliver educational resources to support agricultural enterprises in urban areas of Massachusetts and maintain working relationships with organizations and professionals in urban agriculture and linked fields. Successful candidates will have at least a BA/BS and three years of relevant professional experience, in addition to strong multi-cultural competence and experience delivering fact-based information. This is a 24-month appointment that may be extended pending funding availability. Alternate UMass locations in Massachusetts can be discussed with the preferred candidate. For more details please see the full position descriptions linked below.
Postdoctoral Research Scientist-Horticulture/Plant Science
Penn State’s Department of Plant Science (https://plantscience.psu.edu/) is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to conduct research and Extension activities on Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (ASD) within the framework of a collaborative interdisciplinary project funded by the USDA-NIFA OREI program and investigating the use of ASD for Enhancing and Advancing the Sustainability of Organic Crop Production.
Using agronomic and laboratory procedures for soil and plant analysis, the primary goal of the research will be to optimize and evaluate opportunities for integrating ASD in organic vegetable and strawberry crop systems and assess the short- and long-term impact of ASD on nutrient dynamics, soil ecology/microbiology, soilborne pests and pathogens, soil health, crop physiology and yield and quality performance.
The candidate will be supervised by Dr. Francesco Di Gioia and will be working with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with expertise in horticulture, soil microbiology, plant pathology, nematology, biogeochemistry, ecosystem science and management, and agricultural economics.
Location: Primary work location will be Penn State, University Park located at State College, in Central Pennsylvania.
WNY PRISM Education and Outreach Assistant
The Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (WNY PRISM)
The WNY PRISM Education and Outreach Assistant will work closely with WNY PRISM staff and partners to implement and expand our education, outreach and community science programs, and will report directly to the WNY PRISM Community Science and Engagement Program Manager. Education efforts are essential to the success of the partnership and are integrated into nearly all aspects of WNY PRISM’s work. The selected candidate will help maintain the WNY PRISM social media accounts and Listserv, update and develop invasive species educational materials, prepare e-newsletters, organize and lead education events, maintain detailed records, and communicate with partners. In addition, the Education and Outreach Assistant will assist with invasive species management activities such as invasive species surveys, removal and habitat restoration projects, as needed. WNY PRISM seeks highly motivated candidates with the education and experience necessary to succeed.
WNY PRISM is a supportive and collaborative environment that will provide the opportunity to learn and work within all aspects of invasive species management. Individuals will gain valuable experience and increase their skill level in the fields of public outreach and education, program development, materials development, volunteer coordination, and invasive species management.
This is a full-time, temporary position (40 hours/week @ $17.00/hour), which starts as soon as possible and continues through September 22, 2023. The E&O Assistant will work Tuesday – Saturday, with Sunday/Monday off.
Position is open until filled and review of applications will begin immediately.
IR-4 Project Program Operations Coordinator
The IR-4 Project Program Operations Coordinator will work to ensure project objectives are met, office and meeting spaces are operated, budgets are managed and adhered to, meetings are professionally planned and executed, and support is provided to scientists to ensure on-time grant deliverables. Specific activities include but are not limited to:
- Independently manage core administrative activities (bookkeeping, human resource items, etc.);
- Provide support with student and staff hiring and onboarding;
- Track and manage resource allocation, procurement activities, and managing contracts;
- Assist with the management of project accounting, contracts, and subcontracts;
- Manage the procurement of supplies and services;
- Lead the planning and execution of logistics with the team, from contract to post-meeting surveys, professional meetings, and events;
- Overall management of project office and meeting spaces;
- Provide guidance and support with the travel needs and activities of headquarter project members, and stakeholders as needed;
- Maintain and meet project schedules and timelines;
- Generate and disseminate resources and information to stakeholders;
- Supervision of others as required;
- Must be able to travel to attend IR-4 National Meetings as required;
- Special projects.
Watercraft Inspection Steward Positions Statewide
FL PRISM recruitment for regional Watercraft Inspection Stewards is on-going. With several positions on this team still available, the Steward program affords burgeoning conservation professionals the opportunity to work outdoors on our beautiful lakeshores, help protect our regional waters, and building important interpersonal, communication, and plat ID skills. FLI/FL PRISM Stewards are paid hourly at $16.50 per hour. (Please distribute to your networks - link to flier below).
Apply today! https://www.hws.edu/offices/hr/employment/summer.aspx
NYS Parks and SUNY ESF Watercraft Steward Positions on Cayuga and Conesus Lake, Statewide. 6 positions are available at boat launch sites around the Finger Lakes, Thousand Islands, Oak Orchard, and Buffalo areas through the SUNY Research Foundation. Stewards are paid hourly at $15.65 per hour. Send a resume, cover letter, and three references in one attachment to mbroda@esd.edu, and indicate preferred work locations in cover letter.
New York State Federation of Lake Associations (NYSFOLA) are hiring an executive director. New York State Federation of Lake Associations – NYSFOLA – is a not-for-profit connecting individuals and groups dedicated to the protection and restoration of lakes across the state. Successful applicant will be responsible for developing, planning, organizing, evaluating, and directing NYSFOLA’s operations and programs, program development and policy implementation and procedures and operational reporting. Salary range: $70,000 to $85,000. Contact Tarki Heath at tarkiheath@gmail.com for more information.
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) is hiring a Regional Hemlock Coordinator. The Regional Hemlock Program Coordinator will oversee regional efforts to conserve forest and riparian habitat by protecting eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) from hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) (HWA). This position will supervise a 10-month SCA position, and potentially two seasonal staff. Position will be supervised in the Finger Lakes Region as part of the regional Environmental Field Team and will report findings and coordinate contracted treatments through the Invasive Species Unit based in Albany, NY (ISU). Follow link for more info: https://statejobs.ny.gov/employees/vacancyDetailsView.cfm?id=130187
A postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Daniel Gruner in the Department of Entomology, University of Maryland – College Park. As part of a collaborative effort with the USDA (ARS, APHIS, and Forest Service), the incumbent will examine the efficacy and impact of a national biological control program targeting the invasive emerald ash borer. This project develops and extends novel analytical approaches leveraging data from a national geospatial database for the release and recovery of parasitoids for biological control, the US Forest Inventory and Analysis program, and other open data on land use and climate. Review of applications will begin June 15, and applications will be considered on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is identified. Preferred start date is September 1, 2023.
The Ecological Research and Assessment (ERA) Section provides an array of services to the Bureau of Water Supply and other bureaus in the fields of invasive species, wetlands, restoration, aquatic ecology, and project review. Through research and monitoring programs, ERA supports management of City lands, regulatory reviews, partnership programs and a wide range of watershed protection and management programs. Understanding and managing the wetlands, streams, lakes, ponds and reservoirs in the watershed and their relationship with the uplands is very important for assessing their condition and identifying and mitigating potential water quality threats.
Under supervision, of the Invasive Species Biologist, the Scientist (Water Ecology) I serve as Field Technician and will assist in performing field surveys, management activities, data collection and analysis, project reviews, and procurement-related and administrative tasks to support the completion of goals and tasks in the Ecological Research and Assessment Section.
JOB ID: 585006
Civil Service Title: SCIENTIST (WATER ECOLOGY)
Business Title: Field Technician
Posting Date: 05/16/2023
Posting Until: 07/15/2023
Work Location:
71 Smith Avenue
Kingston, NY 12401
Cornell University
The role of the Farm Supervisor is to manage and direct the day-to-day field operations on the diverse, 400+ acre research teaching, and extension/outreach facility. The Supervisor is responsible for field and facility activities related to agronomic crop research, ranging from field preparation and management of research plots to the sustainable production of agronomic crops in support of research operations.
Cornell University
- Oversee and direct day-to-day operations and all CUAES employees and research staff at the 260 acre Homer C. Thompson Vegetable Research Farm in Freeville NY.
- Provide direct support for research, teaching and extension in accordance with the Land Grant Mission.
- Direct and actively participate in all phases of conventional and organic crop research and production in support of 22 faculty research programs from 7 different departments.
- Provide leadership for facility operations and coordinate farm activities.
- Areas of oversight are extensive. Serve as building coordinator for a 3000 sq. ft. research lab building, numerous barns, a greenhouse, 3 high tunnels, office, mechanical shops, and a pesticide storage facility.
- Supervise, hire, and evaluate employees. Participate in decision-making processes for new Agricultural Experiment Station hires.
- Teach on-site classes and lead farm tours.
- Interact with faculty, staff, other farm managers, directors, and deans.
- Check the link for more information and the rest of the description.
Funding Opportunities
Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition on Management of Invasive Species 2023
Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Management of Invasive Species 2023
Invasive species are non-native species that cause harm to native ecosystems, human health, or the economy. They affect all habitats, terrestrial and aquatic. Well-known examples include zebra mussels, feral swine, lionfish, the fungus which causes white-nose syndrome, invasive carp, aquatic and terrestrial weeds, and pythons. One characteristic of invasive species is that they reproduce and spread rapidly, often out-competing native species. This often makes them challenging to control. Preventing new invasions is the most effective strategy. However, managers often need more tools to restrict invasive species' inadvertent movement through commerce.
For example, the introduction and subsequent rapid spread of medusahead grass have caused serious management concerns because of its swift migration, vigorous competitive nature, and low forage value. In 2020, annual grasses dominated approximately one-fifth (>19 million acres) of Great Basin rangelands. This rapid expansion was associated with a broadening topographic niche, with widespread movement into higher elevations and north-facing aspects consistent with the predicted effects of a warming climate. (The elevational ascent and spread of exotic annual grass dominance in the Great Basin, USA - Smith - 2022 - Diversity and Distributions - Wiley Online Library) This continues to be a dominant challenge in the western U.S., as indicated by the current Western Weed Action Plan, which states: "One of the most pervasive challenges/opportunities to the long-term viability of this landscape (western United States) is the spread of invasive annual grasses and regulated noxious weeds, and their role in altering natural ecosystem dynamics, including increasing wildfire frequency, intensity, and size, particularly in the Great Basin region and critical sage-grouse habitat." (https://westernweed.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/WesternWeedActionPlan.pdf)
Keeping invasive grasses out of un-infested habitats is a central tactic of the 2022 Sagebrush Conservation Design and similar strategies. However, managers often need more tools to prevent and control the spread of invasive grasses.
The movement of plants and other horticultural products also serves as a significant pathway for spreading new invasive animal species (including insects) into and within the United States. Coqui frogs and spotted lanternflies are two examples of ecologically and economically harmful species recently found in nursery products transported between current infestations and uninvaded areas. Although existing regulatory and education programs reduce some risk, these ongoing interceptions illustrate that new solutions are needed to improve the prevention of unintentional animal species moving into new habitats and regions through the horticultural trade.
To win the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Competition for Management of Invasive Species, participants must submit their solution that addresses the issue through one of these high-priority focal areas:
a) Invasive Grasses: A solution that provides land managers with new methods, tools, and strategies to help prevent and reduce the spread of invasive grasses and conserve our native ecosystems. Although solutions may be species-specific, we prefer they address multiple species.
b) Horticulture Pathway: A solution that reduces or prevents inadvertent movement of invasive animal species (including insects) by targeting transmission pathways associated with plant nursery trade and other commercial horticulture activities.