Coupling web-based learning centers with webinars to expand the capacity of watershed education

With support from USDA-NIFA, the Southern Regional Water Program’s Watershed Education and Restoration Team offered regional workshops to improve watershed education in developing watersheds. Soil Scientists, engineers, hydrologists, horticulturalists from Georgia, North Carolina State, Auburn, Kentucky, Texas AM 94.7% of respondents found the learning center useful, and 86.5% reported that they conducted, or plan to conduct a workshop. In 2010, a second webinar-workshop on stream restoration was initiated. The program was broadcast by specialists from Al, GA and NC. Over 150 participants from 17 states were trained on vegetative stream restoration techniques. A web-based learning center was developed to enhance the success of this training effort (http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/water/lc/StreamVeg.html). A post-workshop survey indicated that knowledge increased 16.8% on vegetation for ecosystem restoration, 15.2% on soil considerations for restoration; 91.2% of respondents indicated that they plan to use information from this workshop in future training events. Webinars expanded access to Specialists, especially in rural areas. Compiling resources in learning centers further enhanced the availability of water resource information. The practice of coupling webinars with web-based learning centers effectively enhanced the capacity of Extension Agents to deliver water local resource programs.