Introduction
Welcome to Appalachian NatureScape.
Well-connected landscapes are necessary to sustain many of the natural and cultural resources important to the Appalachian region today and into the future.
If these large connected areas are to endure and be resilient to impending environmental changes, it will require a collaborative effort involving many organizations and reaching across jurisdictional and political boundaries. The outcome of the Appalachian LCC Conservation Planning process and modeling is a dynamic ‘Conservation Blueprint’ or 'Landscape Conservation Design' called NatureScape. This is a dynamic or living design envisioned as an ongoing consultation with the conservation community - continuously incorporating new information and datasets as well as engaging subject-matter experts and committed stakeholders.
Course Registration
The course contents are visible without logging in. However, you will need to register here on the Landscape Partnership Learning Network in order to:
- Receive your Certificate of Completion
- Create and update your Profile
- Access your Dashboard
Certificate of Completion
After completing the activities in this course, you can download the optional Certificate of Completion. Simply click the course name next to the certificate icon. You must be logged in to access the certificate.
Course Description
This course will explain the science behind the development of NatureScape resources, demonstrate to users how to access the data and online tool, provide examples of how this resource can be used to make management decisions, and guide users through an interactive exercise using the data in a case study activity.
This course consists of an introduction and six additional modules. Participants should complete the modules in sequential order. If, after reviewing the prerequisites for a module, a participant feels that they already understand the information, they can proceed to the next module. For example, if you already are familiar with the Appalachian NatureScape but have not yet explored the information resources, you can skip to Module 2.
In Modules 2-4, the focus is to provide an understanding of how to use NatureScape resources and to answer questions related to conservation management. Participants will not perform additional analysis; rather they will focus on the thought process behind the analysis.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the process of large-scale conservation planning and design.
- Access and utilize NatureScape resources available on the Appalachian LCC portal.
- Apply information from a case study to develop a strategy for utilizing NatureScape resources as part of a decision management process to answer questions regarding priority resources with the organization’s area of responsibility.
- Facilitate creative thinking to enhance the utilization of the information resources to answer questions for the strategic delivery of conservation activities.
Course Requirements
Participants will complete readings, view instructional videos, complete a review quiz at the end of the course, and provide feedback regarding the course.
Technical Requirements
You will need to use Adobe Reader to view course materials and the ability to stream videos with sound.
Having access to ArcMap is required if you plan to complete the technical case study activities which include working with NatureScape’s geospatial data sets. There are non-technical case study activities that do not require ArcMap.