Education and Training Biofuels Energy Renewable LEED

Open Letter to website visitors

This is Mr. Brian Oram.  I am the current manager of the Carbonwaters.org blog and the Keystone Clean Water Team.  As part of our effort, we have been attempting to provide fact based information on environmental issues, energy issues and other matters using a fair, honesty, and balanced approach.  In many ways, I believe we have accomplished this goal.  Since I have over 30 years experience in training professionals (trades and licensed professionals), we have attempted to provide information and links to solid educational opportunities.  In many cases, we have search for solid training programs or assisted training programs.   This webpage is a link to some of the recent education programs that we have found on the topics of energy, renewable energy, and related topics.  In order to help and support the 501 c3, we are informing you that for some of these links we receive a referral fee or commission.  We are attempting to make the organization sustainable and this is one of the branches we are attempting to create:

Courses

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) “Green Associate course is designed to educate candidates on the cutting edge green building and sustainable design practices, and enables participants to designate that expertise with an internationally recognized professional credential. Developed and backed by the U.S. Green Building Council, the LEED Green Associate and credential has gained national and global notoriety. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is one of the most widely used standards for green building and design. The Tier 1: LEED Green Associate training course and exam covers general information on green building practices for residential and commercial projects, and prepares individuals to support other professionals working on projects seeking LEED certification. This course will also prepare you for the LEED Green Associate Credential from USGBC (US Green Building Council). This is an internationally recognized certification that designates expertise in green building and design principles. The exam fee is included with the course.”

Solar Power Professional -“Get the renewable energy training you need as you learn the basics of solar systems, their benefits, and their many applications. Examine the history of photovoltaic solar power, and gain a sense for where the PV industry is headed. We’ll start with basic safety, including how to avoid potential accidents and how to create a safe work environment as well as the use of protective equipment. You’ll master the fundamentals of electricity and solar energy, including how to calculate simple circuit values and predict solar position using solar path diagrams. Upon completion of this course, you’ll have a thorough understanding of PV applications, working safety as it pertains to this field, basic electricity, and PV module fundamentals.”

Biofuel Production – “At the present time, hundreds of facilities worldwide are producing biofuels. Over the next few decades many advances will be made in this field, and hundreds of new facilities will be built to produce this type of fuel. This opens a new field for potential workers. For decades to come, biofuels will be produced and consumed in the United States, creating an ongoing demand for biofuel production workers. The Biofuel Production Operations Online Training course will give you the education you need to begin an exciting career in biofuel production. As a biofuel production operator, your job will be to ensure the quality and purity of the biofuel your plant produces. This involves inspecting and repairing equipment, operating computer systems, and handling lab equipment. This online course will ensure you have the skills you need to handle these tasks.”

Others

Natural Gas Plant Operations – “Natural gas plant operators monitor and control the systems and equipment that take gas from its natural state and convert it into a usable product. Your job is to ensure that the gas produced is free of impurities. The purified gas is then separated into products such as ethane, propane, butane, and methane. You’ll also be responsible for the flow of this processed gas into the pipelines that carry it to the various industries and homes that use it for fuel. In addition, you’ll make gas flow changes to the supply system to keep pace with customer demands. Natural gas plant operators earn above-average wages and enjoy good job security and potential to advance into supervisory or management positions. This is a user-friendly course, designed for people who have no prior exposure to technical aspects of hydrocarbons, energy, or industrial processes. No prior science or math education is necessary; the course includes all of the necessary basic science and technology elements.”

Power Plant Operations – “If you want a career with high pay and a stable work environment, our Power Plant Operations Online Training course will get you on the right track. Now is an excellent time to start an exciting career as a power plant operator—there are thousands of power plants in the United States alone, and a large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating open power plant operator jobs for many years to come. Power plant operator training will prepare you to fill the ongoing need for entry-level positions in this industry. We offer a unique, user-friendly course designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry, math, physics, or chemistry. The necessary science concepts are built into the course modules. Very few institutions provide power plant operator training and certification programs for entry-level operators, so your certificate from this course will give you an edge over others in the field. After you complete this course, you will be fluent in how to operate a power plant with safety as the prime consideration. You’ll be able to make adjustments to keep system process variables, such as flows, temperatures, and pressures, within acceptable ranges; detect both potential and actual problems and analyze operational trends as well as take corrective actions. You’ll also learn important strategies to sustain communication with other operators, as well as maintenance and management.”

Using Plants to Clean Things Up – “In the United States, there are thousands of chemical manufacturing facilities, run by chemical plant operators. These operators are highly paid and enjoy a stable work environment, and there is an ongoing need for entry-level personnel. Currently a large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating a critical shortage of technical workers for many years to come. This course can help you get started. There are very few institutions that provide training for entry-level operators. This Chemical Plant Operations Online Training course is unique and user friendly, designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry or math, physics, or chemistry. The necessary science concepts are built into the course modules. Get started in the field by taking the Chemical Plant Operations Online Training course!”

Oil Refinery Operations – “The United States is home to thousands of oil refineries, all of which need experts to run their operations. Oil refinery operators are highly paid and enjoy a stable work environment, and there’s an ongoing need for entry-level personnel. Sounds great, right? The Oil Refinery Operations Online Training course will teach you everything you need to know to enter the energy industry as an oil refinery operator. Our oil refinery training is unique and user-friendly, designed for people who have minimal knowledge of the industry. The energy industry is ever-changing, encompassing everything from power plant operations, to petrochemicals like oil and natural gas, to renewable energy sources. Taking an oil refinery operations course offers you a path to a growing sector of the field. A large portion of the workforce is retiring, creating a critical shortage of technical workers for many years to come—which is great for entry-level workers.

Currently very few institutions provide entry-level training and courses in oil refinery operation. Generally, oil refinery operators enter the workforce in entry-level positions and work their way up, sometimes to senior management positions. In their day-to-day tasks, oil refinery operators have the responsibility to make sure unit and process systems function properly. They consider personnel safety the primary objective and ensure production processes are operating safely. They continually monitor instrumentation and the operation of equipment and make adjustments to keep system process variables within acceptable ranges. Oil refinery operators also detect potential and actual problems and take corrective action to prevent the interruption of system operations. You will learn how to perform all these oil refinery processes in our course, and more.”

Other courses in the Trades Programs

We are hoping to add more course on Geothermal Energy, Energy Efficiency, Energy Audit, and much more.   If you have a course, you would like to see link to this webpage:  Please leave a message in the comment section.   If the comment section is closed email bfenviro @ ptd.net.

Thanks for understanding

 

Brian Oram

Free Pesticide Recertification Credit Events and Mid-Season Turf Care

Aquarius Supply are holding some valuable (and FREE) PA and NJ pesticide recertification credit events in the coming weeks. I understand your time is valuable, so I make sure to cater the content of the presentations to maximize the amount of recertification credits you receive in only 1 hour. As a bonus, NJ ProFACT, ISA, and PCH credits will also be offered during these 1 hour credit talks at select locations. Please see the dates, times, locations, and recertification credit offerings below.

All of the PA and NJ events will offer free lunch (optional) from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The credit talks will start at 12:30 PM and end promptly at 1:30 PM. Please reach out to me to register.

NJ Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved: (2)-CORE, (2)-3a, (2)-3b; (2) ProFACT Credits Pending
7/29 Aquarius Supply, Lakewood, NJ
7/31 Aquarius Supply, Hawthorne, NJ
8/1 Aquarius Supply, Whippany, NJ
8/8 Aquarius Supply, Sewell, NJ

PA Pesticide Recertification Credits Approved: (1)-CORE, (1)-PC, (1)-05, (1)-06, (1)-23; PCH and ISA Credits Pending
8/6 Aquarius Supply, Allentown, PA
8/9 Aquarius Supply, Norristown, PA

Lastly, have you ever wondered where your grass seed comes from? Or, what Blue Tag Certified seed actually is? Do you know that it takes one full acre of farm land to produce only 1 ton of grass seed? Please join us for a short webinar on July 25th from 2-2:30 PM hosted by Aquarius Supply and Mountain View Seeds to get these and many more questions answered. This educational event will arm you with the knowledge needed to make an informed buying decision when it comes to your upcoming seed purchase. Please click on the link below to register.

SIGN UP FOR OUR UPCOMING WEBINAR ON JULY 25TH:
“WHAT’S IN THE BAG?” HOSTED BY AQUARIUS SUPPLY AND MOUNTAIN VIEW SEEDS.

RSVP ON EVENTBRITE

Penn State Extension to Provide No-Cost Drinking Water Testing for Lead and Other Pollutants in a Limited Number of Private Wells, Springs and Cisterns

Community Announcement

Have you ever had the drinking water from your well, spring or cistern tested for lead and other health-related pollutants?  If not, here is your chance.

Penn State Extension has received funding from the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide no-cost drinking water testing to a limited number of homeowners using private water wells, springs or cisterns in Luzerne County.  The testing is for private water supplies that are actively being used for drinking water in the household. Camps or seasonal households that are not continuously used are not eligible for this program. The commercial value of this water testing would be $100.

This testing is limited to the first 40 households using a private well, spring or cistern that register at  https://extension.psu.edu/safe-drinking-water-workshop

Once you register, you can pick up your drinking water test kit at the Luzerne County Extension office at 16 Luzerne Ave, Suite 200 West Pittston, PA 18643 starting on June 10. Instructions on how to collect the water sample are included in the kit.  Water tests kits will be collected at the Luzerne County Extension office on July 22 & August 8, 2019.

 

Individual water samples will be analyzed for numerous drinking water parameters including total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, pH, total dissolved solids, hardness, corrosivity, nitrate, arsenic, copper and lead.  Results of your testing will be available during two separate one-hour workshops to be held at 2:00 PM or 6:00 PM on August 27 at the Dallas Emergency Services Building, 3593 State Route 118 Dallas PA 18612. You will be asked to attend one of these workshops to get your water test results.  A brief presentation will also be given including professional interpretation of your results and information on how to solve drinking water problems.

Diagnose a Drinking Water Problem

Other Water Testing Products

1. City Water Users (lab test)
2. Well Water Users (lab test)
3. Home Screening Test

Riparian Buffer Zones – A Critical Element to In Stream Water Quality

Article by Pike County Conservation District: By Rachel Posavetz, Watershed Specialist.

“Riparian buffer is the term for an area of vegetation that grows along a waterway to help prevent substances from reaching the water. The fact that this type of area has its own term should be telling of its importance. As water flows across the land, or the watershed region, it carries with it a whole slew of pollutants: sediment, chemicals, nutrients, bacteria, litter, etc. These pollutants are filtered and absorbed by the plants and soils growing in riparian buffers, and therefore prevented from entering the water.

Riparian buffers provide flood water storage and help to prevent soil erosion during high rain events and along high motion waters such as streams and lake shores. They also provide cooling shade which helps heat-sensitive aquatic organisms survive (such as brook trout), and control algal growth by blocking sunlight.

Where do we need riparian buffers? Every stream, lake, wetland, and pond will benefit from these helper plants filtering out harmful substances, holding in the soil, and allowing excess water to infiltrate into the ground water system. These plants are most crucial along the waterway edge, and the greater the riparian buffer width, the better.

What makes a good riparian plant? Almost anything with roots, and preferably native species that are tolerant to wet conditions. Trees and shrubs, grasses and forbs (wildflowers), and sedges and rushes, have strong root systems that lock in the soil and are adapted for surviving in our seasonal weather changes. Trees are the most beneficial because they establish long-term roots, continue to grow over time, and provide the most shade, food and shelter proportional to the space they occupy.  A healthy riparian buffer mimics the natural the habitat for the area in which it is located, whether it be a forest or a meadow, with a diversity of plant types and heights. Sod, or mowed grass, has leaves too short to aid in filtering, and roots too shallow to aid in erosion protection.

Reference: Riparian Forest Buffers Linking Land and Water

What else do they do? Riparian buffers add to the available habitat and food sources for wildlife such as birds, pollinators, mammals, and other critters, including aquatic ones. Did you know “trees feed trout”? The aquatic insects at the bottom of the food chain, like caddisflies, munch on the tree leaves and their biofilm (algae and bacteria) that have fallen into the streams. Trunks and branches that fall into the stream create aquatic habitat variety as well.

Who can make a riparian buffer? You can! If your property borders a waterway, you can enjoy designing a grow zone that suits your liking. Though it will require some maintenance until the new plants establish, you can enjoy the beauty of the flowers right away.  Check the links below to learn more.

Lastly, riparian buffers can serve as a reminder to us that water levels fluctuate within the floodplain, and we should keep development a safe distance from the water’s edge.”  (Article link)

Our thoughts on riparian buffer zones:

1. Overall we agree, we should protect and restrict encroachment on stream channel, floodway, floodplain, wetland, and hydric soil boundary.

2. This should not be a one-size fits all “safe distance”, but based on site-specific information and conditions.

3. Most beneficial chemical reactions happen at this critical transition zone – if you want to protect streams from nitrogen impact from nitrate – maintain the anoxic zone and transition zones between uplands and streams.

4. Featured Training Course: Stream Restoration – Corridor Processes

Take the first step to get back to zero :  Harvest the Rain, How to Enrich Your Life by seeing Every Storm as a Resource

Community Trees Update Education Program on Woodland Management

Featured Training Course – Stream Restoration – 6 part Course

1. Webinar: More Than Good Looks: How trees influence urban stormwater management in green infrastructure practices

USDA Forest Service Urban Forest Connections Webinar Series

Wednesday, May 8, 2019, 1 PM – 2:15 PM (Eastern Time)

 

While green stormwater infrastructure increases in popularity, we are still learning about the role of trees in these innovative practices. In this webinar, Andrew Tirpak will discuss recent research results from studies designed to characterize the health of trees in bioretention practices and the benefits they provide to urban stormwater management. Lyn Rutherford will share observations from managing bioretention and detention ponds, noting how design, installation, and maintenance practices affect tree health and water quality function. This information can help stormwater engineers, urban foresters, and landscape professionals be successful in integrating trees into stormwater management efforts.

Presented by:

Andrew Tirpak, University of Tennessee

Lyn Rutherford, City of Chattanooga, TN

 

Cost:  Free

CEUs: 1.0 CEU with the International Society of Arboriculture

Where: Go to https://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars/connect.php

For more information: http://www.fs.fed.us/research/urban-webinars or contact the Urban Forest Technology & Science Delivery Team at urban@fs.fed.us with questions, feedback, requests for special accommodations, speaker suggestions, or to be added to the mailing list.

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2. Tree Tenders Training

Join thousands of other concerned citizens like yourself. Become a Tree Tender and help increase tree canopy cover in your community. Tree Tenders® is a training program that empowers concerned residents to make dramatic strides towards restoring and caring for the tree canopy in their communities. The course is designed for lay people and experts alike. Become one of the Tree Tenders restoring and tending your part of the forest. Instruction is provided by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, in partnership with Penn State Extension, PHS, and other local urban forestry experts.

Tree Tenders training includes:

-Tree Biology

-Urban Stresses on Trees

-Tree Identification

-Tree Pruning and Root Care

-Tree Planting Techniques

-Community Organizing

 

Warwick Township, PA

May 16, 23, and 30, 2019

Offered by Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

6:00 PM – 9:15 PM

Register online at https://phsonline.org/programs/tree-tenders

For more information, call 215-988-1698

 

Pittsburgh, PA

May 29, June 5, and 12, 2019

Offered by Tree Pittsburgh

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Register online at https://www.treepittsburgh.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/

For more information, contact Joe@treepittsburgh.org or call 412-781-8733.

3. Spotted Lanternfly Public Meetings

Offered by Penn State Extension

 

Spotted lanternfly is an invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and surrounding states. SLF presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state’s economy. The public can do a great deal to stop the spread of this invasive insect. Learn more at a public meeting near you.

Cost: Free

Register online: https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-public-meetings

 

Upcoming meetings:

Uniontown, PA – May 17, 2019

Danville, PA – June 8, 2019

Exton, PA – June 13, 2019

Berwick, PA – July 16, 2019

Bloomsburg, PA – August 15, 2019

 

 

4. Webinar: Thinking Beyond the Backyard: Diversity in Urban Tree Plantings across the Northeastern USA

Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Monthly Webinar Series

Tuesday, May 21, 2019, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)

 

Tree planting efforts have increased in cities across the United States in recent years. However, information on these plantings remains siloed by cities making it challenging to identify national trends or make city-by-city comparisons.

Danica Doroski, Doctoral Candidate with Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies presents this study that consolidates and synthesizes data from municipalities and non-profit organizations across the Northeastern United States. Ms. Doroski’s work illuminates patterns in species composition that can inform future plantings and improve tree-planting programs on the local level.

 

Registration and connection details: Register at

https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_nyDMKDAQQdSkj4LZZw-fhg

Use the link above to register for the webinar early, or at the time of the webinar. If you register prior to the webinar, you will receive an email with a link to access the webinar. If you register at the time of the webinar, you will be connected directly to the webinar following registration. We recommend registering and accessing the webinar room 15 minutes prior to the webinar start time to ensure you are able to connect.

Cost:  Free

Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for Landscape Architects; SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs); and PLNA Certified Horticulturalist (PCH) will be offered to attendees. One CEU for ISA Certified Arborists will be awarded with 80% or higher score on webinar quiz. Certificates of attendance will be provided after the program.

 

For more information contact Scott Sjolander at 814-350-7749 or sas305@psu.edu

5. Tree Climbing School

Offered by Penn State Extension

 

The Penn State Extension Tree Climbing School is an intensive 3-day class designed to teach the fundamentals of safe tree climbing and maintenance. Major emphasis will be placed on learning the skills required to climb and prune trees. The school will include classroom and fieldwork covering safety/safe climbing practices, equipment/use of hand tools, tree terminology, tree disease and insect diagnosis, culture and pruning, tree removal, and climbing knots. Check out this video to learn more and see the tree climbing school in action.

 

Students completing this school will not be accomplished climbers; however, students will have a satisfactory basic understanding, knowledge, and the skills required in the field of tree maintenance and tree climbing. A great deal of time will be spent in trees climbing. To achieve success in this climbing course, all participants should be in good health and have a desire to work in arboriculture.

 

Allison Park , PA

May 22-24, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 17, 2019

For more information, contact Brian Wolyniak at bjw229@psu.edu or 412-482-3455.

 

Elizabethtown, PA

May 28-30, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 24, 2019

For more information, contact Tim Abbey at tma13@psu.edu or 717-840-7408.

 

East Norriton, PA

June 3-5, 2019

7:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Cost: $350

Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-climbing-school

Registration deadline: May 27, 2019

For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.

 

6. Webinar: Cultivating Innovation – Documenting 15 years of TREE Fund Research Impact

TREE Fund Webinar Series, in partnership with Alabama Cooperative Extension

May 29, 2019, 1 PM – 2 PM Eastern Time

 

TREE Fund contracted Drs. Andrew Koeser and Richard Hauer to conduct a comprehensive, 15-year assessment of the discoveries, impacts, and returns on investment associated with its past research grant awards. Drs. Koeser and Hauer share some of the highlights of this work – from facts and figures to personal accounts by industry leaders on how TREE Fund has impacted their professional lives in their May webinar. You may be surprised at what commonly accepted practices trace their origins to TREE Fund research projects!

Presented by:

Dr. Andrew Koeser, University of Florida

Dr. Richard Hauer, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point

 

Registration and connection details: Register at https://auburn.zoom.us/webinar/register/f688bc627a39ed2c4ac87b605f06faf5

Cost:  Free

Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs), ISA Certified Arborists, and NALP.

 

7. Woody Plant Conference

Friday, July 19, 2019, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA

 

Mark your calendars for the 22st annual Woody Plant Conference at Swarthmore College. This popular day-long conference focuses on great woody plants for the Mid-Atlantic states and how to use them in the landscape. The conference is geared to landscape professionals and avid amateur gardeners.

 

Featured speakers include:

David Rubin, Principal, DAVID RUBIN Land Collective, will discuss collaborative, human-centered landscapes that create positive change. He will focus on landscape architecture and urban design that emphasize socially-purposeful design strategies.

Nina Bassuk, from Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute will highlight superior hybrid oak selections for introduction into the nursery trade.  These oaks can improve biodiversity and resiliency in the urban forest.

Ed Bowen, from Issima Nursery in Little Compton, Rhode Island will speak on latest developments in hydrangea breeding. The beautiful flowers of hydrangeas and their long bloom time, from early spring into fall, make them so popular. Ed focuses on hardiness in his hydrangea breeding.

Bernd Blossey, Associate Professor at Cornell University will discuss his research on invasive plants and how they threaten native species and the integrity of ecosystems.

 

Continuing education units (CEUs) for landscape architects and International Society of Arboriculture

certified arborists will be available.

Register online:  http://www.woodyplantconference.org/

 

The conference is co-sponsored by  Chanticleer, Longwood Gardens, Morris Arboretum, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, and Tyler Arboretum.

 

 

8. Managing Invasive Plants

Offered by Penn State Extension

July 24, 2019, 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM

Allentown, PA

 

Managing Invasive Plants will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to properly identify invasive plants and develop strategies for treatment and control.

 

Invasive weeds and pests are a major threat to our natural and cultivated landscapes, spreading quickly and displacing or killing native plants. Invasive species (plants, insects, and animals) are costing the United States more than $138 billion each year, due to their economic impact on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, waterways, wildlife, and ornamental landscapes. Ecologists now rank invasion by exotic plants, animals and pathogens second only to habitat loss as a major threat to local biodiversity.

 

A portion of the day will be spent in the field looking at invasive plants, the results of management, and a calibration demonstration.

 

Register online at: https://extension.psu.edu/managing-invasive-plants

Cost: $75

Registration deadline: July 17, 2019

For more information, contact Julianne Schieffer at jxs51@psu.edu or 610-489-4315.

Training

Sustainable Design