In the first couple of sessions, participants will learn what riparian areas are, how riparian areas function, and how this functioning is affected by the health of the riparian area. Participants will then be given tools to assess the health of their own riparian areas, along with a framework for developing a management plan for it.
In the third and fourth sessions, participants will learn about the range of goods and services healthy riparian areas can provide, such as water quality, flood and drought resilience, biodiversity habitat, forage, biomass, food, nutrient cycling, pest suppression, pollination, and more. Participants will then learn how management and restoration activities can support these goods and services. Content will be customized according to the interests and backgrounds of participants.
Participants will be expected to spend 2-4 hours outside of session time in developing their management plans. In the fifth session, participants will have the opportunity to share draft versions of these plans. Course facilitators and other participants will provide feedback and advice.
Upon completion of the course, alumni can request to receive free consultation services from AWES and Cows and Fish staff over email, over the phone, or in person. These services will be provided on a first come first serve basis as long as funds are available.
