Massachusetts Soil Conference
Know the Soil, Know the Land
Thursday, September 17, 2015
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Heifer Farm, Rutland, Massachusetts (DRAFT: 9/31/15)
TIME
8:30-9:00
TOPIC / ACTIVITY
SPEAKER/FACILITATOR
Registration (snacks provided)
-NRCS Programs Booth
-Conservation District Programs Booth
Welcome, opening remarks
Christine Clarke, State
Conservationist, NRCS
Jeff LaFleur, Executive
Director, Massachusetts
Association of
Conservation Districts
9:15-10:00
Understanding Soils; Soil Survey; how it’s done, what its
comprised of, scope, applications, information source
Al Averill, State Soil
Scientist, NRCS
10:00-10:30
Interpreting soils for land use and management purposes with
examples (such as; farmland class, hydric soil, hydrologic soil
groups)
Maggie Payne, Resource
Soil Scientist, NRCS
10:30-10:45
Break
10:45-11:15
GIS applications of spatial and attribute data: interpretive maps,
spatial analysis, examples
Aaron Dushku, GIS
Specialist, NRCS
11:15-12:00
Ongoing soil survey work, what and why, data revisions. The
future of soil survey; new technologies.
Jacob Isleib, Soil Scientist,
NRCS
9:00-9:15
Comments from Heifer Farm Host
12:00-1:00
Lunch (provided)
Displays available
-NRCS Programs Booth
-Conservation District
Programs Booth
-Web Soil Survey
Demonstration
-Soil Data Viewer
Demonstration
Art Allen, Soil Scientist,
EcoTech
Dan Lenthall, District
Conservationist, NRCS
(Others TBD)
1:00-1:30
Soil Survey User Panel Discussion and Feedback
1:30-1:45
Transition to field sessions (4 groups; rotating stations)
1:45-2:15
2:15-2:45
2:45-3:15
3:15-3:45
Station 1: Rainfall Simulator and Soil Health Kit
Station 2: Soil Texture Exercise
Station 3: Soil Landscapes and Soil Pit
Station 4: Hydric Soils and Soil Pit
Kate Parsons
Estella Smith, Jacob Isleib
Al Averill
Maggie Payne
3:45-4:00
Participant evaluation, soil survey user questionnaire, and
distribution of continuing education documentation
All