Here's the announcement I recently received about this year's VSN sponsored herbicide training and testing. Any and all volunteers who are interested in getting licensed are encouraged to take advantage of this free workshop, and we can certainly use more licensed volunteers!

HERBICIDE TRAINING & TESTING WORKSHOP
2010

Thursday, February 11, 2010, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Organized by The Nature Conservancy and Co-sponsored by the Brookfield Zoo

Interested in becoming certified and licensed to use herbicides on public lands? All volunteers are invited to attend this annual one-day clinic that includes General Standards training (for Operators license) in the morning and (Operator’s and Applicator’s license) testing in the afternoon.

To be certified as an Operator (a person who uses herbicides and who is “sponsored” by a licensed Applicator), volunteers must pass the General Standards test.

To be certified as an Applicator (the person in an organization who has responsibility for all Operators licensed under him/her with regard to the use of herbicides), volunteers must pass both the General Standards test and one or more Category exam. Those category exams most appropriate to stewardship work are listed here; choose the one you think is the most applicable to the herbicide application you will be doing:

Right-of-way pest control: chemical weed control on noncrop sites such as parking lots, along roads, in access rights-of-way, and in fence lines. [This is the license that most volunteers acquire.]

Aquatic pest control: herbicide use for weed control in standing or running water.

Please bring a photo ID and calculator (please note: PDA’s and Palm Pilots are not allowed) for the testing session. The clinic is scheduled for Thursday, February 11, 2010, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sign-in registration starts at 8:00 am.  The training will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (lunch on your own); the testing will run from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.  The workshop is located at the Brookfield Zoo in the Discovery Center. Please register with Karen Tharp, VSN Coordinator, by phone at 866-VSN-LINE (876-5463) or email at: 

by Wednesday, February 3, 2010. When registering, please relay the following information:  your name and mailing address, phone number, email (if available) your landowner/sponsoring agency and/or volunteer site, your volunteer title (i.e. Steward, Co-Steward, volunteer, etc.), what test(s) you are taking (if just operator, what is the name of the person with the applicator license you will be working under), and if you are planning on attending the morning training session or just the test in the afternoon.

NOTE: the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) will only offer this training and testing if we have at least 50 attendants at this workshop! So please avail yourself of this excellent opportunity and spread the word to other volunteers! Please note that this workshop is offered for volunteers of the VSN; this year it may be possible to open the workshop to agency staff, although volunteers will have first priority.  

The training will only be an overview of “General Standards”, therefore, we recommend that you purchase and review the training materials BEFORE the workshop. Study materials are available by phone, fax, or mail order. Call 1-800-644-2123 for phone orders. Fax our order to 217-244-3469. To order by mail, write to the University of Illinois, PAT Program, 1201 S. Dorner Dr., Urbana, IL. 61801. Specify when ordering which study materials you would like (i.e., for the General Standards exam and/or for one of the Category tests). Allow 1-2 weeks for delivery.

If you want to get licensed but are unable to attend this training, the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) and Cooperative Extension Service offer other training and certification clinics, and testing is available at the IDA office in Springfield 217-785-2427 and De Kalb 815-787-5476 during the week. For training opportunities, contact the Cooperative Extension Services at 1-800-644-2123 or visit their web site http://www.pesticidesafety.uiuc.edu/.  However, please try to take advantage of this special training for VSN volunteers, if at all possible.

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DIRECTIONS TO HERBICIDE TRAINING & TESTING WORKSHOP 2010

Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL 60513, Tel: 708-485-0263

 Please note: the workshop will be held in the Discovery Center.  You will enter the zoo through the south entrance of the zoo, not the main entrance.  See specific directions below.

You can drive to the Discovery Center by entering Brookfield Zoo's South Gate.  Located just off 1st Avenue, (south of 31st Street and north of Ogden Avenue) take Ridgewood-Forest Avenue west one block to Golf Road north.  Once you are at the admission booth, tell the attendant that you are with The Nature Conservancy, then proceed through the gate, follow the access road along the east side of the zoo to the Northeast Discovery Center Parking Lot.  You will go over two speed bumps and past one stop sign prior to entering the Discovery Center Parking lot.  The Discovery Center is located at the west end of the Parking Lot.  Registration for the event is in the Discovery Center Lobby.

Northshore, Near North and Downtown Chicago: I-90/94 downtown. Then take I-290 west toward the western suburbs. Exit at First Avenue going south (watch for Zoo signs). Follow First Avenue past 31^st Street and turn west onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high school on the corner). See u below.

From the North: Take I-294 toward Indiana. Exit I-290 east toward Chicago. Exit at First Avenue going south (watch for Zoo signs).Follow First Avenue past 31^st Street and turn west (right) onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high school on the corner). See u below.

Northwest: Take Route 53 south to I-290 east toward Chicago. Exit at First Avenue going south (watch for Zoo signs). Follow First Avenue past 31^st Street and turn west (right) onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high school on the corner). See u below.

Far Western Suburbs: I-88 to I-290 east toward Chicago. Exit at First Avenue going south (watch for Zoo signs). Follow First Avenue past 31^st Street and turn west (right) onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high sc0hool on the corner). See u below.

Southwest: I-55 east toward Chicago. Exit First Avenue north (look for Zoo signs). Continue north on First Ave. past Ogden Ave. and turn west (left) onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high school on the corner). See u below.

South: Take I-294 toward Wisconsin. Exit Ogden Ave. east. Follow Ogden to First Avenue and turn north (left). Then turn west (left) onto Ridgewood-Forest Avenue (there's a high school on the corner). See  below.

» Go one block to Golf Ave. (1^st stop sign), turn north (right). Tell the gate guard that you are here for a Workshop at the Discovery Center. You don't have to pay any parking fees. After going through the gate, stay to your right and follow the road until it ends on the north side of the zoo in a large parking lot. The Discovery Center is the first building adjacent to the lot.