W A T E R C H E S T N U T S

Workshop on Aquatic and TERrestrial Characterization via Helium Elevation of Sensor Technology; Needed: UFOs and/or Turgid Sleepingbagcovers

Photo: Water Chestnuts in the Sudbury River, Concord, MA. Photo by Ann Ringwood of Wicked Local, from an article by Meg Muckenhoupt

When: Saturday, July 20th -- Monday, July 22nd

Where: Amherst, Belchertown, and Holyoke, MA

What:

DIY Aerial Water Chestnut Assessment. Water Chestnut is an invasive aquatic plant species in Massachusetts that forms dense, floating mats which severely limit available light and nutrients for aquatic ecosystems. On Monday, July 22nd, we'll be working with members of the UMass Amherst Dept of Environmental Conservation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to apply Public Lab's DIY aerial imagery techniques in assessing one or several management sites near Amherst, MA. Depending on the conditions, we're planning on using kites and/or balloons (perhaps based from canoes) to take aerial photos of affected areas both "before" and "after" a management event. We'll also be capturing Infragram near-infrared imagery, in order to see whether near-infrared photography can help to distinguish Water Chestnut from other aquatic species.

Weekend mini workshops. Although the Water Chestnut aerial imaging event will occur during the day on Monday, July 22nd, we're planning on gathering on Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st at the newly-formed "Hacker Farm" in nearby Belchertown, MA in order to do some prior brainstorming, kite and balloon flying, and potluck BBQ-ing, as well as informally introduce:

• [DIY Spectroscopy]
• [DIY Infrared photography]
• [DIY Agriculture]

Lodging

There is plenty of room to camp at the Hacker Farm in Belchertown, MA, on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights!

Agenda

[Note -- the agenda is evolving -- feel free to add suggestions in this wiki; via the "talk" link above; or via the Google Group]

Saturday, July 20th @ HackerFarm01007

• Kite flying and Balloon Making
• Spectrometry workshop
• DIY Garden / Farm technology
• BBQ

Sunday, July 21st @ HackerFarm01007

• Infragram workshop
• DIY Garden / Farm technology
• BBQ

Monday, July 22nd @ Log Pond Cove, Holyoke, MA, Lake Warner, MA, or another nearby location

• Exploration of Area and Overview
• Balloon / Kite Mapping -- Round 1, “Before”
• Volunteer with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove water chestnuts
• Balloon / Kite Mapping -- Round 2, “After”
• Mapknitter Workshop @ HackerFarm01007
• BBQ

Links to more information about Water Chestnut

• Slide presentation on Water Chestnut as an invasive species

• Background from invasivespeciesinfo.gov

• Article on Water Chestnut as an invasive species