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

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

When: Sunday, July 21st -- Monday, July 22nd

Where: Lake Warner, MA and HackerFarm at Belchertown, MA

RSVP: waterchestnuts.eventbrite.com

What:

Sunday (7/21): Intro to MapKnitter + Infragram. We're planning on gathering on Sunday, July 21st at the newly-formed "Hacker Farm" in nearby Belchertown, MA in order to do some planning, practice kite and balloon flying, and potluck BBQ-ing. We'll also be introducing MapKnitter and the Infragram platform, in preparation for the aerial imaging event the next day.

Monday (7/22): 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 the assessment 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.

Group Working gDoc for Attendance, BBQ and Lodging

Lodging

There is plenty of room to camp at the Hacker Farm in Belchertown, MA, on Sunday, Monday, and even Tuesday nights; and there are also a bunch of beds available in the farmhouse.

Agenda

Sunday, July 21st @ HackerFarm01007 in Belchertown, MA Address on Google Maps

12pm - 1 pm: Welcome & Arrivals 1 pm - 5 pm: Intro to Aerial Imagery -Equipment overview / gear check -Balloon and Kite mapping of nearby site -HackerFarm Backyard -Christmas Tree Farm -UMass Orchard -Cold River 5 pm - 7 pm: BBQ 7 pm: Brief Public Lab Tools Intro: -MapKnitter -Infragram -SpectralWorkbench

Monday, July 22nd @ Lake Warner: 293 Drive, Hadley, MA Address on Google Maps

9 AM: Welcome and Arrivals Arrivals on Site Presentation: Background on Water Chestnut 10 AM: Balloon Launch 11 AM: Mitigation Team -canoe launch -on-water recon and visual inspection of species -culling Water Chestnut 1 PM: Gear wrap-up & leave site

Location: HackerFarm in Belchertown, MA Address on Google Maps

2 PM: BBQ 3 PM: MapKnitter processing of photos

RSVP

Please register here: waterchestnuts.eventbrite.com if you're planning on attending, so we'll know how many people to plan for. Thanks!

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