A workshop is an interactive educational program for a relatively small group that emphasizes exchanging ideas and demonstrating and applying techniques, skills, etc. through hands-on experience. Workshops occur on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons. Registration for workshops closed on May 16.
Monday, June 10, 2024
NRCS Dynamic Soil Properties Workshop
Monday, June 10, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
This workshop will offer a singular opportunity for participants to experience hands-on learning in a field setting through interaction with DSP measurement equipment in tropical soil pits. This workshop will not only be a unique and singular learning opportunity but will also be rooted in a sense of place through a connection with local soils. The goals of this workshop are to:
• Understand the value of DSPs in interpreting short-term human and natural effects (3-50 years) on soil change.
• Discuss important spatial and temporal considerations in DSP study design.
• Learn basic DSP methods and procedures.
• Discuss how data from DSP studies will be incorporated into soil survey products.
Lunch, snacks, water, Powerade, sunscreen, and bug repellant will be provided.
Clothes suitable for hot and muggy weather and sturdy shoes for walking over uneven terrain are recommended.
View the itinerary here.
Monday, June 10, 2:00 PM–4:30 PM
Integrating data from multiple sources into a single cohesive dataset for reanalysis is hard, especially for soil data which is almost as diverse as soil itself. Many of us have had the experience of copy-pasting or manually transcribing data from one document to a spreadsheet. This manual transcription is sometimes necessary but not always. In this workshop, we will show an annotation-driven scripted approach to data harmonization developed in the International Soil Carbon Network to integrate data from the NRCS-NCSS database, Forest Service FIA database, and data from research archives. This will be a hands-on workshop where we will work through coding examples, please bring a laptop and your enthusiasm for soil data! You will leave this workshop with an understanding of how to annotate and merge new data into the ISCN database as well as how to work with the intermediate ‘shoestring’ of data supporting the published ISCN Databases. There will be an opportunity to create annotations for your own data set and test out the workflow by harmonizing it locally with the ISCN database. A working knowledge of R is required (reading/writing CSV tables, making plots) but an in-depth knowledge of database design is not.
Fee: $135 ($145 after May 1)
Includes: Electricity to tables, speakers fees, and expenses
Using NEON Data to Investigate Temporal and Spatial Patterns in Soils Workshop
Monday, June 10, 2:00 PM–4:30 PM
Learn about the different types of soil data that the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides and how to get started using them. This workshop will begin with a summary of the different types of sensor- and sample-based soil data that NEON generates. Then we’ll jump into a live coding session where we’ll investigate relationships between soil temperature, soil water content, soil CO2 concentrations, and microbial biomass at a tropical NEON site. The workshop will introduce common approaches needed to work with both sensor- and sample-based NEON data so that participants will develop the skills needed to address their own research questions using NEON data. The instructor will code in real time allowing participants to follow along and the code is designed to be as transferable as possible, allowing participants to easily switch sites or even data products. An extended question and discussion section will be available to address any issues that arise and to provide additional information that is of particular interest to attendees. The coding will be done in R and prerequisites for participation are having R installed (RStudio is recommended) and having the neonUtilities R package installed. Completing the self-guided Download and Explore NEON Data tutorial is recommended but not required: https://www.neonscience.org/resources/learning-hub/tutorials/download-explore-neon-data.
You will need to bring your own laptop in order to participate in this workshop.
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Digital Storytelling with ArcGIS StoryMaps Workshop
Tuesday, June 11, 4:30 PM–6:00 PM
An ArcGIS StoryMap is a powerful communication tool to inform, inspire, and engage stakeholders through an interactive digital experience. This workshop will explore place-based digital storytelling by constructing a StoryMap and then sharing our work with others…all without any coding or access to dedicated web servers or enterprise GIS systems. Participants will be provided with all necessary materials including a narrative, images, and spatial data that will then be crafted into a StoryMap about the state soils of the United States. We will also learn how to integrate ArcGIS Online with StoryMaps to creatively use (and re-use) digital geographic resources. Familiarity with GIS and Esri’s ArcGIS Online is helpful, but not required.
USB drives will be provided to store your work.
You will need to bring your own laptop in order to participate in this workshop.
Advancing Science Communication: From Caverns to AI Workshop
Tuesday, June 11, 4:30 PM–6:00 PM
Discover how to communicate effectively for the soil science community. Through an overview of ancient methods and cutting-edge digital platforms, this workshop explores the nuances of effective communication. Discover how AI can transform soil science communication. Hands-on sessions will provide insights into the new generation of communication tools and their efficacy, accuracy, and impact for communicating soil science. Activities will range from interactive soil analysis to AI-powered chatbots answering soil health queries. Whether you're seeking to enhance your presentation skills or exploring the future of soil communication through brain-computer interfaces, you'll find tools and insights in this workshop essential for soil scientists today.
Bringing a laptop computer is recommended.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Smart Phones for Smart Soil Workshop
Wednesday, June 12, 2:00 PM–3:30 PM
As smartphones have become more common, the application of smartphones in soil and agriculture research is a promising tool to perform on-site soil analysis and make the assessment of soil easy, user-friendly, and less time- and cost-consuming. This workshop offers an excellent opportunity for participants to experience hands-on learning on how to use mobile apps to collect instantaneous soil information from the exact soil the user is standing on, assess anthropogenic activities induced changes in soil health, and help users make better-informed decisions about the area they are researching. This workshop provides insights into the new generation of research tools and their impacts on soil and agronomic research.
