Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership

RRNW Fall 2026 Short Course: Virtual Facilitation Skills for River Restoration Professionals
2026-09-17 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-22 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-24 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Virtual
River Restoration Northwest presents Virtual Facilitation Skills for River Restoration Professionals

Course Description: Fall 2026 Short Course: Virtual Facilitation Skills for River Restoration Professionals – River Restoration NW

Most professionals who convene groups and lead meetings do so as part of their job without formal training in facilitation. They manage agendas, keep time, and move through items. The result is often meetings that consume significant organizational resources while running the risk of not producing valuable insights, clear decisions, or high participant engagement.
This training in virtual facilitation, led by Maggie Chumbley of Lead Groups Better Inc., draws on more than a decade of professional facilitation experience in government, conservation, and environmental contexts to offer participants a clear and practical framework for leading groups well in virtual environments.
The emphasis of this course is on what works, and why. Participants will leave with a set of skills and tools they can apply immediately, grounded in an understanding of how groups actually think and make decisions together.
Instructor: Maggie Chumbley – Founder, Lead Groups Better, Inc.
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays September 15, 17, 22, 24, 2026 (10am–Noon PT)
Location: Zoom
Pricing: $600

Register Here

Course objective and anticipated skill transfer

Participants will leave this course with practical skills they can use right away. By the end, they will be able to design agendas that generate real engagement rather than just organize time; choose and use facilitation tools that fit the situation; read group dynamics as they unfold and adjust on the fly; and run at least five Liberating Structures in a virtual setting. River restoration professionals work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments — this course is designed with that context in mind.

Material to be covered

A virtual meeting is not an in-person meeting conducted on camera. It is a different medium, with different rules, different constraints on attention, and different opportunities for group engagement. Facilitators who treat it as a lesser version of an in-person experience will consistently underperform what the medium makes possible.
Virtual environments offer capabilities that in-person settings do not. Every participant has an internet connection and a keyboard. Ideas can be collected simultaneously and anonymously. Responses can be gathered from an entire group in the time it would take one person to speak. Structured written exchanges can surface thinking that would never emerge in live open discussion. These are not workarounds, but tools with genuine advantages, and many virtual meetings never use them.
At the same time, virtual environments place particular demands on attention that in-person settings do not. Managing that attention, designing sessions that work with it rather than against it, and keeping participants genuinely present and engaged requires a distinct skill set that we will explore.

Foundational facilitation skills for virtual environments – Core competencies for leading virtual sessions effectively, from routine team meetings to complex, multi-stakeholder processes.
Purpose, clarity, and agenda design – Methods for clarifying session objectives and designing agendas that support genuine group engagement rather than simply organizing time.
Facilitator awareness and attunement – Skills for reading group dynamics in real time, including what to attend to, how to adjust in the moment, and how to create conditions for productive thinking.
High-leverage facilitation tools (Liberating Structures) – Five to six practical structures that change how groups engage, distributing voice and attention in ways that conventional meeting formats do not. Each technique is demonstrated and practiced during the training.
Adaptive facilitation for complex systems – Frameworks for working with groups navigating uncertainty, conflict, or situations where the path forward is not yet clear. Draws on systems thinking and complexity-informed facilitation practice.
Managing group dynamics – Practical skills for navigating the situations that most often derail meetings, including dominant voices, disengagement, conflict, and difficult conversations.

Course Outline

Session 1 – Sept 15: The Virtual Meeting as a Distinct Medium
What makes virtual facilitation different, and how to use the medium’s unique advantages rather than work around them.
Session 2 – Sept 17: Design and Clarity
How to clarify purpose, build agendas that produce real outcomes, and match structure to context.
Session 3 – Sept 22: Attention, Dynamics, and Difficult Moments
Skills for keeping participants present and engaged, and for navigating the situations that most often derail meetings.
Session 4 – Sept 24: Complexity, Application, and Practice
Facilitation in uncertain and contested situations, plus hands-on application to the sessions you are actually planning.

Zoom Course Logistics

Four sessions, two hours each, delivered via Zoom. Sessions are spaced to allow participants to apply learning between meetings.
Four hours of office hours are included for individual coaching and meeting design support. Participants are encouraged to bring real sessions they are planning to office hours. Design support is available for any meeting or facilitated process, not only those related to training content.

Target audience and recommended prerequisites

Target Audience: River restoration professionals including public agencies, non-governmental organizations, designers, and funders.
Recommended Prereqs: None

Recommended pre-short-course reading and/or websites

https://www.liberatingstructures.com/
Liberating Structures App: https://liberatingstructures.app/en/

Participant Technology Requirements

Laptops required? Yes
Software to be loaded prior to class: Zoom – https://www.zoom.com

2026 ALASKA GEOSUMMIT
2026-09-21 08:00 - 2026-09-23 17:00
2026 ALASKA GEOSUMMIT

When: September 21–23, 2026
Where: Alyeska Resort — Girdwood, Alaska
The 2026 Alaska GeoSummit will be held at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, one of the state’s iconic destinations, located just 40 miles south of Anchorage and surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, glaciers, and coastal rainforest. This year, the GeoSummit moves to Alyeska Resort to provide a more immersive setting that reflects Alaska’s scale, complexity, and opportunity as a proving ground for next-generation geospatial technologies.
This year’s venue is deliberately smaller in scale and richer in character, designed to foster focused exchange, spontaneous collaboration, and meaningful connection among attendees.
REGISTER NOW

Full refunds are available for cancellations made more than 60 days before the event. Ticket transfers anytime prior to the event.

Please note: Your confirmation email contains a direct link to book your hotel room at Alyeska Resort at the discounted rate of $229/night. If you don’t receive the email or can’t find the link, please contact Sue at akgeosummit@gmail.com.
Visit the 2026 Alaska GeoSummit website for more information.

Navigating the Paradigm Shift in Geospatial

AI and autonomous systems are rapidly transforming how we understand, interact with, and make decisions about the world. At the core of these advances are location-based technologies and geospatial data, which provide the critical context that makes these systems actionable. Earth observation, cloud-native infrastructure, Geo/AI, and emerging agentic systems are converging at an unprecedented pace.
The 2026 Alaska GeoSummit focuses on what this convergence means in practice—organizational readiness, workforce implications, and how these technologies reshape decision-making across sectors.
The technology is here, and innovation is accelerating. Yet many organizations remain caught between recognizing the need to adopt and lacking the operational, technical, or governance readiness to do so. This conference is designed to close that gap—moving beyond awareness to actionable pathways for implementation.
Join us for keynotes from global technology leaders—Dr. Nadine Alameh (founder of LunateAI and former CEO of the Open Geospatial Consortium) and Dr. Amy Rose (CTO of the Overture Maps Foundation)—alongside Alaska explorer and wilderness safety expert Luc Mehl, who will frame how he uses geospatial technologies to enables safe adventuring and discovery in remote Alaska. Conference sessions and strategic discussions will move past talking about innovation to tackling real readiness gaps.

Washington Invasive Species Council Meeting (September 2026)
2026-09-24 08:00 - 17:00
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Meeting information: WISC – Washington Invasive Species Council
Online Zoom Registration
Phone Option: 669-900-6833 – Meeting ID: 852 2889 9784

RRNW Fall 2026 Short Course: Living Better with Beavers: Effective Coexistence Strategies & How to Apply Them
2026-10-08 08:00 - 2026-10-09 17:00
River Restoration Northwest presents Living Better with Beavers: Effective Coexistence Strategies & How to Apply Them
Visit the course page for more information or to register: Fall 2026 Short Course: Living Better with Beavers: Effective Coexistence Strategies & How to Apply Them – River Restoration NW

Living Better with Beavers will explore and define beaver coexistence strategies that are effective and scalable to match the growing interest in and needed prioritization of natural climate solutions. If you are working in restoration or water management, from low-tech process-based restoration, large wood placement, wetland mitigation, transportation infrastructure maintenance, meadow remaking, beaver-based restoration, agricultural irrigation, beaver relocation, or stormwater management, coexistence is an essential management and climate resilience tool to add to your toolkit.
Join us for a deep dive into conserving existing beaver habitat and expanding beaver benefits by managing human conflicts with our native ecosystem engineer, the American Beaver!
Instructors: Alexa Whipple – Project Director, Methow Okanogan Beaver Project, a program of Methow Salmon Recovery Foundation, graduate of BeaverCorps, Beaver Institute
Elyssa Kerr – Executive Director, Beavers Northwest
Dates: October 8-9, 2026
Location: Twisp & Winthrop WA, Methow River Watershed
Pricing: $50

Northwest Power and Conservation Council Meeting (October 2026)
2026-10-14 08:00 - 2026-10-15 17:00 | Idaho
Agenda, meeting time, and other materials will be posted at the NPCC website the week before the meeting here: Council Meeting | Northwest Power and Conservation Council

Spatial-Stream-Network (SSN) Model Training Workshop
2026-10-14 08:00 - 2026-10-16 17:00
Spatial-Stream-Network (SSN) Model Training Workshop
AGENDA
Day 1: Overview of spatial statistical network models: theory, software, and applications
Days 2 & 3: Work 1-on-1 with instructors to apply the spatial models to your datasets
COST $700 (students)
$1,000 (professionals)
DATES Oct 14–16, 2026
TIME 8:30 – 5:00
LOCATION Idaho Water Center
322 E Front Street
Boise, Idaho
Course Instructors
Dr. Erin Peterson (QUT)
Dr. Mike Dumelle (EPA)
Dr. Jay Ver Hoef (NOAA)
Dr. Dan Isaak (USFS)
FREE SOFTWARE PACKAGES
SSNbler GIS toolset: An Introduction to ‘SSNbler’: Assembling Spatial Stream Network (`SSN`) Objects in R • SSNbler
SSN2 package for the R statistical software: CRAN: Package SSN2
Spatial statistical stream-network (SSN) models are a new type of model based on covariance structures that account for flow direction, flow volume, and the branching structure of stream networks to provide a valid means of interpolating predictions between sample locations. SSNs are 0useful for describing spatial patterns in common stream attributes (e.g., water quality, habitat conditions, biological surveys) and often outperform traditional analytical techniques applied to stream data. SSNs also provide parameter estimates for covariate fixed effects and can be used to describe the spatial autocorrelation structure (i.e., non-independence) among measurements, which has utility for designing efficient monitoring strategies and spatial surveys.

Share free user-friendly software tools for SSN analysis:

SSNbler package for processing spatial data sets using GIS
and the R statistical software
SSN2 package for analysis in the R statistical software

Introduction to the new R packages, SSNbler and SSN2, including
new data structures and functionality
Demonstrate the data processing steps used to calculate the spatial
information for fitting SSN models in R
Demonstrate how SSN2 is used for:

Exploratory data analysis
Modeling continuous, presence/absence, and count data
using spatial linear, mixed-effects, and generalized models
Model diagnostics and selection
Prediction (geostatistical kriging)
Uncertainty estimation
Simulation and spatial visualization techniques for stream
data using ggplot2

REQUIREMENTS A good working knowledge of statistics and the R statistical program are useful to obtain the greatest benefit from the workshop. Participants must bring a laptop with access to the R statistical software and a GIS of your choice (Recommended: ArcGIS Pro with standard or advanced license or QGIS software). Please contact the organizers if you cannot meet these requirements.
If you have questions about course enrollment, email: disaak67@gmail.com and support@spatialstreamnetworks.com

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Meeting (October 2026)
2026-10-27 08:00 - 2026-10-28 17:00 | Burns, OR
Documents and pages for future meetings will be posted as they become available. Visit the OWEB calendar for more information.

2026 Global eDNA Conference
2026-10-28 08:00 - 2026-10-30 17:00
DATES | REGISTRATION | EXHIBIT | ABSTRACTS | SPONSOR | TRAVEL
Hosted in partnership with the MTS eDNA Committee and the University of Washington’s eDNA Collaborative, the conference will convene a global community of eDNA enthusiasts from across economic sectors to build connections, learn from one another, and further advance eDNA science.
About
The global conference will feature three days of concurrent sessions, focusing on a diverse array of eDNA-related topics (e.g., conservation applications, quantitative analysis, community engagement, policy-relevant communication, technological development, and many others), as well as a set of plenary speakers, a call for abstracts, a poster session, and unstructured time for networking. Contact MTSevents@mtsociety.org for questions.
Dates: October 28-30, 2026
Location: Bell Harbor International Conference Center (2211 Alaskan Wy, Seattle, WA 98121)
Flyer: Click here >>
Important Dates
Abstract Submission and Registration Opens: January 28, 2026
Abstract Deadline: May 29, 2026
Abstract Notifications: by July 13, 2026
Early Bird Registration Ends: July 31, 2026
Registration
Registration includes refreshments, breakfast, and lunch on all three days.
Early Bird (MTS Member): $590 USD
Early Bird (Non-Member): $665 USD (includes 1-yr MTS membership)
Non-Early Bird (MTS Member): $650 USD
Non-Early Bird (Non-Member): $725 USD (includes 1-yr MTS membership)
Low and Middle Income Country: $450 USD**
Student: $460 USD (Must be an MTS member to receive student price. If you are not a member, you can sign up here for $25)
One Day Registration: $250 USD (Student: $160)
**If you are traveling from a country listed as low income or lower middle income on World Bank, email MTSevents@mtsociety.org to receive a discount code bringing the registration fee to $450.
By registering for this event, all attendees, regardless of MTS membership status, agree to adhere to the Marine Technology Society’s Code of Conduct.
Exhibit

Exhibit Table | $1850 USD: Receive one (1) exhibit table, recognition on the event website and materials, and direct access to attendees. Registration must be purchased separately.

REGISTER HERE
Abstracts

Abstracts are due by May 29, 2026 and will be accepted upon submission. Following submission, the Steering Committee will review abstracts and assign the appropriate session format (poster, lightning talk, or placement within a larger session). Session type notifications will be shared by July 13, 2026.
Abstract Categories

Sampling Methods & Field Operations – sampling design and strategies, technologies for the field
Data Science & Analytic – data science and analytics, metabarcoding-specific statistical obstacles and solutions, AI and machine learning applications
Molecular Tools & Techniques – primers, new and emerging tools, beyond eDNA: omics, microbiome, diet analysis
Ecology & Environmental Processes – DNA degradation, transport, ecological considerations
Standardization & Data Management – standardization, FAIR data standards, global data repositories and large-scale efforts
Conservation Applications – endangered species, invasive species, early warning systems, restoration
Community Engagement & Equity – community/citizen science, global south/access and capacity building
Policy & Governance – policy and law, scaling eDNA into global policy frameworks, biosecurity
Implementation & Adoption – adoption and widespread uptake, private-sector actors, novel applications and management applications
Indigenous Partnerships & Knowledge Systems – Indigenous knowledge integration, data sovereignty, partnerships

46th International Symposium for the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)
2026-11-03 08:00 - 2026-11-06 17:00
46th International Symposium for the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)
Swimming Upstream: Tackling Environmental: Challenges through Partnership, Innovation, & Science
November 2-6, 2026
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
For more information or to register: NALMS 2026 – Kelowna, British Columbia – North American Lake Management Society (NALMS)
Kelowna appears to have abundant water, but this city is in the most water-scarce region of Canada. The water resources in this semi-arid setting are under increasing pressure, compounded by watershed-scale disturbance and a warming climate. Warmer, drier conditions in the growing season means agricultural needs, urban use, and environmental flow needs frequently exceed the available water resources.
To discuss these, and other, issues, NALMS is pleased to return to Canada (after ten years) for NALMS 2026! The program will feature the below topics (and more), workshops, field trips, presentations, networking events, and vendor displays.
Potential topics include:

Aquatic Invasive Species Climate Change
Paleolimnology Harmful Algal Blooms
Community-Based Science
Emerging Technologies & Methods
Eutrophication & Nutrient Management
Indigenous-Led Monitoring & Stewardship
Managing Impacts of Extreme Events
Mining & Resource Extraction Impacts
Science & Management of Salmon Lakes
Urban Lakes & Stormwater Ponds

For sponsorship or general information, visit www/nalms.org/nalms2026 or contact nalms2026@nalms.org. For other details, contact Conference Coordinator, Sara Peel (speel@arionconsultants.com) or Conference Chairs, Hamish Kassa (hamishkassa@gmail.com) and Lucie Thomson (lucie.thomson@gov.bc.ca).

Northwest Power and Conservation Council Meeting (November 2026)
2026-11-17 08:00 - 2026-11-18 17:00 | Portland, Oregon

Oregon Invasive Species Council Meeting (Dec 2026)
2026-12-01 08:00 - 17:00
Oregon Invasive Species Council Meeting
Date: December 1st, 2026
Location: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Classroom – 4034 Fairview Industrial Dr. SE, Salem, OR
For the most current information, visit: Meetings & Minutes — Oregon Invasive Species Council

Washington Invasive Species Council Meeting (December 2026)
2026-12-03 08:00 - 17:00
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Meeting information: WISC – Washington Invasive Species Council
Online Zoom Registration
Phone Option: 669-900-6833 – Meeting ID: 878 6007 4063

WA Salmon Recovery Funding Board (December 2026)
2026-12-08 08:00 - 2026-12-09 17:00 | Olympia, WA
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office
Meeting information: Meetings – RCO
Online Zoom Registration Phone Option: 669-900-6833 – Meeting ID: 858 8962 7031 Physical Location: Room 172, Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street, SE, Olympia, WA 98501.

Northwest Power and Conservation Council Meeting (December 2026)
2026-12-15 08:00 - 2026-12-16 17:00 | Virtual

RRNW 25th Annual River Restoration Symposium
2027-02-01 08:00 - 2027-02-05 17:00 | Skamania Lodge, 1131 SW Skamania Lodge Way, Stevenson, WA, 98648, United States
Mark your calendars for the 25th Annual River Restoration Symposium, happening February 1–5!
Join for an inspiring week of knowledge sharing, learning, and time with colleagues and community.
Calls for abstracts and sessions will begin in June — stay tuned!
Symposium Information 2027 – River Restoration NW
Schedule
Join for the full week! February 1–5, 2027
• Short Courses on Monday, February 1
• 3-Day Plenary Sessions on Tuesday–Thursday, February 2–4
• Field Trip on Friday, February 5
Attendance Options
In-person: Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA
Virtual Livestream: Full 3-Day Plenary Sessions
Symposium Themes
Project Failures: Lessons Learned – Failure is an inherent part of innovation, yet it is often underreported. Projects that fall short of expectations can provide some of the most valuable insights for improving future work. What unexpected outcomes have forced you to rethink your approach? Were there overlooked processes, site conditions, or assumptions that altered project trajectories? How can we create space within our field to openly share failures and integrate those lessons into better design, monitoring, and adaptive management practices
Creative Funding Sources & Solutions – Funding remains one of the greatest barriers to implementing and monitoring restoration efforts. As funding opportunities become more scarce and competition increases, practitioners are called upon to find innovative ways to finance restoration implementation and monitoring. What unconventional funding mechanisms have you leveraged? How can partnerships, community investment, or cross-sector collaboration unlock new opportunities? Are there models that successfully integrate restoration funding with broader social, economic, or climate resilience goals?
Estuary Restoration – Estuaries are among the most productive yet heavily altered ecosystems, serving as critical transition zones for fish, wildlife, and human communities. How do we design projects that align with natural water level fluctuations and sediment regimes? What can we learn from historical estuary extents to guide present-day recovery? Where are the priority habitats and emerging hotspots for restoration activity across the region? We want to hear about your spruce swamps!
Water Management and Irrigation as a Restoration Tool – Drought and climate variability make water a less reliable resource year-after-year. Water management and agricultural production can be used to support ecological function. Where and how can we effectively apply managed aquifer recharge? Are there projects where irrigation system improvements have increased in-stream flows?
Restoration under Invasion: Adapting to Invasive Species – Invasive species are a major concern in many restoration projects and one of the leading threats to juvenile salmonids. What strategies have proven effective in managing persistent invaders like reed canary grass? How do invasive aquatic species, from mussels to predatory fish, influence restoration success? Can restoration design itself be used as a tool to resist or outcompete aquatic invasive species like small mouth bass and brook trout?
Restoration for Risk Management: Wildfire & Flood Risk – As climate change intensifies disturbance regimes, restoration is increasingly being called upon to reduce risk to both ecosystems and human communities. Wildfires and floods are reshaping river systems in ways that challenge conventional design and management approaches. How do post-wildfire changes in sediment supply, hydrology, and wood dynamics affect restoration priorities? In what ways can restoration projects align with flood risk reduction frameworks such as FEMA Public Assistance or mitigation programs? What regulatory or policy shifts are needed to better integrate restoration into risk management strategies?
