Not all training takes place in a classroom. We’ve put together a searchable library of recorded modules, webinars, videos and other resources to help our staff and partners find professional development information on a variety of topics.

Online Learning
This table displays Online Learning opportunities and details.
Training calendar
Title Subject Skill Format Description Source
Ecological Site Descriptions: An Interdisciplinary and Interagency Effort - Webinar 2 Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Native Vegetation, Habitats and Pollinators Webinar

This is the second session of an eight-session webinar series.  Session 2 provides a thorough review of the basic concepts of ecological…

NRCS

Ecological Site Descriptions: An Interdisciplinary and Interagency Effort - Webinar 1 Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Native Vegetation, Habitats and Pollinators Webinar

This is the first session of an eight-session webinar series.  Session one provides a review of the history and use, from range site…

NRCS

Technical Training Individual Development Plan (IDP) Tool: staff/user training Webinar

User (NRCS/SWCD/TSA staff) training: All NRCS, TSA, and SWCD staff with an existing eLINK account can create…

NRCS & BWSR

Technical Training Individual Development Plan (IDP) Tool: manager training Webinar

Manager-specific training: All eLINK users with a “Manager” role within an NRCS, SWCD, TSA can view and edit training…

NRCS & BWSR

Basic Grassed Waterway - Video 3 Practice Design Practice Specific Webinar

13 mins, 57 secs

This is a 3 part video from a 2018 webinar covering the practice standard contents and design concepts for…

Basic Grassed Waterway - Video 2 Practice Design Practice Specific Webinar

30 mins, 47 secs

This is a 3 part video from a 2018 webinar covering the practice standard contents and design concepts for field…

NRCS & BWSR

Basic Grassed Waterway - Video 1 Practice Design Practice Specific Webinar

26 mins, 47 secs 

This is a 3 part video from a 2018 webinar covering the practice standard contents and design concepts for…

NRCS & BWSR

Webinar 3: Wetlands Ecology for Planners - How Wetlands Function Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics

This is the third webinar, delivered in 5 segments, in NAWM and NRCS’s jointly-developed nine-part wetland training webinar series. The first half…

NAWM, NRCS

Webinar 2: Wetlands in a Watershed at the Landscape Scale Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Webinar

This second webinar, delivered in six segments, in NAWM and NRCS’s jointly-developed nine-part wetland training webinar series begins with an…

NAWM, NRCS

Tillage Implements Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Ag & Agronomy Online Course

This course will review tillage calculation tools, primary tillage implements, and secondary tillage implements used in a corn/soybean setting.…

NRCS

Side Dressing Cover Crops into Corn with Rob Olson and Daughters Practice Specific Video

(Time: 13 mins, 34 secs) Producer Rob Olson and daughters Nicole and Kari demonstrate inter-seeding cover crops into corn on their farm in…

Minnesota NRCS

Nitrogen Smart Practice Specific Online Course

(Time: minimum 2 hours) An interactive training program for producers that presents the fundamentals for maximizing economic return on nitrogen…

University of Minnesota Extension 

High Tunnel System Practice Specific Video

(Time: 10 mins, 39 secs) This video is about a high tunnel that was built in St. Paul Minnesota by Urban Roots during the summer of 2018 with…

Minnesota NRCS

High Clearance Cover Crop seeder with Andy Linder Practice Specific Video

(Time: 9 mins, 35 secs) Producer Andy Linder of Faribault MN demonstrates how he seeds cover crops into soybeans and corn using his revamped high…

Minnesota NRCS

Forest Management Guidelines Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Forestry Basics and Practices Reference Material

This page has been replaced. Please click here to visit the new page…

Minnesota Forest Resources Council

Cattle Grazing on Cover Crops in Faribault County, MN Practice Specific Video

(Time: 10 mins, 45 secs) Producer Andy Linder discusses the methods and benefits of grazing steers on Cover Crops.

Minnesota NRCS

Project Management 101 Project Management Video

(Time: 30 min)  This video provides background and tips for managing projects. The content is broken up into four modules:

BWSR

Logic Models: A Natural Resource Example Planning Video

This video (Time: 4:09 min) demonstrates how a logic model can be used to establish short, mid, and long term goals in a natural resource example…

BWSR

A Basic Introduction to Logic Models Planning Video

A logic model is a way of organizing the elements of your plan or project so you can successfully communicate your strategy to funders and…

BWSR

Prescribed Burning Practice Specific Online Course

(Time: will vary)  This course is designed to introduce the student to the fundamental basics of prescribed burning. At the end of the…

Oklahoma State University

Windows Pesticide Screening Tool (WIN-PST) and National Agronomy Technical Note 5 Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Pest Management Webinar

(Time: 24:27 min) This third section of the PowerPoint will focus on how to use the WIN-PST tool and mitigating hazard results from the tool…

NRCS

Integrated Pest Management Conservation Practice Standard (595) Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Pest Management Webinar

(Time: 26:58 min) The second section of the PowerPoint will focus on the standard differences and updates to the new Integrated Pest…

NRCS

Integrated Pest Management Policy and Related Conservation Practice Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Pest Management Webinar

(Time: 18:18 min) The first section of the PowerPoint will focus on National General Manual Policy GM190-404 Subparts A-D along with…

NRCS

CORE 4 Pest Management Technical References and Training Materials Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Pest Management Reference Material

(Time: will vary)  Basic overview of pest management principles.  Materials concentrate on assessing environmental risks of pest…

NRCS

Using Soil Taxonomy to Identify Hydric Soils Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Reference Material

This is a powerpoint presentation with 59 slides describing the hierarchical nature of soil classification and how a particular soil’s…

NRCS

Redoximorphic feature Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Reference Material

This is a powerpoint presentation developed by Michael Whited of the NRCS Wetland Science Institute, containing 33 slides. The objectives of…

NRCS

Hydric Soil Overview Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Reference Material

This is a powerpoint presentation developed by Michael Whited of the NRCS Wetland Science Institute, containing 18 slides explaining the…

NRCS

Field Indicators of Hydric Soil Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Reference Material

This is a powerpoint presentation developed with the Wetland Science Institute, containing 65 slides covering the general concepts used for…

NRCS

Webinar 1: Introduction to Wetlands Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland ID & Ecology Basics Webinar

This first webinar, presented in 5 segments, in NAWM and NRCS’s jointly developed nine-part wetland training webinar series provides an…

NAWM, NRCS

Hydric Soils Training Modules Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Wetland Soils Webinar

The National Association of Wetland Managers has developed an online training series focused on hydric soils for wetland professionals. This…

A SWM

Integrated Erosion Tool Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Erosion Prediction Models Video

A series of videos providing an introduction to the Integrated Erosion Tool (IET) from the…

NRCS

Matching Appropriate Seed to Conservation Practices Vegetation Vegetation – Species, Seeding and Seed Mixes Webinar

(Time: 1:00) Learn about ecotypes and ecological restoration planning tools for greater long term conservation planting success.

NRCS

Native Warm Season Grass Drill Calibration Vegetation Vegetation – Species, Seeding and Seed Mixes Video

(Time:16:27) Jake Watson, USDA NRCS and Michael McCord discuss how to calibrate a drill for Native Warm Season Grasses.

NRCS

Warm Season Grasses (1 of 5) “Site Preparation” Vegetation Vegetation – Species, Seeding and Seed Mixes Video

(Time: 5:21) Step 1 of 5 on planting and managing native warm season grasses.

Missouri Conservation Department

Preparing Land for Seeding Native Grasses & Plants Vegetation Vegetation – Species, Seeding and Seed Mixes Video

(Time: 1:37) Preparing the seedbed correctly will increase the likelihood of seed germination and a successful planting.…

Texas A&M Extension

Herbaceous Vegetation Practices Vegetation Vegetation – Species, Seeding and Seed Mixes Online Course

(Time: 32:00) This training is an introduction to NRCS practice standards that establish herbaceous vegetation to treat resource concerns.…

BWSR

MN NRCS Soil Health Training Resources Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Reference Material

(Time will vary) This is a set of 30+ soil health related training resources that is maintained by MN NRCS.

NRCS

Keep Cattle in Minnesota Project Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Managed Grazing Systems Video

(Time: 1:27:49)  This video is produced by the Sustainable Farming Association and the Keep Cattle in Minnesota Program. The mission of this…

NRCS and The Pasture Project

Disturbance, Grazing and Economics Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:48) Disturbance, Grazing and Economics (3/3) webinars are prerequisites for the Minnesota Soil Health Field Day and Minnesota Soil…

NRCS

Nutrients, Soil Biology and Diversity in Agroecosystems Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:55) Nutrients, Soil Biology and Diversity in Agroecosystems (2/3) webinars are prerequisites for the Minnesota Soil Health Field Day and…

NRCS

Introduction to Soil Health Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:50)  Introduction to soil health (1/3) webinars are prerequisites for the Minnesota Soil Health Field Day and Minnesota Soil Health…

NRCS

Understanding Soil Quality Impacts on Soil Functions and Other Resource Concerns Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:18) Participants learn about nutrient management and healthy soils, and the resulting effects on water quality through a study…

Ohio State University Extension

Unlock the Secrets in the Soil Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Video

A series of 41 videos, mostly under five minutes each that discuss various soil health topics and applications of soil health principles. …

NRCS

Core NRCS Conservation Practices for Enhancing Soil Health Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:10) This webinar focuses on how several core NRCS conservation practices can be used by farmers to improve soil health, linking them…

NRCS

Soil Quality - the Foundation for Resource Management Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:55)  Participants in the webinar learn about Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation planning principles to improve soil…

NRCS

Soil Health Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Video

(Time: 57:21)  In this session, Dr. Jessica Gutknecht discusses soil health. When you think about the soil beneath your feet, or…

University of Minnesota

The Relevance of Soil Biology in Assessing Fertility and Soil Health Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time:1:22:00) Participants will learn how soil biology directly and indirectly influence crop growth and nutrient cycling, along with…

NRCS

Soil Health and New Soil Testing Methods Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Webinar

(Time: 1:47:00)  This webinar will give participants an overview of soil health and new soil testing tools for N-P-K that take into account…

NRCS

Building your Soil Structure Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Health and Management Video

(Time: 19:45)  Hal Weiser, USDA, discusses how to improve soil structure and soil biology to maximize crop production.

University of Minnesota, Extension

Demonstration of WEPP in more detail Basic Tech Skills (Matrix) Soil Erosion Prediction Models Video

(Time: 1:00:27)  This session includes cover crops, kill crop, mulch/manure additions, weed growth, irrigation, etc.

NRCS