Ecological Restoration Institute
UWRF's Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) provides a great opportunity for you to enhance your skills and make yourself more marketable to employers in the natural resources field. Explore the page to learn more about the training and certifications offered by ERI, as well as some of the restoration projects the ERI is tackling on and around campus, which will give you the true field experience that employers desire!
The ERI is funded through the Environmental Studies Opportunity Fund, a fund created and sponsored by donors to the UWRF Foundation. The fund also provides scholarships to students majoring in conservation and environmental science.
Riverside Prairie
The open field behind the Agricultural Science Building offers great potential to restore native plants while giving students experiences in management practices, such as herbicide application, prescribed burning, invasive species removal and species diversity monitoring. Students have been involved in invasive species management, multiple prescribed burns and introduced some native species with a frost seeding. Work continues to establish native plants through competition and direct plantings.
School Forests
The UWRF campus has two registered School Forests that are part of the Wisconsin School Forest Program, providing space for both recreation and education. School Forest 1 is near the Campus Farm, which houses the equine program. School Forest 2 is on the Mann Valley Farm. Both sites are undergoing invasive species removal to open up the canopy for annual native tree plantings. School Forest 1 is being restored to a white pine forest and an oak savanna, while School Forest 2 will largely remain an oak woodland forest. A new trail was installed in School Forest 2 to open up recreation opportunities for the campus and River Falls community.
A limited amount of financial assistance for certifications is offered each semester. Please reach out to ERI Program Manager Kelsey Cowart at kelsey.cowart@uwrf.edu for availability.
- Commercial Pesticide Applicator License: Two certification types - Right-of-Way and Natural Areas ESM 296 and Aquatic and Mosquito ESM 295 applications, alternating spring semester.
- CPR/First Aid Training: Offered through Campus Recreation.
- Wildland Firefighter Training: Offered in spring semester ESM 190.
- Boat Safety: Offered through the Wisconsin DNR, enrolling under ESM 193. Limited to 10 students per semester.
- ATV/Off Road Education: Offered through the Wisconsin DNR, enrolling under ESM 192. Limited to 10 students per semester.
- Chainsaw Safety Course: Levels 1 and 2 offered with ESM 191 in fall semester and Levels 3 and 4 in spring semester.
- Tractor Training: Offered in coordination with Mann Valley Farm. Introductory training with hands-on experience with small tractors, zero-turn lawn mower and skid steers.
- Wilderness First Responder: Students can register for SFED 244 to earn their certification. Students will gain valuable knowledge and experience for emergency response that may come up while working in the field.
Interested in a project or certification? Click the button, fill out the form and Program Manager Kelsey Cowart will be in contact!
