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  Minnesota Association of Professional Soil Scientists (MAPSS)


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Upcoming MAPSS Events
Past MAPSS Events
Other Upcoming Non-MAPSS Events
Job Opportunities
Job Websites

Upcoming MAPSS Events


MAPSS Executive Committee Meeting - open to all

   Date:      yet to be scheduled for 2010
   Where:   teleconference - contact president@mnsoilscientist.org or mapss@mnsoilscientist.org for information.


MAPSS and WSPSS Summer Tour - open to all

   Date:      Friday, August 6, 2010
   Where:   Pine County, MN area MAPSS and WSPSS Summer Tour will be all about this portion of the St. Croix River valley. We will begin by meeting at the Franconia Sculpture Garden, boarding a bus (bus leaves at 8am) and driving in an 80 miles loop. Breakfast snacks and lunch will be provided. What a DEAL!! Don't forget to dress for the weather. MAPSS Registration Form - Register Today!


Other (non-MAPSS) Events


Forum of Women in the Environmental Field

Events held January, March, May, July, September, November every year at various locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Events range from breakfast talks, lunch time lectures to evening tours, depending on the month. For additional information please go to:   www.fwef.org


The Smithsonian Soils Exhibit - "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" July 19, 2008 through January 3, 2010.

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, the Soil Science Society of America, the Agronomic Science Foundation and various other organizations, along with MAPSS, are working to develop the Smithsonian Soils Exhibit (www.soils.org/smithsonian). In order to do this they needed to raise one to three million dollars. Minnesota contributed a total of $10,000.00 to have the state recognized at the exhibit. Dr. H.H. Cheng (hcheng@soils.umn.edu) and Jay Bell (jaybell@umn.edu) lead this fund raising effort.


Job Opportunities - updated 07-21-2010


District Administrator for the Rice Creek Watershed District in Blaine, MN - close date August 6, 2010 (posted on 07-21-2010). Click here for posting

Soil Scientist at the NRCS in central MN - close date August 19, 2010 (posted on 07-21-2010). Click here for posting

Soil Scientist at the NRCS in southern MN - close date August 19, 2010 (posted on 07-21-2010). Click here for posting

Risk Management Specialist at USDA Risk Management Agency's Saint Paul Regional Office in St. Paul, MN - close date July 28, 2010 (posted on 07-08-2010). Click here for posting

Mississippi River Policy Manager at the Biodiversity Project in one of three locations in DC, Chicago or along the Mississippi River - no close date noted (posted on 07-22-2010). Click here for posting

Professional Development Program Coordinator at NCR-SARE in St. Paul, MN - no close date noted (posted on 07-09-2010). Click here for posting

Associate Director at NCR-SARE in St. Paul, MN - no close date noted (posted on 07-09-2010). Click here for posting

Environmental Impact Assessment Planning Consultant at ERM in St. Paul, MN - no close date noted (posted on 07-01-2010). Click here for posting

EHS Compliance Project Manager at ERM in St. Paul, MN - no close date noted (posted on 07-01-2010). Click here for posting

Environmental Engineer (entry level) at GES in Eagan, MN - no close date noted (posted on 07-01-2010). Click here for posting

Extension Educator at the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota - (open until filled) go to this link and put in Job Code 9354 in the extension school. Click here for posting and hit the "search postings" on the upper left side.

There are various positions at the NRCS with different closing dates


Websites for Job Opportunities


http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us (search under "jobs")
http://www.lmnc.org/cityjobs/cityjobs.cfm
http://www.mnworks.org/index.cfm
http://www.doer.state.mn.us (click on "career opportunities" and "search for a job")
http://www.seek.state.mn.us (click on "jobs and internships")
http://www.mntap.umn.edu (click on "interns" and select drop-down "students apply")
http://www.mncn.org
http://www.mepartnership.org/mep_jobs.asp
http://www.mn-jobs.com


Past MAPSS Events


2009 Winter Technical Event
2009 Summer Tour
2008 Winter Technical Event
2008 Summer Tour
2007 Winter Technical Event
2007 Summer Tour
2006 Winter Technical Event
2006 Summer Tour
2005 Winter Technical Event
2005 Summer Tour

2009 Winter Technical and Business Meeting

2009 MAPSS Winter Technical Event

   Date:         Friday, December 4, 2009
   Location:   Best Western Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota
   Meeting:    Lectures with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost). Click here for the registration form.    Click here to review the SOPs to be adopted at the event.
2009 Summer Tour/Workshop Event

   Date:         Thursday and Friday, August 6 and 7, 2009
   Location:   Northland Arboretum, Baxter, Minnesota
   Meeting:    Lectures and field trips. Here is the tentative information, more to follow.

MAPSS Summer Workshop: Understanding and Measuring Water Movement through Soils

Featured presenter: Aziz Amoozegar and TBD

Time (tentative): 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (August 6) and 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (August 7)

We are trying to arrange for some low cost lodging - camping - at Crow Wing State Park (~8 miles south of Brainerd/Baxter). If you are interested in camping, please reply email mapss@mnsoilscientist.org so we can get a head count and reserve some camping spots.
2008 Winter Technical and Business Meeting

2008 MAPSS Winter Technical Event

   Date:         Friday, December 5, 2008
   Location:   Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota
   Meeting:    Lectures with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost). Click here for information and the registration form.
2008 Summer Tour and Business Meeting

   Date:         Friday, July 18, 2008
   Location:   Ney Environmental Center, Henderson, Minnesota
   Meeting:    Lectures and field tour with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost).
  • SSTS Rule Changes: What Does this Mean for Soil Scientists? by Barb McCarthy, PSS with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
  • Geology of the Minnesota River Valley by Dr. Carrie Jennings with the Minnesota Geological Survey
  • Instability of Steep Slopes in the Minnesota River Valley by Dr. Satish Gupta with the University of Minnesota CFANS
  • Fingerprinting Riverine Suspended Sediments by Shawn Schottler with the St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Dept of the Science Museum of Minnesota
  • Field Observation – Glacial Till Stratigraphy
  • Field Exercises – Sharpening Your Powers of Landscapes and Soils Observation!
  • MAPSS Business Meeting
  • 2007 Winter Technical and Business Meeting

       Date:         Friday, December 7, 2007 - 8:30 am through 4:30 pm (come early)
       Location:   Best Western Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota
       Meeting:    Lectures with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost).
  • Water Flow Through Soils by Dr. Satish Gupta (U of MN). Click here to read through Dr. Gupta's PowerPoint presentation.
  • Wetland Delineation of Problem and Atypical Areas by Wayne Jacobson, PSS (Jacobson Environmental P.L.L.C.)
  • Tillage Erosion and Landscape Restoration: Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Yields by Dr. Sharon Papiernik (USDA ARS)
  • Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Major at the University of Minnesota by Dr. Terry Cooper (U of MN). Click here to read through Dr. Cooper's PowerPoint presentation.
  • Genesis and Hydrology of a Loess Landscape in Southeastern Minnesota by John Beck, PSS (USDA NRCS)
  • Mapping and Analyzing Groundwater Flow by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  • NRCS WebSoilSurvey, SoilDataMart, and efotg updates by Kim Steffen (USDA NRCS)
  • Click here for the registration form.
    2007 Summer Tour and Business Meeting

       Date:         Friday, August 17, 2007 - 8:00 am through 4:00 pm
       Location:   Cloquet Forestry Center, Cloquet, Minnesota
       Meeting:    Outdoor lectures with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost)

         Topics & Speakers

         Soils and Soil Formation on Sandy Outwash (Dr. Terry Cooper, U of MN and Roger Risley, NRCS)
         Tour of the Cloquet Forestry Plots and Soils (Ron Severs - Cloquet Forestry Center)
         Tour of Carleton County - Geology & Soils (Howard Hobbs and Alan Knaeble)

    A MAPSS business meeting will be held during the tour.   All MAPSS members are expected to attend this session.   The registration form is at the end of the latest issue of the Auger, click here, The Auger.

    We will be requesting volunteers for one temporary committees: Soil Scientist of the Year.   We will be seeking nominations for president (president elect) and treasurer to be voted on by the December (winter) meeting.

    2006 Winter Technical and Business Meeting
       Date:         Friday, December 1, 2006 - 8:00 am through 3:00 pm
       Location:   Best Western Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota
       Meeting:    Lectures with a break for lunch (lunch included in the cost)

         Topics & Speakers (tentative)

         A Primer Regarding Mercury in Minnesota Soils (Dr. David Grigal, PSS - U of MN)
         Scientific Visualization of Soil Hydrology (Dr. Jay Bell - U of MN)
         Modeling Hydraulic Mounding (Ray Wuolo, PE, PG - Barr Engineering)
         Professional Ethics (Harvey Harvala, PE - Chair of the Board of AELSLAGID)
         Environmental Review in Minnesota (Dr. Terry Cooper - U of MN)
         Soil Data Mart and Web Soil Survey (Kim Steffen, PSS - NRCS)

    A MAPSS business meeting will be held during the conference.   All MAPSS members are expected to attend this session.  Click here for the registration form.

    Don't forget to VOTE!   Click here to download your ballot and toss it in the mail before November 27th to insure delivery prior to the Winter meeting.


    2006 Summer Tour and Business Meeting - joint tour between MAPSS and the Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society

       TMDLs:   What's Soil Go to Do With It?

       Date:         Friday, July 14, 2006 - 8:00 am through 4:30 pm
       Location:   Ogilvie High School, Ogilvie, Minnesota
       Meeting:    The MAPSS business meeting will be held during the tour

    Curious about total maximimum daily loads (TMDLs)?   Find out all you need to know by joining us at the MAPSS Summer Tour!    2006 MAPSS Summer Tour agenda    2006 MAPSS Summer Tour registration form


    2005 Winter Technical and Business Meeting

    Assorted Frontiers in Pollution Remediation and Soils Inventory

       Date:         December 2, 2005 - 8:00 am through 4:30 pm
       Location:   Best Western Kelly Inn, St. Cloud, Minnesota
       Meeting:    Lectures with a break for lunch (included in the cost)

    Keeping current and viable in today’s multidisciplinary environment involves study on many levels. Technical, historical, inter-personal, and economical considerations are all areas worthy of investigation. In order to be a sturdy link in the chain of society, it is beneficial to observe what is on either end. The 2005 winter meeting attempts to weld historical events, current technological developments, standard training, and modern customer service ideologies together so that we might all be better professionals.

        Topics & Speakers

        GIS Techniques Used in the Soil Survey Update of Goodhue County (Peter Hartman, PSS)
        Dunes in Glacial Lakes Akinn and Upham, Timing, Formation and Extent (Lisa Marlow, Physical Scientist and Geologist)
        A Tale of Two Towns (Case Study) (Sara Beth Scadlock with Houston Engineering)
        UMD Stormwater Treatment/ Rain Garden (Eric Larson and Candice Richards)
        Soil Texture Training, Reference and Contest (MAPSS Executive Personnel)
        Spodisol Penetration into Minnesota (Dave Hvizdak and Roger Risley,Wisconsin and Minnesota Soil Scientists)

    A MAPSS business meeting will be held during the conference. All MAPSS members are expected to attend this session. This event was organized by Roger Risley, the president-elect of MAPSS. Click on the following link for the registration form. 2005 Winter Meeting Registration Form


    2005 Lake Superior Basin Wetlands Management and Research Conference - includes the 2005 MAPSS Summer Business Meeting

       Date:        July 14-15, 2005 (Thursday & Friday)
       Location:   UMD - Duluth, Minnesota
       Meeting:   meetings, concurrent tracks and field trips

    The purpose of this conference is to encourage interaction among wetland scientists, soil scientists, regulators, planners and managers. The conference will focus on the western Lake Superior watershed and the role wetlands play in protecting the big lake and its watersheds. Topics that will be covered include but are not limited to:

        National wetland issues and how we are affected regionally/locally
        Wetland values and functions
        Implications of wetland policy for conservation and education
        Isolated wetlands in relation to local planning
        Geology, soils, and land-use of the north and south shores of Lake Superior
        WCA rules/changes in rules
        Mitigation
        MN Wetland delineators certification

    Thursday will be a day of speakers and concurrent sessions (management and research tracks) followed by an evening dinner/mixer harbor boat cruise on the Vista Star with two dinner speakers discussing the geomorphology of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River.

    Friday will include the MAPSS business meeting from 7:30-9:00 am (oh yes, you will all be there!), presentation of scientific papers (with awards by the Society of Wetland Scientists) followed by an afternoon of field trips.

    The cost is $70.00 and includes:  the two day conference, breaks, two lunches, one field trip (five to choose from) and a dinner cruise!

    For the conference agenda click the following link:  http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/wetlandsconference/agenda.html

    PLAN TO ATTEND THIS EXCITING CONFERENCE!  We are able to provide this conference at such a reasonable cost thanks to the cooperation of the Arrowhead Water Quality Team.  The following organizations are putting this meeting together:  MAPSS, WSPSS (Wisconsin counterpart), Arrowhead Water Quality Team, Board of Water and Soil Resources, Society of Wetland Scientists, UMD Sea Grant and the Fond du Lac Reservation.