## W A T E R C H E S T N U T S

**W**orkshop on **A**quatic and **TER**restrial **C**haracterization via **H**elium **E**levation of **S**ensor **T**echnology;  **N**eeded: **U**FOs and/or **T**urgid **S**leepingbagcovers

![Water Chestnuts in the Sudbury River, Concord, MA.  Photo by Ann Ringwood of Wicked Local](https://i.publiclab.org/system/images/photos/000/000/794/medium/Water-Chestnuts-in-Sudbury-River-Concord_photo-by-Ann-Ringwood-Wicked-Local.jpg)

### When: Saturday, July 20th -- Monday, July 22nd

### Where:  Amherst, Belchertown, and Holyoke, MA

[Water Chestnut](http://www.dnr.state.md.us/bay/sav/water_chestnut.asp) is an invasive aquatic plant species in Massachusetts that forms dense, floating mats which severely limit available light and nutrients for aquatic ecosystems.  

On **Monday, July 22nd**, we'll be working with members of the **UMass Amherst Dept of Environmental Conservation** and the [US Fish and Wildlife Service](http://eco.umass.edu/) to apply Public Lab's DIY aerial imagery techniques in assessing one or several management sites near Amherst, MA.  

**DIY Aerial assessment of "before" and "after" Water Chestnut removal.**  Depending on the conditions, we're planning on using [kites](http://publiclab.org/home#kite-mapping) and/or [balloons](http://publiclab.org/home#balloon-mapping) (perhaps based from canoes) to take aerial photos of affected areas both "before" and "after" a management event.  We'll also be capturing [Infragram](http://publiclab.org/wiki/infragram) near-infrared imagery, in order to see whether near-infrared photography can help to distinguish Water Chestnut from other aquatic species.  

**Weekend workshops on aerial imagery / spectroscopy/ infrared photography / DIY Agriculture**. Although the Water Chestnut aerial imaging event will occur during the day on Monday, July 22nd, we're planning on gathering on **Saturday, July 20th** and **Sunday, July 21st** at the newly-formed "Hacker Farm" in nearby Belchertown, MA in order to do some prior brainstorming, kite and balloon flying, and potluck BBQ-ing.

### Lodging

There is plenty of room to camp at the Hacker Farm in Belchertown, MA!

### Agenda

[Note -- the agenda is evolving -- feel free to add suggestions in this wiki; via the "talk" link above; or via the Google Group]

**Saturday, July 20th** @ HackerFarm01007
- Kite flying and Balloon Making
- Spectrometry workshop
- DIY Garden / Farm technology
- BBQ

**Sunday, July 21st** @ HackerFarm01007
- Infragram workshop
- DIY Garden / Farm technology
- BBQ

**Monday, July 22nd** @  Log Pond Cove, Holyoke, MA, Lake Warner, MA, or another nearby location
- Exploration of Area and Overview
- Balloon / Kite Mapping -- Round 1, “Before”
- Volunteer with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove water chestnuts
- Balloon / Kite Mapping -- Round 2, “After”
- Mapknitter Workshop @ HackerFarm01007
- BBQ

### Links to more information about Water Chestnut

- [Slide presentation](http://morris.njaes.rutgers.edu/pdfs/water%20chestnut%20_FINAL.pdf) on Water Chestnut as an invasive species

- [Background](http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/waterchestnut.shtml) from invasivespeciesinfo.gov

- [Article](http://www.unionparkpress.com/the-massachusetts-invasive-species-war-is-justified/) on invasive species