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By: Robert Janis
Attend a NOHVCC
Workshop through Your Personal Computer
The Internet has been a god-send for almost
everyone. Businesses can hold meetings with
clients without leaving their offices; news
reporters can research a story without multiple
trips out of the office; husbands can chat with
wives; kids can chat with parents and friends;
you can buy a gift or sell property and you can
do business from your home.
It just makes sense for organizations like the
National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservancy Council
to take advantage of the technology and teach
workshops to people who are involved in such
things as travel management, trail maintenance,
and anything else that is necessary for running
and maintaining a public trail.
The event is called a webinar. When individuals
are interested in “attending” a session, they
can register with NOHVCC via computer and then
click on a link that puts them into a virtual
meeting room where the session is held.
A PowerPoint presentation appears on the screen
and participants can hear instructors talk
through their computer speakers. Each person can
also contribute or “chat” during the event by
typing their question or comment on their
computer keyboard.
Karen Umphress, project coordinator for NOHVCC,
explained that the concept got started because
by the end of 2008 it became obvious that many
people could not attend the NOHVCC workshops in
person due to the recession. People who were
especially closed out were those who worked in
government agencies who could use the
information as well as just plain, ordinary
enthusiasts who wanted to get involved.
According to Umphress, the creation of the
content for both the webinar sessions and the
DVDs were funded by the Motorcycle Industry
Council (MIC), the Specialty Vehicle Institute
of America (SVIA), and the Recreational
Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA). The
distribution of the webinars and the DVDs are
provided through Yamaha’s OHV Access Initiative
Grants.
The workshops include travel management, which
explains to enthusiasts and government agency
personnel how to create and maintain a high
quality off-highway trail system. Government
agents learn the aspects that make up quality
trail systems including information about the
people who will be using the trails.
Enthusiasts
are taught how the agency or government process
works, how to work with planning managers and
how to write effective comments. For enthusiasts
and government agency personnel, key concepts
that make up a quality trail system is discussed
along with how to do signing, trail maintenance,
monitoring, using design principles to create an
OHV trail, and how to keep trespassing and other
issues from becoming major problems.
NOHVCC; a paid consultant, Tom Crimmins, a
retired 32-year veteran of OHV Travel Management
with the U.S. Forest Service; the BlueRibbon
Coalition; the American Motorcyclists
Association; the Motorcycle Industry Council;
the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and
Tread Lightly! participated creating the content
for the original workshops. Most of the
workshops are designed by NOHVCC members.
Individuals can also suggest webinars. If enough
ask for a topic, then it will be done.
As mentioned, companion DVDs of the webinars
have been created. NOHVCC produced about 5,000
DVDs, and they have proven to be a very popular
request by government agencies and enthusiasts,
said Umphress. In addition, PowerPoint
presentations from the webinars have been
converted into PDF files and can be downloaded
from the NOHVCC website. Simply click on
“Webinar” on the home page.
“We think that this will be one of the best
tools we have created so far. It gives just
about anyone who is enthusiastic about trail
systems the opportunity to get information and
improve on their knowledge and communications.
It will help people to be more effective in
keeping trails open. We are really, really
excited at the response and future potential,”
concluded Umphress.
For more information visit the organization’s
website at:
http://www.nohvcc.org.
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