User:InterMedia

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Carla Hoopes
Trainer and Partnerships Coordinator

InterMedia Productions PLLC
Established 1991

Education

Certified Wildlife Biologist: The Wildlife Society (2015-present)

Master of Science: Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University (2006)

Bachelor of Arts: Organizational Communication and Visual Language, Montana State University (1993)

Focus Areas

Heritage and natural resources interpretation and education
Invasive native and non-native species
Stream and trail recreation and restoration
Communicating complex scientific issues to lay audiences
Public policy, education, and science in the media

About Carla Hoopes

Did you know that there are five regional youth conservation education programs that bring individuals and communities together with scientists to experience natural areas and our Nation's forests?

Kids In Action for Biological Control Gateway - Conservation Education: where youth and communities can engage with Federal, State, and local invasive species and biological control scientists by participating in local scientific projects
Bugs With An Attitude Gateway - Whitehall Biological Weed Control Institute
Holding The Line Gateway - Idaho Interagency Task Force and Bug Crew
Idaho Student Bug Crew Gateway - Bug Crew
Whats In Your World Gateway Youth Naturalist - Weed Scientist

When Carla began working with stream restoration professionals and youth program leaders in 1994, few science teachers knew the benefits of classical biological control in long-term land management strategies. Today, teachers and youth program leaders implement five successful regional biological weed control programs in Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Nevada. Youth outdoor science education program leaders, teachers, and crew trainers inspired Carla’s personal passions for the youth component of landscape-level conservation design efforts that she oversees as Owner and Principal Investigator of InterMedia Productions PLLC.

Carla is right at home in the landscape with student bug crews, agency partnerships, and landowner collaborative projects. This comfort level may stem from a childhood spent in the high mountain deserts of the Wasatch Mountain Range of Utah, and the short-summer foothills of Star Valley, Wyoming. Based in Bozeman, her connection to outdoor science schools, the scientific community, and resource and recreation professionals goes back almost three decades. Her career began when she began looking at the state of rivers and streams needing restoration in Indiana, Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana by Interfluve, Inc.; Confluence Consulting, Inc; Gillilan and Associates, Inc., and J.F. New and Associates. These experiences launched her inspiration for communicating scientific data and technical knowledge to lay audiences – branding companies, developing online and traditional media communications, and collaborating on technical designs for project-stakeholder decision-makers.

These first introductions to invasive species, stream restoration, and community-based biological planning created a launching pad for more recent work leading inter-agency teams and a stakeholder task force to educate and engage Montana’s citizens with government to address the problem of economic and ecological impacts of invasive species. Today, she manages special projects and programs with some of the finest passionate teachers and land managers in the United States. Carla works with local ranchers, Native American tribes, recreation and resource managers, science teachers, not-for profit organizations, and government agencies. Together they increase protection for the landscape, create economic incentives for conservation, and restore landscapes impacted by human and natural disturbance. More recently, with the introduction of the Kids In Action Program, communities have an opportunity to observe interactions among insects, plants, and invasive species while learning how local scientists do their work and employ scientific tools to understand how populations of insects, wildlife and plant communities change over long periods of time.

Trained as a wildlife biologist, Carla is a certified Interpretive Trainer and Coach for National Association for Interpretation (NAI). The NAI is a professional society that inspires and develops training skill sets. Heritage and natural resource interpretive staff provide the best available educational experience. Experiential learning is key to knowledge retention and becoming more intimate with the environment. The primary objective of Kids In Action relevant to training guides and community leaders generates fun and meaningful connections with kids and local scientists to shape through education and real-time experience a community behavior focused on protection and conservation of the resource. Carla believes everyone can participate in landscape-level conservation, and encourages everyone to seek out community-based conservation activities and join in the fun to make a difference.

Recent Select Reports and Presentations

Kids In Action at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay, Utah 2018-2021 with West Point Junior High School Science and Biology Honors Students (Grades 7-9).

Kids In Action at Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area, Utah 2012-2021 with Cache County Schools Discovery Program (Grades 4-5); Logan City Schools and Utah Science, Technology, Agriculture and Research Summer Academy (Grades 6-12); Cache County Weed and Road and Utah State University Edith Bowen Laboratory School (Grades 4-5).

Kids In Action for Biological Control on Antelope Island State Park, Utah 2018-2019. Classroom and Field Trainer program for 150 7th-9th Grade Science Honors Students from West Pint Junior High School in Syracuse, Utah and 55 9th Grade Students from Ascent Academies of Utah, West Jordan. The project partnerships include cooperative agreements and MOU with local agencies (Utah State Parks, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, USDA Forest Service Forest Health and State and Private Forestry in the Northeastern and Intermountain Regions, Ogden Ranger District, Weber River Cooperative Weed Management Association, and more). You can view a video produced by Davis School District of one of the field days at Antelope Island State Park. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fDZeh-y_vg&feature=youtu.be

Kids In Action for Biological Control on Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area in northern Utah 2017-2021. Classroom and Field Training for 55 4th Grade students from Utah State University's Edith Bowen Laboratory School. You can view a video produced by KSL TV 5 News at 6 of the field days at Hardware Ranch Wildlife Management Area. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkZaHNTMxOU

Invasive Species Education Research for Native American Students in Montana 2011.
Prepared for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Partners for Fish and Wildlife
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Statewide Awareness and Education Campaigns. Diverse Audiences and Partnerships. Presented by invitation to the Utah Weed Control Association Membership (FEB 2011)

Youth Environmental Education Programs. Prepared for the Nevada Department of Agriculture and presented at the Nevada Weed Control Association membership (AUG 2011)

Refuge Invasive Plant Management Teacher Workshop. Prepared for and presented at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge for 34 Box Elder School District 4th Grade Teachers. (SEP 2011, MAR 2012)

What’s In Your World? Youth Naturalist – Weed Scientist Biological Noxious Weed Education. Prepared for USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (DEC 2006 to DEC 2010); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (JUL 2010); National Forest Foundation (APR 2009 and APR 2010); State and Private Forestry (JUL 2007 to SEP 2009).

Water Trail Users Aquatic Invasive Species Education – Our Wetland Project Aquatic Invasive Species Activities for Ages 6-14. Project management and presentation by invitation to the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species (OCT 2010)

Statewide Noxious Weed Awareness and Education Campaign Partnership. Spokesperson and management for all aspects of the landscape-level grass-roots environmental education program (1997-2011)

Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Reclamation
Fish and Wildlife Service
Montana Department of Transportation
Montana Farm Bureau
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Recreational Trails Program
Montana Stockgrowers Association and State Association of Grazing Districts
Montana Noxious Weed Trust, Department of Agriculture
University of Montana and Montana State University Cooperative Extension Service
Forest Service Northern Region
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Gallatin Conservation District
Multiple stakeholders: Big Blackfoot Chapter Trout Unlimited, Blackfoot Challenge, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, watershed groups, weed districts, Forest Ranger districts, Montana Education Association and Montana Future Teachers Association

Building Partnerships with Diverse Stakeholders. Keynote address by invitation presented to the South Eastern Exotic Pest Plant Council membership (MAR 2007)

Current Works

Carla currently leads a stakeholder-driven project called "Kids In Action Initiative" with guidance provided by a steering committee and technical team to advance a sustainable program called Kids In Action for Biological Control to other states, territories, islands, and tribal communities. Training workshops for volunteers, kids and scientists, and teachers are scheduled in 2022 for projects with land management partners in Utah, Montana, Arizona, Illinois, Georgia. and Wisconsin. Collaborators are currently developing and piloting classroom, field, and online training opportunities and webinar presentations with the IPM Institute of North America and the NorthCentral School IPM Working Group, the Acoustic Ecology Lab Eco-Listening program at Arizona State University, and the Whitehall Biocontrol Project, Jack Creek Preserve Foundation Outdoor Education Center and Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve outdoor laboratory in Montana.

Kids In Action for Biological Control brings science teachers and their students to state and federal lands and natural areas where kids work shoulder-to-shoulder with scientists in local field investigations where scientists demonstrate and engage kids in how they work, the tools they use, and how they monitor changes in the landscape over long periods of time. Training and Certification testing prepare community leaders and teachers to develop self-guided activities in which students and volunteers have the opportunity to use the scientific tools and explore the ideas and passions of others for the benefit of the larger landscape. These connections between kids and scientists shape the overall objective to get communities out having fun learning all they can about the work of scientists.

For 2019-2021, Carla put together a team of leaders from the new Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay and West Point Junior High School Science Honors Program to engage in a Classical Biological Control purple loosestrife beetle rearing-program in the 300-400 acre system of trails and waterways in Farmington Bay. Highlights of this effort including community engagement, workshop agendas in draft and final versions, videos and training curriculum posted at Kids In Action for Biological Control Gateway. The first training and testing for Level II Certification as a Team Leader occurred on July 12, 2019. Sixteen science honors students prepared and led small teams of 6 students each when 200 of their peers arrive at the Education Center in October, 2019 for training and data collection. This new conservation education program generates fun and scientifically sound activities to generate a means to engage communities and kids by identifying opportunities to witness and participate with scientists in local areas.

The on-line trainer module, Biocontrol In Your Backyard, is a collaborative effort with the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health, State and Private Forestry Regions 1, 4, and Northeastern Area, and the Forest Health Assessment & Applied Science Team. Works found within the Biocontrol In Your Backyard gateway at BugwoodWiki represent her compilation of existing resources, interviews, standalone media elements, and structured on-line training.

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