Students and classes

In August we welcomed our first group of graduate students: four recent UNI graduates Rebecca Groshens, Erin Harpenau, Isaiah Messerly, and Cassy Bohnert; and four from farther afield: Michele Fuhrer, (Baker College in Kansas); Megan Reehl (Principia College in Illinois); Kim Kreiling (Knox College in Illinois), and Feifei Ning, (Anhui University in Anhui Province, China). In addition to their required PSM courses, they registered for electives such as Geographic Information Systems, Biostatistics, Independent study-Grant writing; Geographic Positioning Systems, Plant Systematics, and Aquatic Ecology.

Equipment Grant

The first task of the semester was to label and organize almost $130,000 worth of equipment purchased with a Roy J. Carver Trust equipment grant. This included computers and software for the lab, radiotelemetry equipment, hip boots and chest waders, a johnboat with jet-motor, sampling equipment for water chemistry and aquatic life, a Honda four-wheel drive ATV with a winch and other accessories, vegetation management tools (chainsaw, weed trimmer, propane weed torch, loppers, pruners and safety equipment), several GPS units and two GPS field computers (Trimble Geo Explorer XM with ArcPad software), binoculars, radiotransmitters for tracking animals, and lots of other useful tools and sampling equipment. We also purchased a Chevrolet Suburban to haul ourselves and all of this equipment back and forth to field sites. Our students work primarily in Room 35 of the Biology Research Complex, with several other rooms in that building available for equipment storage.

Team Projects

Team Projects The next major hurdle was to introduce students to the three, year-long projects. This was a near total-immersion experience for everyone, but literally for the group working for Black Hawk County Conservation Board on the Cedar Island Wildlife Area Management Plan. The Wildlife Area was flooded in August, and we had to wade through chest-high waters to reach our higher-elevation destinations. Students collected plants at this site for the first month of the semester, identifying as many plants as possible before Fall arrived.

Next, staff of the Tallgrass Prairie Center gave students a crash course on the history and workings of the Center (TPC), the recipient of funding from the Iowa State Legislature for the Prairie Biomass Energy project. Through phone conferences and meetings we forged a collaboration with Cindy Cambardella, a specialist in soil carbon sequestration at the NRCS Soil Tilth Lab in Ames, to put this portion of the project on firm footing. PSM students collected biomass samples on existing prairies, and established almost 100 acres of research plots to test the benefits of using prairie grass as a renewable energy source. They will also recommend management practices for farmers and ensuring adequate wildlife habitat.

Our third project, urban stormwater management, began with several "stormwater safaris" to old and new residential developments, an industrial site, and campus locations. We examined how stormwater runoff affects water quality, and how new stormwater regulations can help. Long the exclusive territory of civil engineers, the field of stormwater management now needs people with a strong background in ecology to design, build and maintain rain gardens and other structures that help runoff to infiltrate soil instead of being conveyed directly to rivers through underground pipes. The stormwater group was initially overwhelmed by the wide variety of potential clients, stakeholders, funding sources and potential project locations from which to choose.

Invited Speakers and Field Trip Leaders. We were fortunate to host several invited speakers this semester who accompanied us on field trips and conducted discussions in seminar about their careers and their work. Our guests included:

  • Toni Aguilar, Eastern Iowa Land Steward, The Nature Conservancy. Students visited the TNC Swamp White Oak Preserve in southeastern Iowa.
  • Amy Carolan, Restoration Ecologist, Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates, St. Paul, Minnesota
  • Vern Fish, Director, Black Hawk County Conservation Board
  • Cathi Fouchi, Natural Resources Planner, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
  • Ed Gruenwald, Director, Hartman Reserve Nature Center
  • Elizabeth Hill, Ecologist, Whiterock Conservancy, Coon Rapids, Iowa
  • Jason Husveth, President, Critical Connections Ecological Services, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota
  • Rebecca Kauten, Coordinator, Dry Run Creek Watershed Project, Black Hawk County Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Paul Meyermann, Assistant Director of Operations Planning, University of Northern Iowa
  • Maria Perez, Engineer Technician, Rice Creek Watershed District, Minnesota
  • Wayne Peterson, Urban Resources Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Iowa City, IA

Student presentations to date or planned:

  • Preservation Committee, Hartman Reserve Nature Center
  • Board of Directors, Friends of Hartman Reserve Nature Center
  • Black Hawk County Conservation Board
  • Black Hawk County Soil and Water Conservation Commission
  • Dry Run Creek Watershed Project Advisory Board
  • Tallgrass Prairie Center staff meetings
  • State Preserves Advisory Board (January 2008)
  • La Porte City informational meeting (February 2008)

Media interviews:

Radio Iowa (12/3/07)

Volunteer Field Days:

Cedar Island Wildlife Area, near La Porte City, October 26th. Savanna restoration work included volunteers and staff of the Black Hawk County Conservation Board, Hawkeye Community College, and PSM students.