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ENV 101 – The Walnut Creek Experience – Fall 2002

Restoration Ecology

Instructor:  Dr. Keith S. Summerville

Contact Information: P:  271-2265 (office)  221-1380 (home); keith.Summerville@drake.edu

Office Hours:  Harvey-Ingham 30-A -- M, W: 3-4 pm; T, R: 10-11am; F 11am-12pm

Course Description:

Students explore environmental learning experiences at the Neal Smith (formally Walnut Creek) National Wildlife Refuge, the site of a large-scale, Federally-funded tallgrass prairie restoration project.  The course focuses on the development of skills in theoretical and applied ecology through participation in a hands-on project in the laboratories of the Prairie Learning Center, at the refuge, and / or at a refuge restoration site.  This class will require commitment to on-going field activities, lectures and discussions at Drake, and a public presentation at Drake.

Course Organization:

Lecture:  TH 4:00-5:15 PM           Lab / Field Experience:  F 1-5:30 PM

This course will provide 2 credit hours of University credit; one credit is awarded for the lecture portion of the class, one credit is awarded for the field experience of the course.  All field experience will be performed at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.  Transportation will be by carpool or by Drake operated vehicles assigned to the ENSP program using approved University drivers.

Course Objectives:

ENV 101 is intended to introduce students to the theory and practice of restoration ecology as a scientific discipline (primarily lecture) and to allow ENSP students to gain practical experience in applying principles of restoration ecology at an active prairie restoration site 25 minutes east of Des Moines (lab).  By cooperative arrangement with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Drake University, students will develop and contribute expertise to USFWS operations.  Students will become active participants in a federally funded project of concern to many central Iowans.  The combination of theoretical and applied ecology will give students a strong and unique background in “on the ground” conservation efforts.

 Program Requirement:

Students intending to major in ENSP, as part of their overall curriculum, are required to take either this course, ENV 100, or ENV Summer Travel.  These classes are fundamental to a broad ENSP education because they allow students to combine lecture material on current ecological theory with extensive field training at a single site over an extended period of time. 

Textbooks:

Whisenant, S. G.  2001.  Repairing damaged wildlands.  Cambridge University Press,

     London.

Kirt, R. R.  1995.  Prairie plants of the Midwest: identification and ecology.  Stipes

     Publishing, Chicago.

Additional Reading:  (distributed in class by the instructor)

Packard, S. and C. F. Mutel.  1997.  The Tallgrass restoration handbook.  Island Press.

Assignments:

Assignments on campus will center on lecture / discussion of the textbooks and in-class critiques of on-site activities.  Specific field-work will depend on the arrangements and needs of the USFWS staff at Neal Smith. 

1)      There will be periodic quizzes (≈ every 3 weeks, NOT full exams) that emphasize an understanding for the information presented during the lecture portion of the class.  Material for the quizzes will be primarily derived from instructor lectures, class discussions, and the Whisenant text.  Quizzes will be written so that they require no more than ½ hour to complete.  (100 total points)

2)      Each student will maintain a log and journal of on-site activities and any / all observations made while performing work at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.  Journals can be kept in spiral bound notebooks, loose-leaf binders, or hard-bound notebook as you wish.  Techniques for journaling a highly variable, and I want you to decide how best to present your work.  I suggest that, at a minimum, journals should include a description of each week’s activities at the Refuge, summary of any data collected, and your own reflections of how work at the refuge is linked to the principles of Restoration Ecology discussed in lecture.  (100 total points)

3)      Each student will prepare two, 3-4 page Natural History papers on a native prairie plant and animal of their choosing.  Natural Histories should included information on the ecology, conservation status, and restoration requirements (if any) of your species.  To facilitate a basic understanding of the diversity of prairie plants, I have required each of you to purchase the Kirt text. (100 total points)

4)      Students are required to prepare a public presentation of their work at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.  Details and requirements for the presentation will be forthcoming.  (100 points)

Evaluation:

There are 400 total points available for this course, and students will be evaluated based on the number of points they receive out of the total possible.  Grading follows University standards, final grades will be A, B, C, D, or F.  Attendance for this course is absolutely VITAL, and I will feel free to drop 10 points from your journal grade for each absence that is not deemed excusable.  In other words, you must let me know if some major medical emergency will prevent you from being in class or at Neal Smith on time and ready to work.  Make-up work will not be offered except in very, very unusual circumstance approved by the Director and persons at Neal Smith.

Tentative Lecture Schedule and Important Readings