Environmental Service Learning - Spring 2023 - Center for Earth and Environmental Science
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Environmental Service Learning
Spring 2023
Center for Earth and Environmental Science
CEES has three core missions: research,
water quality education outreach, and environmental
stewardship.
soil health
EDUCATION
APPLIED RESEARCH OUTREACH
The research done at CEES is applied
Education outreach involves bringing STEM activities/
(i.e. it has practical application - it is
environmental education programs (at no charge) to middle
not strictly theoretical) and focuses
school and high school students using the Center’s mobile
on water quality issues.
STEM lab. The Center also does outreach directed towards
the general public at fairs and festivals and other events.
environmental STEM programs
restoration environmental science
ENVIRONMENTAL
CEES is a grant-funded center. In other
STEWARDSHIP
words, the main work of the Center is
lly
gener^a
made possible predominantly through Environmental stewardship occurs through
grants, donations, and other charitable the Center’s Service Learning program.
gifts. University funding is minimal. CEES is hiring!
education & community service
Why take part in a service learning project?
Environmental Service Learning:
Education & Community Service
Aside from the obvious faculty requirement or extra-credit bribe?
Providing opportunities for environmental
stewardship and experiential learning.
Engaging in dialog about environmental issues.
Introducing regional natural areas.
Introducing groups that maintain these areas.
Introducing issues to stimulate changes in
behavior as well as critical thinking about
humanity’s role as an agent of change.
Restoring and improving natural areas.
Mitigating and preventing pollution.
Building a sense of community.
CEES’s Service Learning program provides IMPROVE WATER QUALITY
opportunities for all of the above.
Service Learning Projects
Spring 2023
Citizen Science: GBBC Instructor APPROVAL
required
The Great Backyard Bird Count is a long-running, global
community science event that takes place every February. The GBBC does not link directly to improving water quality, soil health, or habitat
stability/complexity. Make sure your instructor approves this project before registering.
eBird
Join with people around the world for 4 days of massive data collection.
LOCATION: Holliday Park
Project 1 Project 2
February 17 (Friday) February 18 (Saturday)
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
This is an indoor project: we watch birds from
the wildlife observation room at Holliday Park. Back-up Date: February 19 (Sunday)
Wood Dispersion & Erosion Control
Purpose
someone has been cutting and
stacking wood in a city park
this contravenes Indianapolis
municipal code sec. 701-4(c)
Indy Parks has made a special request of CEES: assistance with
remediating the conditions caused by a mysterious “wood stacker”
disperse the stacked wood to who has been cutting and stacking/piling wood at Paul Ruster Park.
aid decomposition and return
nutrients to the soil
discourage the stacker
Paul Ruster Park
LOCATION: 11300 East Prospect Street
east side of Indianapolis
wood debris dispersion
erosion control
Project 3
Cutting trees/vegetation along the creek could increase erosion.
Friday, March 3
This project can be categorized as ATTENTION
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM Project 4 environmental restoration.
The work will improve soil health and If you see someone cutting or
Saturday, March 4 water and habitat quality.
stacking wood or cutting vegetation,
please call the number below. If you
are this person, cease immediately.
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM Backup Date: March 5 (Sunday) This is unauthorized* and can result
in a fine up to $3,500 plus additional
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM costs for damages incurred.
Police Non-Emergency Dispatch, 317-327-3811
*Indianapolis Municipal Code Sec. 701-4. (c)
Trash Clean-up Garlic Mustard is an invasive species.
The White River floods frequently.
Purpose With each flood event, trash is deposited
in the floodplain.
return recyclables to the
recycling stream
We’ll remove trash, thereby disrupting the
land-to-river-to-ocean pathway it follows.
interrupt the land-to-ocean
pathway of plastics
improve habitat
improve water quality
look for and remove invasive
Garlic Mustard along with trash
Garlic Mustard (a biennial plant) will be in its 2nd year
of growth – which is a stage that is easier to remove.
The ARBOR is a riparian forest on the east bank of the White River. The trees (initially
just tiny twigs and small saplings) were planted during service learning events that took
place in the fall of 2000.
Lilly ARBOR
All sorts of odd trash is found at the ARBOR.
“Riparian” simply means that the forest is is located along a river or stream.
LOCATION: Lilly ARBOR – Porto Alegre St.
between 10th Street and New York Street bridges
ARBOR forest
Project 5 Project 6 levee
Friday, March 31 Saturday, April 1 Urban
Wilderness
12:30 PM – 3:30 PM 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM Trail
Backup Date: April 7 (Friday)* Backup Date: April 8 (Saturday)*
12:30 PM – 3:30 PM 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Note that the project date is shifted a week in the event of a rain/flood delay.
Flooding sometimes reaches the base of the levee.
Invasive Species Removal
Invasive plants often have far-reaching impacts on the environments in which they become
established.
Bush Honeysuckle – Bush Honeysuckle has characteristics that make it particularly problematic due to the
effects the shrub has on infiltration and water quality.
it’s everywhere! Infiltration is the movement of
water deeper into the soil.
As are Wintercreeper and other invasive plants . . . .Invasive Species Removal
Removing invasive species helps address (remediate) the various negative impacts caused by the
Purpose presence of the invasive species in the environment.
improve habitat
invasives replace native
These are just a few of the negative
impacts invasive species can have.
species
invasives decrease
biodiversity
invasives may not
be a suitable food
resource for insect
herbivores
improve water quality
honeysuckle promotes
sediment loading of waterways
See Why we do these projects – invasives & trash removal for an explanation.Broad Ripple Park
Bush Honeysuckle
LOCATION: north side of Indianapolis
near 62nd and Westfield Blvd.
Bush Honeysuckle is a problem species in most parks within the Indy Parks system.
Project 7
Invasive Honeysuckle Removal
Friday, April 14 Unfortunately, it is not the
only problem species.
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Wintercreeper Wintercreeper
Other invasive species include: Callery Pear
Siberian Elm,
Siberian Squill Oriental Bittersweet
Garlic Mustard Japanese Honeysuckle
Purple Loosestrife Burning Bush
Lesser Celandine Autumn Olive
Japanese Stiltgrass Tree-of-Heaven
Project 8 . . . . and many more
Back-up Date:
Invasive Honeysuckle Removal
April 16 (Sunday)
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Siberian Squill Saturday, April 15
9:30 AM - 12:30 PMHolliday Park
LOCATION: north side of
Indianapolis near 64th St.
Invasive Species Removal
Project 9 Project 10
Friday, April 21 Saturday, April 22
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Back-up Date: April 23 (Sunday) Bush Honeysuckle is a particular problem on hillsides
where it contributes more strongly to erosion.
9:30 AM - 12:30 PMThere is a joke here . . . . .
Successful (or failed) attempts at
avian-related humor aside, this
segues into a discussion of
anthropogenic factors affecting
bird mortality.Birds are the (almost literal) canary in the coal mine for issues of biodiversity loss.
Sources of Bird Mortality*
These numbers are are deaths per year. Cats kill more than 1 BILLION birds each year.
cats: 1300M – 3900M This includes both feral cats and
house cats that are allowed to roam.
buildings/windows (collisions): 365M – 988M
While cats are the
major source of
bird mortality,
automobiles (collisions): 88.7M – 339.8M
collisions with
buildings also a
major cause of transmission lines (collisions): 7.7M – 57.3M
bird deaths.
transmission lines (electrocutions): 0.9M – 11.5M Losses of birds have strong impacts
on ecosystems because birds are
important mid-level predators.
communications towers (collisions): 6.6M
Ecosystem services supplied
pesticides: 0.96M – 4.4M by birds include suppression
of pest insects, dispersal of
seeds, removal of carrion, and
wind turbines (collisions): 0.47M – 0.68M pollination of flowers.
M represents million – remember that 1000 million is a billion.
* Loss SR, Will T, Marra PP. 2015. Direct mortality of birds from anthropogenic
causes. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 46:99-120.How much of an issue are window/building strikes on the IUPUI campus?
We don’t know.
We need data.
Campus Window-Strike Survey
Collect data concerning bird window strikes on campus.
Are particular buildings more of a problem?
When do more strikes occur? Several survey routes have been
planned.
A route includes one (or two)
Data can be used to inform solutions. buildings.
Volunteers choose a time (AM or PM) and a day of the week, then
walk their route once a week for the duration of the semester,
Modifications (such as UV reflective decals) can make windows more collecting data concerning any deceased birds found.
obvious to birds without (strongly) affecting what is perceived by humans.
Project 11
Choose a time to do your survey(s).
You can walk your Morning survey (6:00am-9:00am)
route at any time Find a birding buddy!
during the 3 hour Evening survey (4:00pm-7:00pm)
window indicated. Walk the route as a team.
Choose one (or more) days to survey.
Choose a route to survey. Each time you walk your route will take about 15-20 minutes.
Total time commitment for the semester is about 5 hours.
This project is a semester long commitment.When engaging in service projects, be
mindful of your surroundings . . . .
Nature is not clickable . . . .
Misapplication of excessive attention to
electronic devices can result in
miscalculations and misfortunate mistakes
that – with mischievous misadventure –
compound miserable mishaps and foment
misgivings as relates to missed opportunities
to enjoy the miseenscene and other
interesting miscellany in the natural world.
In other words, if you are constantly looking at your smart
phone, you’re going to miss a lot . . . . .
. . . . . just sayin’.
Please: don’t text and nature . . . . .
Any snakes we might see will be more along the lines of a judgmental shoelace,
. . . . and no step on snek.
rather than a nope rope or danger noodle.Questions ?
Contact:
Dr. Victoria Schmalhofer
cees@iupui.eduMany interesting environmental science, ecology &
Stay Connected!
geology themed links are posted to CEES’s FB page.
Photos from events are posted to FB.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CEES.IUPUI
Subscribe at cees.iupui.edu
Twitter:
@CEES_IUPUIMUCH LEARNING
VERY SERVICE
SO WATER
Yes, I realize the Doge is no longer
considered funny.
‘Tis not a vibe.
Its humor has ceased to be.
This is an ex-meme. AMAZE
SUCH CLEAN
WOWYou can also read
