Transcript Document
Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Biological Field Station Summer Program Kick-off Celebration April 11, 2015 Registration and Pictures You should have checked in and filled out forms as you walked in. Please give Sara any forms you haven’t turned in yet. If you didn’t get your picture taken yet, please see Dave to get your picture taken. Welcome from Michelle Introductions Review of Day’s Agenda promoting environmental education, research, preservation, and appreciation. Nature Center Family Programs Hikes Dinners and Brunches Conference Center Biological Field Station Albion College Aquinas College Calvin College Central Michigan University Cornerstone University Grand Rapids Community College Grand Valley State University Hope College Kalamazoo College Valparaiso University Western Michigan University Staff! Agenda 11:15 am Land Management and Learning Opportunities 11:30 am Introduction of Participants & Projects 12:30 pm Lunch 1:20 pm BFS Logistics and General Information 1:35 pm Tour of Education Building, Meadow Lodge and Research Lab Land Management at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Goals of Land Management Healthy and ecologically diverse Natural Biological communities consisting primarily of native species Communities inhabited by animals in balance with vegetation Inclusion of natural events Accessible to researchers and local community for interpretive and educational experiences Strategies for Keeping PCCI Natural Mapping Invasive plant & pest control Increasing native biodiversity Meeting specific needs of wildlife Creating Best Management Practices (BMPs) Monitoring Mapping Invasive Plant Control • Manual – Hand-pulling, digging, cutting, mowing, prescribed fire • Chemical • Biological – Biological control agents, grazing Worst Offenders in SW MI Autumn olive Hogweed Oriental bittersweet Baby’s breath Honeysuckles Phragmites Black alder Common privet Purple loosestrife Black locust Japanese barberry Reed canary grass Common buckthorn Japanese knotweed Spotted knapweed Dame’s rocket Lyme grass Swallow-wort Flowering rush Multiflora rose Teasel Garlic mustard Ornamental grasses Thistles Glossy buckthorn Narrow-leaved cattail Wild parsnip Increasing Native Biodiversity Meeting Specific Wildlife Needs Monitoring Management Actions July 2006 July 2009 • Necessary to show whether treatments are effective • Ensures efficient and effective use of resources Comprehensive Land Management Plan Introduction Purpose & Vision Mission Statement History of the Land Ecological Site Descriptions Management of Natural Areas Appendices Maps Records/Control timelines Policies Policies in Management Plan Public Use Research Plant Collection Invertebrate Collection Fishing Deer Management Rx Fire in EMR Habitat Volunteer Work Days Attend 3…or more! Gain experience Plant Identification Using tools, pesticides, chainsaws Give back! Meet our volunteers Help keep PCCI’s natural areas pristine Bonding Volunteer Work Days Early Successional Forests (Garlic Mustard) Every Friday in May, and June 4 and 11 Prairies (Spotted Knapweed) July 9, 23 Wetland Invasives July 30 Prairies (Autumn Olive) August 6, 20 Snake Fungal Disease PCCI snakes tested positive in 2014 Can be fatal Populations found in wetland areas Protocol for preventing the spread of SFD Introduction of Participants & Projects Research teams introduce themselves and briefly (5 minutes) explain their projects Lunch! Basic BFS Requirements • Attend 80% of all meetings and talks • Complete 9 hours of land management workdays • Complete progress report & talk by June 17 • Present final talk Sept. 26 • Turn in final report by Oct. 5, revised report by Oct. 31 What to Expect • Learn a lot • Get help throughout the entire process • Classes tailored to help you through your project • Get help from fellow researchers, staff, and volunteers. • Meet new friends • Work hard and have lots of fun • Really good food! Professional Development • We will be working on developing skills outside your particular project: • Helping you write and revise your resume. • Learning about land management in different ecosystems. • Practice speaking in front of groups of people (K-12 students , scientists, and adults). Basic Field Research Safety Rules Don’t go out into the field by yourself. Tell someone where you are going and when you should be back. By going out with someone else, they can help you in the case that something happens (even just when you need an extra hand). Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes These small, venomous snakes live in a couple areas of the Institute. If you see any of them, leave them alone and report the sighting to Sara. Wear closed-toed shoes/boots and long pants when you are out in tall vegetation, especially in the wetlands. Ticks and Mosquitoes Be sure to check yourself over for ticks when you come back from the field. Using bug spray can deter ticks and mosquitoes from bothering you. Safe Field Practices • Tell Sara where you will be doing research. You can either tell Sara in person, text, email, or call Sara. • Have your cell phone with you in the field. We use emergency texting notifications. • Wear bug spray and sun screen as needed. Plants can cause you trouble, too. Use poison ivy block and/or after treatment to reduce the chance you will get poison ivy, poison sumac, etc. Safe Lab Practices • Wear Personal Protective Equipment. • Be careful with chemicals, read MSDS before using materials. • Ask Sara or your mentor if you need training with a piece of equipment. • Keep building doors shut at ed building and research lab. NEED GIS HELP? If you have questions about GIS or GPS for your project, see AJ Smith in the computer room of the Education Building. [email protected] Basic Life Stuff • No alcohol or drugs. If you must, go somewhere else and use a designated driver. • Breakfast is in the visitors center from 8-9am, lunch from 12-1pm M-F. Let Sara know if you have any dietary restrictions. • Dinners and weekends you are on your own. • No overnight guests without checking in with Sara. • Before you arrive, talk to Sara to arrange key pick-up and get the door code. • We will have weekly meetings, trips, and trainings throughout the summer to help you gain experience outside of your project. What to Do in Your Free Time At PCCI Nearby Options 7 miles of trails Many local parks Bonfires Community center at HHS Fishing Movies Go to programs or volunteer Summer Concerts, Festivals, and the Barry County Fair Group Activities including: Eminent Ecologists Series at KBS, Trips to local sites, Canoeing Great places to eat Bicycling Beach at Gun Lake Life after PCCI • Understand research on a deeper level • Do better in class • Talk to others about research • Résumé builder • Make important connections • Giving presentations and attending conferences Let’s go out and tour the facility •Visitor Center •Education Building •Research Lab •Meadow Lodge