From The Swamp To The Classroom: A Voyage Of Discovery

1. From The Swamp To The Classroom: A Voyage Of Discovery Paul Weihe, Central College (IA)

2. Who IS this guy…?? • Taught ES annually since 1997 • APES Reader/Leader since ‘06 • Trained as ecologist (specialty: wetlands) • Married; two sons in HS • Avid gardener; homebrewer • Recent interest: Ethnobotany

3. AGENDA • Some background on wetland science • Recent additions to our ES resources • Sharing & brainstorming • Think of this as a conversation starter… • Note: this Powerpoint and other materials are available for later review.

4. WETLANDS • Disclaimer…my role here… • The only ecosystem type protected by Federal law…(court interpretation of Clean Water Act’s “Waters of the U.S.”) • “Protection” does allow for wetland disturbance/removal with a permit [QUESTION: which Agency in charge…?]

5. What IS a wetland…? • Definition: it is an ecotone---an ecosystem with characteristics intermediate between two types (i.e., terrestrial & aquatic) • Delineation tells one where to draw the perimeter line; use the Federal Manual with three “indicators” (water, plants, soil) • Classification for inventory, assessment…

6. Dredge & Fill Permit • Army Corps of Engineers will issue permits if necessary • What’s a good reason?

7. Agency may require “mitigation” • Typically, need to replace lost wetland • Restore or build a new wetland

8. Can we really build wetlands? • YES. Lots of examples of successful wetland restoration & creation…some are even accidental! • HOWEVER… this is the wrong question. http://swamp.osu.edu/

9. DO we really build wetlands? • National goal has been “No Net Loss” • We are failing. • Iowa study (Vandewalle et al 2008): 58% of State highway projects were successful…as measured by permit requirements. • Difficult to get a national perspective, but this is probably indicative of overall trend

10. Purple Loosestrife…

11. Purple Loosestrife(Lythrum salicaria) • Beautiful flowering perennial of wetlands • Introduced from Eurasia • Spread throughout northern U.S., Canada • Reduces cover/biomass/frequency of native plant species • Is less-used by animals for food & cover, than are native plants

12. AND, it also may/may not… • Cause local populations of native animals/plants to decline • Reduce overall biodiversity • Affect hydrology, sedimentation, carbon storage, nutrient dynamics in soil/water • Be significantly reduced by introduced biocontrol agents (insects form Europe)

13. My current research… • What is “The Smoking Gun?” • Looking for the ecological effects (impacts??) of the plant on ecosystems • Last Fall, did a small experiment with my students: how does nitrate level in water compare in test tubes with Loosestrife vs. tubes with cattail? (=about the same)

14. The Big Questions • How do we describe wetland function in a landscape context (reference systems) • To what extent, and in which ways, can we solve water quality issues using wetlands? • What is the interaction between wetland systems and Global Climate Change?

15. Wetlands & Climate Change: • Walter et al 2006: Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to climate warming -- http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v443/n7107/abs/nature05040.html • Schuur et al 2008: Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle -- http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1641/B580807 • Shakhova et al 2010: Extensive Methane Venting to the Atmosphere from Sediments of the East Siberian Arctic Shelf -- http://www.sciencemag.org/content/327/5970/1246.short

16. Wetlands…. • Discussion? • Questions…?

17. Confession: Pedagogy gives me a headache http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/courses/edpsy317/sp03/learning-maps/index.html http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxh139/construct.htm http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/6316

18. BUT…we care about learning… • Great interest in recent years in effective use of technology: distance learning, flipped classrooms, etc. • Ongoing research --how students learn • Our students are changing?? (experiences, attitudes, goals…)

19. Resources you may know… • We have an EDG listserv & other good stuff at AP Central (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2128.html), Environmental Literacy Council(http://www.enviroliteracy.org/),GOAPES wiki (http://goapes.wikispaces.com/) • Coming soon: APCommunity (@CB) • New books…see table…

20. Also: interesting reads.. • AAAS report: Vision & Change (www.visionandchange.org) • Book by Ken Bain: What the Best College Teachers Do (free summary pdf):http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/courses-jmgay/documents/SynopsisWhatBestCollegeTeachersDo.pdf

21. Bioscience Education Network • Biosciednet.org/portal • BEN is an Internet portal to (mostly free) resources to teach ES (not just Biology!) • Searches through on-line libraries of various professional societies • Categorizes resources; metadata • Peer-reviewed (before and/or after)

22. SciencePipes • YOU pick the data • IT makes the graph

23. SciencePipes • http://sciencepipes.org • In development…coming soon! • Sponsored by Cornell U. (Ornithology lab) • Generates “data visualizations” (graphs/charts/statsistics) on the fly • LARGE data sets to be included • When operational, will include lessons

24. THANKS • For all you’ve taught me about ES & teaching/learning • For making the Readings fun 

25. Now, YOUR TURN…share… • A cool/fun/stimulating idea/activity you have for teaching APES? • What isThe Next Big Thing? What should we (“somebody”) work on/develop? • Technology? • $$$ for…? • Other ideas? • Please visit the “stations”