Archive for May, 2011

On Friday April 29^th we had 7 students from the Division of Science and Math  have their research projects presented at the 123^rd Annual Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science.  Below is a list of all the projects that were presented with the student authors.   Students had to submit abstracts to be accepted in order to attend this meeting. 

 1)      Identifying Ground Nest Predators by Matt Johnston and Derek Steele.  Advisor Dr. Aaron Haines.

2)      Control of Alliarai Pertiolata and survey of native flora at the Yellow River Forest by Laurie Remmen.  Advisors Dr. Jennifer Stoffel and Richard Kittelson.

3)      GPS tracking of ring-necked pheasants: A pilot project by Kiel Middleswart, Derek Steele, and Mark Brown.  Advisor Dr. Aaron Haines.

4)      GIS mapping of glacial erratics, Fayette County, Iowa by Sarah Kray.  Advisor Dr. Kata McCarville

5)      Developing virtual environments for conservation education: a work in progress by Jeremy Payne.  Advisors Dr. Joseph Elarde and Dr. Aaron Haines.  

L-R:Kiel Middleswart, Derek Steele, Sarah Kray, Laurie Remmen, Mark Brown & Jeremy Payne

During the Spring of 2011 the Upper Iowa University Wildlife Management class conducted multiple research projects to answer questions about Northeast Iowas wildlife resource. 

During the early Spring, frog call surveys identified calls from spring peepers, chorus frogs and Northern leopard frogs.  Also, a ruffed grouse was heard drumming at Brush Creek Canyon park in Fayette, County.  In addition, multiple singing American woodcocks were surveyed at the Volga River State Recreational Area with a nest being found.

A female woodcock at the Volga River State Recreational Area conducting an injury display to lure potential predators away from her nest. Photo by Aaron and Andrew Kapell