Workshop: Planning Activities for the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve, Indiana University 2003

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This award supports the development of a strategic plan for Indiana University's newly established Research and Teaching Preserve (IURTP). The station's mission is to provide natural field settings for research, teaching and outreach that complement existing on-campus programs and facilities. The IURTP currently consists of two forest parcels that total nearly 200 ha encompassing a variety of upland, bottomland and aquatic habitats, and including the largest lake in Indiana. Despite the lack of infrastructure, the IURTP is of great value for research and training given its accessibility (the parcels are approximately 4, 15 and 35 km from campus), natural conditions, habitat diversity and proximity to extensive public lands. It is located within the largest forested region in the lower Midwest, and thus has considerable regional and national significance from conservation and biodiversity perspectives. The strategic plan will be developed with significant input from outside experts to help define research priorities, and site improvements that reflect these priorities, through two, sequential workshops: one a workshop focusing on research, the other focused on development of specific recommendations for IURTP infrastructure. In addition, the award supports visits by station staff to comparable field stations and preserves to gather information on common problems and solutions. For the workshops, experts in both research and administrative aspects of station use and operation will be invited to visit the IURTP, consult with current and potential users, and make recommendations on strategic directions that best reflect the combination of existing faculty interests and new opportunities at the preserve.