Northern Kentucky University FSML- Planning Grant: Developing a Five Year Plan

该项目将为北肯塔基大学（NKU）研究与教育现场站（REFS）准备一个5年战略计划。该站位于圣安妮森林和湿地（SAWW）附近，这是俄亥俄河附近155英亩的自然保护区。REFS位于外蓝草生态区，拥有开放和封闭的林冠湿地，高地草地和树木繁茂的自然区域，其中包含大量的原始森林，主要以山毛榉为主。虽然目前和过去在SAWW的生态研究包括一些国家数据收集计划，但由于缺乏实验室设施，研究的广度和深度受到限制。NKU最近收购并翻新了一座建筑和相关土地，作为其第一个野外研究站，为新的研究计划和相关的教育和推广机会打开了大门。该项目意义重大，因为它将为加强和建设大学研究和教育项目提供行动计划，同时启动和发展P-12和社区外展项目。野外工作站为以前不可能的活动提供了一个空间，包括室内实验室和野外处理程序、会议、研究和教育工作空间、存储和洗手间。因此，这个项目很重要，因为它将以三方面的方式促进科学的进步：也就是说，它将为新的REFS提供一个框架，1)发展和丰富SAWW新的和现有的实地研究项目，为长期项目和与国家数据库的网络做出贡献，例如我们正在进行的生态研究教育网络（NSF-EREN）关于凋落物分解和永久森林地的研究，以及肯塔基州野外站组织（KOFS）的积极成员，2)扩大本科生的生态和跨学科教育机会。3)增加与社区合作伙伴（商业、政府、教育、非营利组织和广大公众）的接触，以扩大学习和研究机会，增强自然意识，提高环境素养，使公众更加知情。圣安妮森林和湿地（SAWW）包含155英亩的自然保护区，位于俄亥俄河及其附近。它位于外蓝草生态区，拥有开放和封闭的林冠湿地，高地草地和树木繁茂的自然区域，其中包含大量的原始森林，主要以山毛榉为主。100多年前，E. Lucy Braun开始了SAWW的研究，最近的研究重点是野外生物学（两栖动物和爬行动物多样性，植物多样性，鸟类筑巢生物学），生物地球化学过程，引入和入侵物种影响的监测，以及受损系统的恢复。通过这些项目，北肯塔基大学（NKU）的科学家还培训了本科生进行实地研究。我们的目的是通过这个项目制定一个5年的实地站战略计划，以创建一个系统的研究活动组织，可以与当地、区域和/或国家基地的其他站点联网，特别是长期数据集。新收购的北大研究和教育现场站（REFS）位于SAWW附近，距离北大校园只有几分钟的路程，将集中这些研究工作，并允许处理和分析样品，接收监测仪器输出，并补充现场研究。规划过程将有助于制订注重预算的外地站使用计划，并为将新技术纳入监测研究和通讯信息学提供指导。同时，它将鼓励北大教师和其他人更广泛地使用该设施进行研究。这些活动将从我们目前参与的生态研究教育网络（nsf - en）和肯塔基州野外站组织（KOFS）开始。野外研究站靠近北大校园，将扩大生态本科教学的机会，同时为其他学科提供独特的跨学科教学机会。REFS将扩大我们与企业、教育机构、非营利组织和广大公众的伙伴关系，促进地区增长和活力。为此，该设施将加强P-12学校的社区外展活动，以提高大学准备，举办夏令营，并促进教师继续教育。该计划还将包括利用野外观测站和SAWW，由以教学为基础的环境咨询中心环境恢复中心对本科生进行土地管理和恢复技术的改进培训。该站网站（http://stannewetlands.org/）提供了在SAWW已经完成的活动的概述。

This project will prepare a 5-year strategic plan for the Northern Kentucky University (NKU) Research and Education Field Station (REFS). This station is located adjacent to the St. Anne Woods and Wetlands (SAWW), 155 acres of conservation easement natural areas on and near the Ohio River. REFS is located in the Outer Bluegrass Ecoregion, with open- and closed-canopy forested wetlands, upland grassland, and wooded natural areas containing substantial old growth forest, primarily dominated by beech. Although current and past ecological research at SAWW has included some national data collection programs, the breadth and depth of studies have been limited by the lack of laboratory facilities at the site. The acquisition and recent refurbishment of a building by NKU and associated land as its first field station opens the door to new research initiatives and associated education and outreach opportunities. This project is significant in that it will provide a plan of action for both enhancing and building university research and education programs while initiating and developing P-12 and community outreach programs. The field station provides a space for activities that were previously not possible, including indoor laboratory and field processing procedures, meetings, research and education workspace, storage, and restrooms. Therefore this project is important because it will promote the progress of science in a three-fold manner: namely, it will provide a framework for the new REFS to 1) develop and enrich new and existing field research programs at SAWW to contribute to long-term projects and network with national databases such as our on-going Ecological Research as Education Network (NSF-EREN) studies on litter decomposition and permanent forest plots and active membership in the Kentucky Organization of Field Stations (KOFS), 2) expand ecological and transdisciplinary educational opportunities for undergraduates, and 3) increase engagement with our community partners (business, government, education, nonprofit organizations, and public-at-large) to expand learning and research opportunities, enhance nature awareness, and increase environmental literacy to create a better informed public. The St. Anne Woods and Wetlands (SAWW) contain 155 acres of conservation easement natural areas on and near the Ohio River. It is located in the Outer Bluegrass Ecoregion, with open- and closed-canopy forested wetlands, upland grassland, and wooded natural areas containing substantial old growth forest, primarily dominated by beech. Research at SAWW began over 100 years ago by E. Lucy Braun and most recently has focused on field biology (amphibian and reptile diversity, plant diversity, bird nesting biology), biogeochemical processes, monitoring of the impacts of introduced and invasive species, and the restoration of damaged systems. Through these projects, scientists at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) have also trained undergraduates in field research. Our intent through this project to develop a 5-year field station strategic plan to create a systematic organization of research activities that can be networked with other sites on local, regional, and/or national bases, particularly for long-term data sets. The newly acquired NKU Research and Education Field Station (REFS), which is located adjacent to SAWW and only a few minutes from the NKU campus, will centralize these research efforts and allow for processing and analyses of samples, receive monitoring instrumentation output, and complement field studies. The planning process will facilitate the establishment of a budget-conscious field station usage plan and supply direction for the incorporation of new technologies in monitoring studies and communication informatics. Simultaneously, it will provide incentives for broader research use of this facility by NKU faculty and others. These activities will begin with our current participation in the Ecological Research as Education Network (NSF-EREN) and the Kentucky Organization of Field Stations (KOFS). The proximity of the field station to the NKU campus will expand opportunities for ecological undergraduate instruction while providing unique transdisciplinary teaching opportunities over a range of other disciplines. REFS will expand our partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and the public-at-large to catalyze regional growth and vitality. To do so, the facility will enhance community outreach activities for P-12 schools to improve college readiness, host summer camps, and facilitate teacher continuing education. The plan will also incorporate the use of the field station and SAWW by the NKU Center for Environmental Restoration, an instructional-based environmental consulting center, to train undergraduates in improved techniques of land management and restoration. The station website (http://stannewetlands.org/) provides an overview of activities that have been done at SAWW.