FSML: Data and Security Infrastructure Improvements to Advance Biological Research at Claytor Nature Center

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The mission of the Claytor Nature Center at the University of Lynchburg is to enrich learning about nature through education and research, to promote sustainable human-environment interactions, and to preserve and enhance ecosystem diversity and function. This project will upgrade Claytor's security and information technology infrastructure in order to safeguard research installations and sophisticated equipment used in modern ecological and conservation research. This will allow scientists to carry out high-quality research projects that address important questions about, for example, wetland plant community dynamics, the effects of invasive plants, and the impact of human agricultural and clearcutting activities. Thus, the upgrades will ensure that Claytor expands its relevance as a contributor to ecological and conservation research efforts well into the future. The improvements will also provide richer experiential learning experiences to the center’s many visitors that include students and educators, enhancing Claytor's award-winning environmental education programs for learners of all ages. This is directly responsive to the Virginia Environmental Literacy Challenge, which aims to engage students in experiences and projects that improve their understanding of the environment. The Claytor Nature Center encompasses nearly 500 acres at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is the fourth-largest biological field station in Virginia. The University of Lynchburg's Claytor Nature Center (www.lynchburg.edu/academics/academiccommunity-centers/claytor-nature-center/) occupies a unique and important position among field stations, spanning the geographic, topographic, hydrologic, sub-surface geologic, and ecological flora and fauna of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces in Virginia. The center's core research agenda i the study of diverse natural and human-influenced habitats to inform and improve conservation efforts. This project will modernize the center's security and communication systems by installing electronic entry gates, burglar alarms, and security cameras, as well as fiber optic cable and associated broadband hardware. The security upgrades will safeguard existing research installations and facilitate future installation of sophisticated equipment used in modern ecological and conservation research. Preapproved researchers will be able to enter the center at all times of the day for activities such as tracking wildlife. Security gates and cameras will reduce the risk of vandalism or theft, allowing researchers to set up and leave scientific equipment unattended. Improved communication capability will enable large amounts of research data to be transmitted. This will allow the center’s herbarium to efficiently share images and other datafiles with other institutions in its role as a collaborator on the NSF-funded “Key to the Cabinets” project. Wildlife biology researchers will have increased capacity to manage and share photos and videos, as well as to store and manage data efficiently. Internet-connected remote sensors will make it possible to continuously transmit data from Claytor's weather station. Broadband will enable a future stream gauging station on the Big Otter River with networked remote sensing capacity, thus enhancing water quality research. Increased public outreach capacity, with greater attendance of workshops and other educational programs by students and the public, will help create a citizenry capable of understanding complex problems such as global environmental change and making informed environmental policy decisions.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.