SFS Annual Meeting

5/20/2019  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  150 G

WHEN STUDENTS ARE THE TEACHERS: ENGAGING UNDERGRADUATES IN WATER QUALITY-THEMED OUTREACH EVENTS Faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions typically have heavy teaching requirements, with instructional activities often comprising at least 60% of their workload. None-the-less, research, service, and outreach expectations can still be high, and it can be challenging to balance all activities during the semester. Furthermore, teaching expectations have shifted in recent years, from the ‘sage on the stage’ model, where the instructor primarily lectures to students, to emphasis on increased student engagement and active learning. This talk describes an outreach activity where Aquatic Ecology undergraduate students were handed the task of being the teachers. The ten undergraduate students facilitated several half-hour sessions teaching fourth-grade students how to conduct physical and chemical water quality tests and interpret results. Prior to teaching, undergraduates learned how to conduct assessments and interpret data from more rigorous water quality tests and later practiced teaching methods using simpler test kits. In a single day, undergraduates collectively shared their knowledge with upwards of 250 fourth grade students. Participation in events like this provide faculty with service/outreach credit, and also provide undergraduates with teaching and public outreach experience, which could lead to a greater understanding of aquatic ecology.

Alyssa Anderson (Primary Presenter/Author), Southwest Minnesota State University, alyssa.anderson@smsu.edu;
Dr. Alyssa Anderson received her PhD in Entomology from the University of Minnesota in 2012. She is an Associate Professor of Biology at Southwest Minnesota State University, teaching several ecology and zoology-themed courses. Anderson’s primary research interests include studying life-history and ecological importance of winter-active insects, especially Chironomidae, as well as Chironomidae taxonomy and systematics.

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5/20/2019  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  150 G

PROMOTING WATER QUALITY STEWARDSHIP THROUGH STUDENT MENTORING AND RIVER MONITORING Over 80% of a typical watershed in southwest Minnesota is used for agriculture, which impacts stream water quality. To promote watershed stewardship, an environmental science course was developed in 2004 at Southwest Minnesota State University to actively engage students in river monitoring and mentoring activities. This course culminated in an outreach event where undergraduates mentored 10th and 7th grade students, teaching them to conduct physical and chemical tests of water quality. All students monitored 10 parameters at three sites on the Redwood River. Recent assessment of 644 students across all education levels indicated that all students showed significantly improved scores on Post Content Tests and 100% expressed a willingness to take an active role in community based conservation efforts. There was a significant difference in Civic Engagement and Stewardship attitudes of college students involved in the project compared to those not involved. College students benefited more from this project than the other grade levels, as evidenced by the highest scores on all assessments (content knowledge, civic engagement and stewardship surveys). Instilling a strong stewardship ethic in students at all grade levels was a significant outcome of this study.

Emily Deaver (Primary Presenter/Author), Southwest Minnesota State University, emily.deaver@smsu.edu;


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5/20/2019  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  150 G

ENGAGING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS COLLABORATORS IN ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER: LESSONS FROM A UNIVERSITY-HIGH SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP Large coastal rivers face increasing threat from eutrophication, invasive species and habitat degradation. Understanding the linkages between human activity and material transfer through coastal rivers requires coordinated investigation into river ecology and human systems. The Columbia River Estuary Science Education and Outreach (CRESCENDO) project partnered scientists and science education researchers from Washington State University with science teachers and students from five high schools located along the lower Columbia River and its estuary. In CRESCENDO we integrated ecological research with science education research – specifically how high school students’ participation in authentic research impacted their knowledge and attitudes about CR ecology and stewardship. Every month over two years, CRESCENDO teachers and their students measured water quality and conducted plankton tows from a dock near each of their schools. Data were compiled from the five schools and each year the WSU scientists, science educators, high school teachers and students convened a Research Symposium to discuss and interpret the results. We present the project design and preliminary results to illustrate the “lessons learned” from CRESCENDO, and provide recommendations for developing university-high school partnerships focused on locally-relevant environmental problems.

Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens (Primary Presenter/Author), Washington State University, rollboll@wsu.edu;


Tamara Holmlund (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University, tnelson1@wsu.edu;


Stephen M. Bollens (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University, sbollens@wsu.edu ;


Jude Wait (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University, judith.wait@wsu.edu;


Julie Zimmerman (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University Vancouver, juliezimmerman@wsu.edu;


Kristin Connelly (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University, kristin.connelly@wsu.edu;


Lucas Bargmann (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Washington State University, lucas.bargmann@wsu.edu;


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5/20/2019  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  150 G

SERVICE LEARNING TO ACHIEVE MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES: INTEGRATING CAMPUS WATER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES INTO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES COURSES Augsburg University is taking a multipronged approach to phase out the sale of bottled-water on campus, with the aim of reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the provision of drinking water as a human right and not a commodity. In support of this initiative, we have integrated service learning modules into two Environmental Studies courses: Environmental Science and Environmental Connections (an interdisciplinary class on the global water crisis). Using the campus as a lab, students undertook projects to assess infrastructure needs, to address misconceptions about the health and safety of tap water, and to shift campus culture towards embracing local water sources rather than relying on bottled water. We also integrated other experiential learning opportunities on local water sustainability issues into the classes, including a day trip paddling Voyageur canoes on the Twin Cities metro Mississippi, water “tasting” at the Water Bar (a local artist-led company that serves local water “on tap”), and touring a large metro-area wastewater treatment plant. Integrating service learning into courses by using the campus as a lab is an effective way to simultaneously meet both student learning objectives and university-level faculty service requirements.

Kristen Chamberlain (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Augsburg University, chamberk@augsburg.edu;


Joan Kunz (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Augsburg University, kunz@augsburg.eud;


Emily Schilling (Primary Presenter/Author), Augsburg University, schillin@augsburg.edu;


Allyson Green (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Augsburg, greena@augsburg.edu;


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5/20/2019  |   12:00 - 12:15   |  150 G

PRACTICING BENTHIC SCIENCE IN THE UNDERGRADUATE LABORATORY: ANALYZING A LARGE DATA SET GENERATED BY FRESHWATER BIOLOGY STUDENTS Freshwater Biology is an elective course for biology, environmental science and environmental studies majors at the University of Minnesota Morris. All students participate is a project in which they examine the macroinvertebrate community in the Pomme de Terre River. Working in groups of 2-3, students collect benthic samples from coarse, fine an organic substrates. Students sort and learn to identify macroinvertebrates using taxonomic keys and contribute to a large class data set that is suitable for statistical analysis. Students compare taxon richness and abundance and investigate the occurrence of different functional feeding groups among habitats. In the 4 offerings of Freshwater Biology since 2011, taxon richness and abundance rarely differ significantly among habitats. However, functional feeding groups consistently differed among habitats and revealed a macroinvertebrate community dominated by collector-gatherers and collector-filterers. Students further investigated the occurrence of specific taxa and consulted primary literature to strengthen their interpretation of the data and understanding of the macroinvertebrate community dynamics in the Pomme de Terre River. Identifying macroinvertebrates, manipulating and presenting data, and properly reporting and interpreting results are skills valuable skills in benthic science.

Tracey Anderson (Primary Presenter/Author), University of Minnesota Morris, anderstm@morris.umn.edu;


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5/20/2019  |   12:15 - 12:30   |  150 G

FRESHWATER BASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL: ECOREACH AT THE ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY Community engagement in ecology and natural resources is often organized by single lab units and thus requires buy-in from lab PIs and most lab members. At the Odum School of Ecology (University of Georgia), we have successfully organized community engagement at the departmental level, through a graduate student run organization called EcoReach. EcoReach has involved students, staff, and faculty with a wide range of academic interests, thus providing a unifying organization for all who are interested in community engagement. In this talk, we will highlight some of the lessons that we have learned about finding valuable community partners and maintaining volunteer interest. Further, we will highlight several specific freshwater activities, including activities about using macroinvertebrates for bioassessment, and the impacts of impervious surface on stream flows and water quality. We will explain how these activities can be adapted for a wide range of formats (e.g., classroom or booth) and age groups. Finally, we will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities we see in expanding community engagement at the departmental level in freshwater science.

Kelsey Solomon (Primary Presenter/Author), Florida International University, ksolomon@fiu.edu;


Nathan Tomczyk (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, nathan.tomczyk@gmail.com;


Carolyn Cummins (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The University of Georgia, carolynsc1225@gmail.com;


Ashley LaVere (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, aalavere@uga.edu;


Kaylee Arnold (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of Georgia, kaylee.arnold@uga.edu;


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