This Phase III continuation of the Wild Rice Shoreland Protection project acquired 98 acres for Yaeger Lake Wildlife Management Area (total acquisition was 285 acres but a portion was funded with other LSOHC money, only the portion funded with this grant is reported here) and 14 RIM easements protecting 600 acres for a total of 698 acres of wild rice shoreland habitat in the Northern Forest Section. This exceeded this Phases overall goal by acres for RIM.
Phase 8 of the Wild Rice Shoreland Protection Program will utilize permanent conservation easements to protect 850 acres and 4 miles of wild rice shoreland habitat. Development trends pose a serious threat to wild rice habitat. Sites are selected through a ranking process that considers development risk, surrounding land use, habitat value, and other criteria. BWSR will utilize the RIM easement process in partnership with local soil and water conservation districts (SWCDs) within the Northern Forest and Forest Prairie Transition to accomplish protection.
A history of the college was written in preparation for the 2013 observance of it's Centennial Anniversary. The history examines the context of women's higher education in America as perceived by the College of St. Benedict alumnae. Information gathering included oral history interviews that were conducted with twenty nine alumnae exploring their experiences and perceptions of what college taught them. Two assistants were hired to conduct the interviews. Because of scheduling conflicts, the project director shared this work.
Young Forest Conservation Phase III will continue American Bird Conservancy's successful, ongoing efforts to maintain, restore, and enhance Golden-winged Warbler, American Woodcock, and Ruffed Grouse breeding habitat on publicly protected lands in Minnesota. This work also benefits a suite of associated deciduous, mixed upland and lowland forest habitat species within a diverse, contiguous landscape-level forest matrix. Through Phases I and II, ABC completed 5,535 acres of high-quality early successional habitat projects.
Adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation practices can contribute in a variety of ways to the environmental and economic health of rural Minnesota communities through costs savings and emissions reductions. Engaging and coaching students as the leaders in the process of implementing such practices provides the added benefit of increasing knowledge, teaching about potential career paths, and developing leadership experience.
Trained staff will help assure the water chemistry data that is collected is of good quality. After the 1 day training events participants will be able to calibrate sonde water quality monitoring sensors in a lab or field setting, deploy the calibrated sonde to collect water chemistry, store sondes properly during non-field season and perform preventative maintenance or simple troubleshooting actions with the help of tech support. This will be satisfied by two different training events held in 2017.