This project will accelerate production of County Geologic Atlases (part A). An atlas is a set of geologic maps and associated databases for a county that facilitate informed management of natural resources, especially water and minerals.
This project will develop innovative and low-cost biofilters to decrease the concentration of nitrous oxide (N2O), a strong greenhouse gas and ozone layer destructor.
To undertake a new programming project: Festival of Arts Day at the Faribault County Fair, and purchase a portable stage to enhance arts and cultural heritage events. Festival of Arts Day will expose guests to different Minnesota artists and types of art found in our state. A variety of genres--story telling, puppetry, folk music, visual arts, and more--will be featured in various locations around the fair.
This study will leverage our current bioacoustics monitoring framework to assess avian diversity at the statewide scale through a citizen science acoustic monitoring program, with a focus on private lands.
To restore several Dakota City building exteriors on the fairgrounds, in collaboration with Dakota City Heritage Village. These local structures that portray a 1900 era rural village include the 1867 Vermillion Presbyterian Church, the belfry of the District 96 one room school, and the 1861 frame structure that was originally built as a school and most recently used as the millinery and dressmaker’s shop.
While aspen is one of the most dominant forest types, predicted future conditions will negatively impact aspen growth. Increasing tree diversity can provide increase ecological and economic resilience.
Pileated Woodpeckers are keystone habitat modifiers that support an array of game, non-game, and conservation concern species. Additional information is needed to understand cavity dynamics for these species.
Rising temperatures and increased precipitation contribute to decreased oxygen and increased methane in Minnesota lakes and wetlands. We will identify impacts on water quality and methane emissions, providing management guidance.
Homeward Bound Theatre will bring "The Wonderful World of Woody" to our entertainment tent for 3 shows during the day. The Concord Singers will perform for fairgoers in the entertainment tent one day of the fair. Magic by Chaz will perform his magic feats as he strolls the fairgrounds during the fair. Tent Rental of Luverne , MN will set up a 40x40 tent to provide a good spot for our fair entertainment.
1) On our large stage we would like to build a small dressing room for performers as they have no place to be ready to perform. 2) Get a portable PA system for the free stage; 3) Hire a Paul Bunyan performer.
The Washington County Fair brings many artistic programs to the fair each year. We are planning on having community bands and a long ago form of arts - a balloonologist. Keeping the community bands alive for enjoying the art of big bands is a much needed art. A balloonologist is a very old form of art, which is amazing to watch and an art that needs to be preserved. We will be having Paul Bunyan. Paul Bunyan explains the use of his ax for cutting down trees. He will depict how long ago homes were built by logs chopped down in the forests.
We would like to have our local blacksmith's guild members give demonstrations throughout the week of our fair in the blacksmith shop located in our Heritage Village on the fairgrounds. We could get many demonstrators to demonstrate the equipment that we have in our heritage village buildings such as spinning, weaving, quilting, and cooking. We also may have an opportunity to have a threshing demonstration by the local machinery men that meet here in Dakota County. We hope to contract a chainsaw artist and/or the Paul Bunyan Live show to have here the week of the fair.
The chainsaw artist would be able to give many demonstrations throughout the week of the fair. We will contract the Lumberjack show for all seven days of the fair and have lumberjack camps and shows. We will have scheduled three shows a day.
Homeward Bound Theatre, a Minnesota-based company, will bring THE OZ BROTHERS to perform at the Fair on July 25 and 26, with 2 stage shows each day plus they will also be strolling around the fairgrounds to entertain fairgoers. The Big Top Tent Rental from Luverne, MN will provide a 40 x 40 tent for the performers and for fairgoers.
We bring many artistic programs to the fair each year. We plan to have a balloonologist this year. It is an amazing form of art that needs to be kept alive. It is truly amazing to watch them twist and turn a balloon in no time, and turn it into art! That takes a lot of talent and practice to be able to do this.
To provide educational and entertaining events that showcase the many diverse cultures of Stevens County, and purchase a sound system to enhance performances and demonstrations.
To upgrade and replace display cases for 4-H. The Dakota County Agricultural Society has enhanced the display capability for the 4-H program to improve viewing and safety.
To provide programming that tells the story of Dakota County's 160 years of settlement, Minnesota history and cultural traditions, through an entertaining tent show that combines story telling and original music. The show will be reminiscent of the 1900s era Chautauqua programs. It will be performed daily in the tent at Dakota City Heritage Village.
To allow visitors of the Washington County Fair to experience life in the 1800s. The fair will offer children's games from the era, dancing demonstrations, and educational fashion shows which will feature styles from the 1800s along with explanations of an item's function and symbolism.
We will determine the distribution, relative density, and spatial occupancy patterns of 3 small weasel species in Minnesota to fill key knowledge gaps in weasel distribution and status in Minnesota.
To feature three days of dance programs highlighting dance styles from seven different historical periods. These demonstrations will be part of the 125th anniversary celebration of the Douglas County Fair. Dance programming will offer historical background of each dance in addition to demonstrations.
Low-levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminate water and soil in Minnesota. We propose to identify enzymes and microbes that break down PFAS, making them non-toxic.
We will generate genome sequences of bacteria growing in wastewater treatment bioreactors, allowing us to improve phosphorus and nitrogen removal from wastewater in Minnesota and to discover novel pharmaceutical compounds.
To connect fairgoers with Minnesota history through storytelling and a dog sled exhibition. Paul Bunyan, portrayed by David Ward, told about legends involving his life as a lumberjack. The Iron Will Dog Sled exhibit displayed the actual sled used in the movie Iron Will, which was filmed in Northeastern Minnesota.
This proposal aims to answer this question: How would the water quality of Minnesota's lakes change in the next century under future scenarios of urbanization, agricultural growth, and climate change?
This project will analyze existing and projected data to develop simple tools to predict the effect of land use and climate change on extreme floods and droughts.
The project will assess chemical and biological defluorination activities in environmental samples and identify the microorganisms, metabolic pathways, and intermediates resulting from degradation of fluorinated pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
Geologic atlases provide maps/databases essential for improved management of ground and surface water. This proposal will complete current projects and start new projects to equal about 4 complete atlases.
This project proposes to increase the adoption of cover cropping in southwest Minnesota to address issues of loss of diversity and environmental degradation. By generating important information on cover crops,
Evaluation of Minnesota raptors, in rehabilitation and free ranging settings, for current or previous exposure to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus to better understand outbreak impacts to raptor populations.
