I TA S C A B I O L O G I C A L S TAT I O N & L A B O R AT O R I E S
C E D A R C R E E K E C O S Y S T E M S C I E N C E R E S E RV E
C O U N C I L O F R E S E A R C H A S S O C I A T E D E A N SF E B R U A R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 0
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The University of MinnesotaField Stations
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What are field stations?
“Field stations are places where we can read the book of life in the language in which it was
written.”
James Kirchner, U. C. Berkeley
“Scientists working at field stations and laboratories strive to understand natural
processes at every scale, from the molecular to the global,
from milliseconds to eons.”
From the Organization of Biological Field Stations’ mission statement, 2009
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EDUCATION
Student evaluations of field courses regularly use such phrases as “best class ever” or “life-changing.” They often come away with
strong friendships and a new perception of the world.
Lessons learned at field stations remain with students throughout their lives. They carry with them a deeper appreciation for the
importance of natural systems, and some find a new focus.
Many of today’s working scientists look back on a class or a summer spent a field station has a key event that determined their career
path.
Source: OBFS brochure
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RESEARCH
Just as research hospitals are critical for medical breakthroughs, and telescopes
essential for extending our knowledge of the universe, field stations provide the
critical, real–world laboratories environmental scientists need to further our
understanding of the Earth and its processes.
Source: OBFS brochure
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RESEARCH
Field stations provide protected environments in which researchers can conduct the long-term studies required
for making fundamental discoveries.
They serve as meeting places where scientists from different disciplines – ecologists, geologists, or engineers – can come together to share their expertise and provide valuable new
perspectives for approaching environmental questions.
They also furnish a supporting environment where veteran researchers can extend their legacies by mentoring new
generations of young scientists.
Source: OBFS brochure
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An Example
Marine Biological Laboratory
Founded in 1888
International center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology
Coastal setting – Woods Hole, MA
53 MBL affiliated scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize
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CoastalField
Stations – other
examples
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories
Friday Harbor Laboratories (University of Washington)
University of California Natural Reserve System
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InlandField
Stations – other
examples
Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (Stanford)
University of California Natural Reserve System
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UC Natural Reserve System (n=36)
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
Field StationsUniversity of Minnesota
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Minnesota Seaside Station 1900 – 1907 Josephine Tilden, Professor of Botany
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
1930s – initial land acquisition
1942 – transferred from Minnesota Academy of Sciences to the UofM
1909 Forestry station within Itasca State Park
1935 Expanded to Biological Station
History
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
The Trophic Dynamic Aspect of Ecology, 1942, Raymond Lindeman
Telemetry for animal tracking, John Tester, et al
Role of biodiversity in the services that ecosystems provide, David Tilman
“… the site is rapidly becoming one of ecology’s classic localities.” Nee and Lawton, Nature 380:672–673 (1996)
Bio-geological history of MN since the last ice age, Regents Professors Emeritus Herb Wright, Margaret Davis
Acid Rain, Regents Professor Emeritus Eville Gorham
Management of natural ecosystems, John Tester
RESEARCH - Historical
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Attract the world's most capable scientists to our field stations. The experiments they conduct will contribute significantly to solving the grand challenges facing life on planet Earth.
GOAL
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
See poster Metagenome of the Mississippi Watershed
Long-term, dynamic monitoring of ecosystems (wireless
remote sensing) – National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
RESEARCH - Current
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
Summer undergrad internship program (~80 students)
Graduate student research
Intense summer seminar program
Undergraduate Field biology (eg, ecology,
limnology, telemetry) Nature of Life (all CBS
freshmen) NSF REUs
Graduate “boot camps” Neuroscience BMBB/GCD Plant Sciences
NSF IGERTs
EDUCATION
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
K-12 EducationCommunity
Itasca State Park (~500,000 visitors/year)
School Districts HHMI-funded program
OUTREACH
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
28 buildings 2 Classrooms and
Laboratories 11
Student/faculty/staff housing (2450 bed nights)
12 Staff (March – November)
$448K expenditures
59 buildings 8 Classrooms &
Laboratories 21 Student housing 17 Faculty/staff housing 10,038 bed nights
14 Staff (March – November)
$532K expenditures
FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
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Direction of ecosystem science - 1
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Direction of ecosystem science - 2
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Direction of ecosystem science - 3
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
Infrastructure requirements Buildings (year-round use)
Bandwidth and computation
RESEARCH
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Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
Lindeman Research & Discovery Center
New and anticipated facilities
I TA S C A B I O L O G I C A L S TAT I O N & L A B O R AT O R I E S
C E D A R C R E E K E C O S Y S T E M S C I E N C E R E S E RV E
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The University of MinnesotaField Stations
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