Native fauna gather at Emiquon
More information about the Emiquon wetland restoration can be found in the October 23, 2009 Peoria Journal Star article called "Experiment wildly successful" or the same article can be read at the NewsBank site.
Published Date: October 26, 2009
INHS partners with Unit 4
To read more about this program, see the October 4, 2009 article in the Champaign News-Gazette entitled, "GO FISH! - New curriculum lets middle-schoolers dive right into freshwater ecology". or view the NewsBank article.
Published Date: October 21, 2009
G. Kampmeier helps Darwin Core to get ratified
To learn more about the Darwin Core standard, please follow the following URL: http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/index.htm Information on the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) can be found here: http://www.tdwg.org/about-tdwg/
Published Date: October 9, 2009
$16.3 Million Given for New Field Station
The article can be found at the following URL: http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/facility-31252-chapman-quinn.html
Published Date: September 21, 2009
Publication by Kevin Johnson Cited 100 Times
Published Date: September 17, 2009
INHS Researchers publish article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
A University Illinois news release can be found at the following link: http://news.illinois.edu/news/09/0901garlicmustard.html
"Evolutionary limits ameliorate the negative impact of an invasive plant", the article published in PNAS, can be found at this link: http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/08/20/0905446106.abstract.
Published Date: September 1, 2009
INHS staff attend 5th N. Am. Duck Symposium
This prestigious symposium is held every three years and is attended by hundreds of scientists from Europe and North America.
Forbes Biological Station director Joshua Stafford was a member of the Scientific and Student Awards committees, co-organizer of a special session on Duck Foods and Foraging Habitats in North America, and co-author of two plenary talks, two student talks, and one student poster. Randy Smith and Aaron Yetter each provided poster presentations based on recent work conducted at the Forbes Lab. University of Illinois Ph.D. candidate (NRES) Ben O'Neal received one of only five travel awards from the Delta Waterfowl Foundation to attend the conference. Ben also garnered the award for "Best Ph.D. Presentation" for his presentation titled Waterfowl on Weather Radar: A New View of Dabbling Duck Migration (co-authored by Stafford and Ron Larkin).
The Web site of the symposium, with photos and conference proceedings, may be viewed at: http://www.northamericanducksymposium.org.
Published Date: September 1, 2009
IL Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Poster Published
In collaboration with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Dr. Paul Tinerella has completed a 2-sided (24" X 36") color poster of Illinois aquatic macroinvertebrates. The poster represents general aquatic macroinvertebrate species in Illinois and is part of the ongoing IDNR Poster Series. The poster boasts color images of common, but generally unseen Illinois aquatic macroinvertebrates. Christine Fleener and Evan Glynn of the -WBSL- lab provided field assistance in collecting and preparing a number of animals for the poster.
Additional contributions were made by INHS scientists Kevin Cummings, Dr. Mike Jeffords, Dr. Chris Taylor, Dr. Steve Taylor, and Mark Wetzel, who contributed additional color images and text for macroinvertebrates within their specialty areas. External contributors included Dr. Jochen Gerber and Dr. William Roston. Special thanks are extended to Valerie Keener, IDNR, for arrangement, logistics, and extensive efforts in seeing the poster to publication.
Further information can be obtained at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Education link: http://dnr.state.il.us/education/.
A view of the back of the aquatic macroinvertebrate poster.
Published Date: August 21, 2009
Canaries in the Catbird Seat now available
Canaries in the Catbird Seat, the INHS publication celebrating the INHS sesquicentennial, is now available for purchase. INHS Special Publication 30 is 306 pages long, and includes color photographs and graphics. The book is edited by Christopher A. Taylor, John B. Taft and Charles E. Warwick.
In celebration of the Illinois Natural History Survey’s 150th anniversary, this book incorporates observations made since 1858 by INHS staff and associates. These accounts are summarized and recounted in the chapters of this volume in a language accessible to the broad audience of citizens interested in our shared natural heritage as well as the wider scientific community.
This book can be ordered by calling (217) 244-2161 or emailing pubs_sales@inhs.illinois.edu. The price for Canaries in the Catbird Seat is $30.00 (plus shipping and handling).
A more detailed flyer about this publication can be found at the following URL: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/Temporary%20Items/SP30.pdf
Published Date: August 20, 2009
Chinese researchers visit INHS field station
In addition, both Chinese and American researchers at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center were interested in learning about Asian carp habitat. The Asian carp is native China, but invasive in the United States. To read more about this exchange, please read the August 7th article in the Belleville News-Democrat entitled, "Chinese Scientists Studying in Area."
Published Date: August 18, 2009
WIRED magazine features the research of Greg Sass
The electric barrier is being tested to see if it will prevent Asian carp from advancing up the Illinois River. Asian carp are an invasive species, and they eat plankton that native fish also need to eat in order to survive.
Published Date: August 14, 2009
Dr. Hoover's research to appear on NOVA Science Now
Information about the upcoming episode can be found on the PBS website for NOVA scienceNOW at the following URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0407/03.html.
INHS Reports also featured Dr. Hoover's research in the Winter 2009 issue, which can be found here: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/resources/inhsreports/2009/winter2009.pdf.
The research is also featured in a NewsBank article (originally from the Decatur Herald & Review), "Cowbirds engage in mafia-like behavior"
Published Date: August 14, 2009
Big Book Sale Extended!
View the August publication special here: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/resources/publicationSpecials.html#AG. Other monthly specials are available, as well.
Published Date: August 5, 2009
Award presented to Dr. Philipp
Published Date: July 30, 2009
Champaign Co. mosquito sample tests positive for WNV
Mosquito samples taken during the month of June have tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV). The samples were collected and processed by the Illinois Natural History Survey's medical entomology program, headed by Dr. Barry Alto. Interestingly, this is the first positive sample for WNV since October 2007.
Since surveillance started this year in May, positive samples for WNV has been found in eight other counties throughout Illinois, including: Adams, Bureau, Cook, DuPage, Knox, LaSalle, Madison and St. Clair counties.
The News-Gazette ran an article about the WNV sample in the July 8, 2009 edition. The article was titled, "Champaign mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile."
Published Date: July 15, 2009
High water may affect migrating wildlife
Randy Smith, an INHS scientist at the Forbes Biological Field Station, says that the weeds that migrating species need may not be able to grow if the water levels don't recede. Without food for migrating animals, they might not stop over in Illinois.
The entire article can be read on the NewsBank site with subscription access: High water makes habitat harder to find.
Published Date: July 14, 2009
INHS breaks ground on new building
The facility will also house INHS staff associated with these collections and the Species File Program staff.
The Survey's Species File Program, headed by INHS affiliate Dr. David Eades, is dedicated to advancing management and distribution of taxonomic data. The program's biologists and computer scientists collaborate with specialists throughout the world to develop websites that integrate species names, images, sound recordings, identification keys, and specimen information.
Construction of the two-story, 20,000 square-foot building will begin later in July with completion scheduled for August 2010. Dr. Brian Anderson, Director of the Illinois Natural History Survey, indicated that the construction of the facility was only possible because of long-term cooperation among the University of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Research Park. According to Anderson, the facility will promote biodiversity conservation by bringing together taxonomists, experimental biologists, resource managers, and policy makers to solve applied problems in natural resources management like the threats to Illinois' plants and animals from invasive species and climate change.
The centerpiece of the new building will be its 4,500 square-foot collection room, which will provide state-of-the-art storage for the three collections, currently housed in separate facilities across the Champaign-Urbana campus. When combined, the collection will contain about 875,000 dried specimens, making it the 13th largest plant and fungus collection in country. The room will contain mobile shelving to reduce space requirements and will have special climate control to protect the specimens, some of which date back to the Survey's founding more than 150 years ago. The building will also provide space for University staff and visitors to use the collection, in addition to offices and laboratories for Survey scientists.
Designed by Cannon Design, the building will incorporate green roofs, a soil berm to insulate the collection room, and other energy efficient features to achieve LEED Silver or Gold certification, a measure of green building practices. Funding for the building comes from the State of Illinois, the University, and a private donor.
Published Date: July 14, 2009
INHS Publications Summer Sale!
Details of the summer sale can be found by viewing the following PDF link: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/Temporary%20Items/Summer09SaleFlyer.pdf
Published Date: June 19, 2009
Lake Michigan field station participates in Science Saturdays
There's a whole other world living and growing alongside Chicago's busy streets in Lake Michigan. Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) and Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) have teamed up to help acquaint local residents with this world as a part of the Museum of Science and Industry's "Science Saturdays."
"We hope to expose the public to some of the organisms living in the lake, how we sample them, what types of questions we are trying to answer, and what the answers mean for the management of the lake," said INHS aquatic ecologist Pat Charlebois.
The tour–directed towards those aged seven and up–will be held on Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. It will take place at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, where researchers from the Lake Michigan Biological Station, an INHS field station, will lead a shore-based exploration of aquatic life in Lake Michigan. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about–and at some stages touch–the invertebrates and offshore and nearshore fishes that inhabit the lake.
Science Saturdays are a part of a yearlong initiative, called Science Chicago, aiming to establish the crucial value of science and math in its residents. The museum initiative "brings together more than 140 of the area's leading academic, scientific, corporate, and non-profit institutions to host thousands of programs that provide hands-on learning, spur thoughtful debate, and build enthusiasm for the pursuit of cutting-edge science."
IISG, as a part of its on-going efforts to educate the public about water issues in the region, is organizing the Lake Michigan event. "We thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase the lake and the work that researchers at the Lake Michigan Biological Station are doing to understand more about it," said Charlebois.
All Science Saturday tours require advance registration; tickets cost $7 per tour. For more information on Science Saturday events visit http://www.sciencechicago.com/content/science-saturdays?m=06&y=2009.
Published Date: June 18, 2009
Dr. Alto's research subject of Illinois' news release
Dr. Barry Alto, Director of the Medical Entomology Program at the Illinois Natural History Survey, has recently published an article in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Animal Ecology. This paper is the subject of a news release by the University of Illinois.
The news release can be read at the EurekaAlert website:
"Midge keeps invasive mosquito in check, aiding native mosquitoes."
Published Date: June 9, 2009
Mike Ward discusses colorful ducks
INHS researcher Dr. Michael Ward is quoted in a State-Journal Register article on Wood ducks. Ward says that cleaner wetlands have helped to boost the year-round population of the ducks. Also mentioned in the article are the nest boxes that Frank Bellrose helped to craft.
The full-text of the article is available at the NewsBank website: Wood ducks are colorful characters
Published Date: June 1, 2009
Article by INHS researchers featured in Outdoor Illinois
An article on Illinois Turtles appears in the May issue of Outdoor Illinois The article is written by Jim Lamer, Chad Dolan and John Tucker. Lamer and Dolan are former INHS employees. John Tucker is a herpetologist at the INHS' Great Rivers Field Station.
Published Date: June 1, 2009
INHS researchers assist with BioBlitz
INHS botanists (Valerie Sivicek, Mary Ann Feist, Paul Marcum, Brenda Molano-Flores, Jason Zylka, and Greg Spyreas) and mammologists (Joyce Hofmann and Jean Mengelkoch) attended the 24 hour Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore BioBlitz May 15 and 16 2009, Indiana. This event was organized by The National Geographic Society and the National Park Service. During the event Mary Ann Feist led a fieldtrip to Pinhook Bog and Paul Marcum to Miller Woods. Joyce Hofmann and Jean Mengelkoch gave a program to the public about bats. The latest species tally for the Indiana Dunes Bioblitz is 1,716 and scientists are still identifying and adding species for this event. For more information on the Bioblitz see http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/projects/bioblitz.html
Published Date: June 1, 2009
INHS botanists train volunteers at Midewin
INHS botanists (Rick Phillippe, Paul Marcum, Brenda Molano-Flores, Jason Zylka, Jamie Ellis, and Mary Ann Feist) conducted a one-day vegetation monitoring workshop at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, Will Co. Illinois May 19, 2009. A total of 16 volunteers attended the training. The ultimate goal of the workshop was to give volunteers real life experience in quantitative vegetation data collection and analysis. During the morning, volunteers were shown how to set up transects and plots and to determine percent cover for species and functional groups. During the afternoon, volunteers learned how to analyze and interpret the data they had collected. Volunteers expressed that knowing the dos and don’ts of collecting field data will be extremely helpful when they assist Midewn staff during vegetation sampling. They also commented that, although somewhat overwhelming, they now know how the data they will collect will be used to make management recommendations at the site. This event was sponsored by the Nature Conservancy and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
Published Date: June 1, 2009
Zebra mussels found in DuPage Co.
Kristin TePas, Aquatic Nuisance Species Assistant Coordinator with the Illinois Natural History Survey's Lake Michigan Biological Station, is quoted in four articles describing the zebra mussel's appearance in Bartlet, IL at the Deep Quarry Lake. The appearance of the mussels in the lake is concerning to scientists as they are an invasive species, and have not previously been documented there.
The articles can be accessed via NewsBank:
Zebra mussels appear in DuPage County lake. Sun, The: Wheaton (IL) - Friday, May 8, 2009.
Musclin' in The Russians are here: Zebra mussels invade DuPage lake. Beacon News, The (Aurora, IL) - Thursday, May 7, 2009.
Zebra mussels muscle way into Bartlett. Courier News (Elgin, IL) - Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
Zebra mussels muscle into DuPage County. Naperville Sun, The (IL) - Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
Published Date: May 26, 2009