Seeking BES Mentors for Research Experience for Teachers (RET) 2012-2013

Baltimore Partnership for Environmental Science Literacy

Towson University, MD ● Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, NY

In Brief:

Four Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Fellows will join the Baltimore Partnership for Environmental Science Literacy’s unique research and education community to carry out an independent research project, participate in teacher workshops, and develop plans they will implement in the 2012-2013 school year.
The RETs will be an integral part of the Pathways to Environmental Science Literacy Math Science Partnership Project funded by the National Science Foundation and taking place at the Baltimore Ecosystem Study and three other Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) sites around the nation.  RET Fellows are expected to complete a research project in the summer of 2012, and then to develop and pilot test an enhancement to one of the project’s curricula during the 2012-2013 school year.

Each RET mentor will:

·        Provide guidance and support to an RET Fellow for six (6) weeks during the summer.  The Fellow will design and implement an independent research project in environmental science.  Research projects in 2012 will be aligned with one of the three focal areas of the Pathways Project: 1) carbon cycling and climate change, 2) water flows, quality and habitats, and 3) biodiversity.

·        Help the Fellow produce a final report or paper based on her/his summer research.

·        Support the Fellow in developing an enhancement to one of the project’s curriculum units (carbon, water, biodiversity, citizenship) based on her/his summer research project.  This might be a new lesson or a modification of an existing lesson in the unit.  The RET Fellow will pilot test this enhancement in their own classroom.

·        Spend time (1 or 2 sessions) in the Fellow’s classroom during the 2012-2013 school year while her/his unit is being pilot tested.

·        Complete pre- and post-program assessment surveys about the RET Fellow’s growth and contribution to your work.

·        Participate in occasional meetings (2-3) with other mentors, RET Fellows and project staff during the summer and following school year.

Eligibility to serve as an RET mentor:

·        Be resident in the Baltimore region during the summer of 2012 (July 9 –August 17), or at least a significant portion of this time period.

·        Willingness and ability to support a research project related to one of the project’s three focal areas: 1) carbon cycling and climate change, 2) water flows, quality and habitats, and 3) biodiversity.

·        Provide a project topic title and brief (1-2 sentence) description for inclusion in program announcements and application forms.

·        Have space and other required resources to mentor a teacher during that time.

·        Willingness to do the above list of duties.

·        Enthusiasm for working with teachers.

RET Program Details:

·        Dates:

o   Summer Workshop: June 25-29, July 2-3, 2012

o   Summer Research Period: July 9 – August 17, 2012

o   School Year: 5 Saturdays, to be determined

·        Work site: Mentors will provide RETs lab space and other logistical support during the summer intensive research period.  Office space is available at the Center for Science and Mathematics Education at Towson University.

·        Supplies: each Fellow has a $500 supplies supplement to support their research and/or teaching activities.

Interested mentors should contact:

Alan R. Berkowitz, Ph.D.

Head of Education

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

PO Box AB

Millbrook, NY 12545

Phone: (845) 677-7600 ext. 311 Fax: (845) 677-5976

Email: berkowitza@caryinstitute.org

BES Schedule 2012

Annual Meeting: Wednesday and Thursday, 24-25 October

at the Cylburn Arboretum

Community Open House & Greening Celebration: 

Wednesday, 24 October at Cylburn

Quarterly Research Meetings:

Wednesday, 18 January – Topic – BES synthesis volume – Steward Pickett, Morgan Grove, Elena Irwin, Chris Swan

Thursday, 19 April – Green Infrastructure - Morgan Grove

Thursday, 21 June – Combined with picnic at noon – Topic: Inaugural Meeting of the Baltimore Regional Academy of Sustainability Science.  PLEASE NOTE THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTPONED.  THE NEW DATE WILL BE POSTED SOON.

Graduate Student Symposium: TBA

Community Awareness & Safety Training: 5 June

Project Management Committee (PMC):

Conference call meetings are scheduled for the third Wednesday of every month from 10:00 am to 12 noon (Eastern time).  January, May and November are scheduled for alternate days because of Quarterly Research Meeting, Science Council Meeting and holiday. 

*25 January                                            18 July

15 February                                     15 August

21 March                                    19 September

18 April               **October (See Steering Committee)

*9 May                                        *14 November

20 June                                        19 December

*other than 3^rd Wednesday

Steering Committee:          **Tuesday, 23 October     1:00-5:00 pm

Information Management Committee (IMC):

Quarterly meetings are scheduled as noted below from 1:00 to 2:00 pm (Eastern time).  Call in number and code:  517-652-8998 – 7569393 #

23 February                                        22 August

24 May                                           15 November

NSF-LTER Science Council Meeting: 16-17 May hosted by HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

NSF-LTER All Scientists Meeting: 9-13 September YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, CO

9th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, Orlando, Florida June 3-8, 2012

We are pleased to announce the Society of Wetland Scientists and the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference will meet in conjunction with INTECOL 9, and their presentations on planning, policy and science will be integrated into the program. We welcome our colleagues to this premier event - the largest wetlands conference in the world.

Mark your calendar now and make plans to attend this dynamic conference which will attract more than 1500 of the world's leading wetland scientists and policy makers.

Call for Abstracts - DUE December 16th!

Submission Deadline: Friday, December 16, 2011

All individuals working in ecological, physical, biogeochemical and social sciences pertinent to wetland management and policy are invited to submit abstracts describing their efforts, science, projects and results.

INTECOL 9 provides a forum for wetlands scientists from around the world to discuss threats, challenges and integrated solutions for sustainable restoration and management of wetlands in our changing world and we encourage you to participate in this discussion and submit an abstract of your work.

Oral and poster presentations will be selected from abstract submissions, and abstracts from all presentations will be published online in the conference book of abstracts. Poster presentations will be divided into two sessions and formal poster sessions will be held for each grouping to allow maximum time for discussion with individual authors.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are a member of the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) or if you normally attend the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (GEER) Science Conference - these conferences will not be held in 2012. Instead, SWS and GEER will meet in conjunction with INTECOL 9, and all GEER and SWS presentations will be integrated along with ALL SUBMISSIONS used to formulate one program agenda for INTECOL 9.

Abstracts will be limited to one page (250-500 words maximum), and will be due December 16th to allow sufficient time for program agenda development and for international submitters to obtain visas.

Don't wait until the last minute!  Start working on your abstract now to meet the December 16th deadline.

Additional Note: Dan Childers is organizing an Invited Session on Urban Wetlands. 

Those interested can contact Dan Dan.Childers@asu.edu before submitting their abstracts, so that he can help them assure they are directed to the correct session.

SWSPCP to Offer Education Credits for Professional Certification at INTECOL 9

The Society of Wetland Scientists developed a program for certification of wetland science training and experience as a separate not-for-profit corporation, called the SWS Professional Certification Program, Inc., (SWSPCP).

SWSPCP works to meet the needs of professional ecologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, educators, agency professionals, consultants, and others who practice wetland science. This program is aimed at serving the public's need to identify qualified individuals to assess and manage the Nation's wetland resources.

Certification signifies that the academic and work experience of a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) meets the standards expected by his or her peers of a practicing wetland professional and provides acknowledgment to his or her peers of adherence to standards of professional ethics with regard to the conduct and practice of wetland science. Certification will enhance recognition of wetland science within other disciplines, especially in multi-disciplinary work environments.

Sponsor INTECOL 9!

Aligning your organization with INTECOL 9 provides you with the opportunity to strengthen industry relationships, interact with key decision makers, and reinforce your continued commitment to wetlands worldwide. Take advantage of this occasion to promote your organization before attendees from governmental, private, non-profit, and contracting organizations.

For more information please visit the conference website:  

www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/intecol

- Or Contact -

Ms. Beth Miller-Tipton, CMP, CGMP, Director University of Florida, IFAS, Office of Conferences & Institutes

TEL: 352-392-5930; EMAIL: bmt@ufl.edu

Group Rate Information:

The Caribe Royal is offering participants of the 9th INTECOL a very special rate of $129 per night plus applicable taxes (currently 12.5%) for single or double occupancy for standard double queen or standard king suite.

Reservation Deadline:

Reservations must be made by Monday, April 16, 2012 to receive this special group rate.  Please be aware the block of rooms may fill before the deadline, so we urge you to make your reservation as soon as possible. After April 16, the discounted rate is not guaranteed on possible remaining rooms.

Make Your Reservation:

To make your reservation at the reduced rate, call 1-800-823-8300 and state that you are a 9th INTECOL International Wetland Conference participant.

Who Should Attend: The 9th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference is designed to bring together an international cadre of scientists, engineers, natural resource managers, policy makers, planners and partners involved with or affected by all aspects of sustainable management and restoration of wetland ecosystems.

This includes those involved in the wetland sciences, engineering, wetland resource management and restoration, regulation, planning and policy, and education.

Conference Chairs:

Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy

University of Florida/IFAS

TEL: 352-392-1804 ext 317

krr@ufl.edu

Dr. G. Ronnie Best

US Geological Survey

TEL: 954-577-6354

TEL (CELL): 954-658-4676

Ronnie_Best@usgs.gov

Dr. Glenn R. Guntenspergen

President, Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) US Geological Survey

TEL: 218-720-4307

glenn_guntenspergen@usgs.gov

UF/IFAS OCI | PO Box 110750 | Bldg. 639 Mowry Road | Gainesville | FL | 32611

Urbanization and Global Environmental Change Project -- UGEC Viewpoints VII - Call for Abstracts

It’s time to begin work on the next issue of UGEC Viewpoints!  The process for this seventh issue will work just as it has for the last few issues. Interested parties should send a 300 word abstract of  envisioned contributions.  The contribution should discuss your current research or could be forward looking – including a discussion of problems or knowledge gaps, potential solutions for moving forward, etc.  In general, Viewpoints articles should be semiformal presentations of research findings in the context of urbanization and global environmental change with more emphasis on the policy implications of the research.  For examples of articles, recent issues can be found at this link:  http://ugec.org/tiki-index.php?page=ReportsNewsletters

After selections are made – potentially 10-12 contributions total – a full article of around 1500-1800 words would be submitted.  Potential contributors should begin by sending your 300 word abstract by Sunday, December 18^th.

After you are notified acceptance, your full article will be due by the end of January.  The final product is expected to become available in March. 

Abstract submissions should be emailed to: corrie.griffith@asu.edu  Questions about the publication or the process can also be directed to Corrie.

BES Annual Meeting Agenda

Baltimore Ecosystem Study Annual Meeting

Agenda

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Cylburn Arboretum, Vollmer Center, Baltimore, MD

 8:00 –  8:25 am          Breakfast

 8:25 –  8:30                Meeting Logistics: Morgan Grove

 8:30 –  9:00                Welcome and Introduction

                                    Presentation of Director’s Award

                                    S.T.A. Pickett, Project Director

 9:00 –  9:30                Keynote Speaker-David Sloan Wilson

                                    Evolution as a general theoretical framework for urban ecosystem studies

                                   

 9:30 – 10:45               Session 1 (5)

 9:30  –  9:45               Land use and climate alter carbon dynamics in watersheds of Chesapeake Bay—S.S. Kaushal, S. Duan, M. Grese, M. Pennino, K.T. Belt, S.E.G. Findlay, P.M. Groffman, P. Mayer, S. Murthy, J. Blomquist

 9:45 – 10:00               Time is money: An empirical examination of the dynamic effects of uncertainty on residential subdivision development—D. Wrenn

10:00 – 10:15              Developing learning progressions for student understanding of water systems in Baltimore—B. Caplan, T. Newcomer

10:15 – 10:30              Biodiversity in urban stormwater ponds—K. Brundrett, C. Wahl, C. Swan

10:30 – 10:45              Urban community forestry in Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD: The role of nonprofit organizations—M. Rodier

10:45 – 11: 00             Break

11: 00 – 12:30             Session 2 (6)

11: 00 – 11:15             Identifying the effect of down-zoning in Baltimore County on residential subdivision development in Carroll and Harford Counties—E. Irwin, C. Towe, A. Klaiber, D. Wrenn

11: 15 – 11:30             Uncultivated: A physical and virtual tour of Baltimore's wild plant life—L. Cazabon, C. Partain

11: 30 – 11:45             Effects of stormwater management and stream engineering on nitrogen uptake and denitrification in streams—T. Newcomer, S.S. Kaushal, P.M. Mayer, P.M. Groffman, M.M. Grese

11: 45 – 12:00             Collective strategies for increasing Baltimore City’s tree canopy—E. Tyler

12:00 – 12:15              Recalculating the WUI to strengthen ecological vulnerability planning in the urban-rural transition zone—H. Howard

12:15 – 12:30              What's missing from Baltimore's urban fish communities and why?: A preliminary comparative analysis of fish assemblage data—S. Kemp

12:30  –  1:30              Lunch

  1:30  –  3:00              Poster Session

  3:00  –  4:00              Session 4 (6)

  3:00  –  3:15              Watershed flow dynamics of the Baltimore Region—A. Bhaskar, C. Welty, A. Seck, R. Maxwell, C. Jantz, S. Drzyzga, R. Sanderson, A. Miller, G. Lindner, J. Cole

  3:15  –  3:30              Climate change in Maryland: A strategy for resilience—M. Griswold, Z. Johnson

  3:30  –  3:45              Ecological complexity and disease vectors:  Phenology and composition of urban mosquito communities in Baltimore—S. LaDeau

  3:45  –  4:00              Baltimore Sustainability Program utilizing Baltimore Ecosystem Study as a tool and resource—B. Strommen

  4:00 –  6:00               Time to set up for COH

  6:00                           Community Open House and Greening Celebration

Thursday, 20 October 2011

  8:00 –   8:30               Breakfast

 8:30 – 10:15               Session 5 (7)

 8:30 –   8:45               From professional development to effective teaching of environmental science—A. R. Berkowitz, B. Caplan, A. Alvarado, S. Haines

   8:45  –  9:15             The Role of Parks & People Foundation’s Informal Environmental Education in MSDE’s Environmental Literacy Implementation Plan—D. Shelley, M. Hardcastle

   9:15 –  9:30              A tale of two systems: comparative results for vegetation functional diversity for "Clean & Green" and unmanaged vacant lots—Y.  Williams

   9:30 – 10:00             Denitrification enzyme activity in stormwater control structures—N.  Bettez, P. Groffman

  10:00 – 10:15            Pilot testing of distributed temperature sensing in Dead Run—C.  Welty, J. Miller, J. Duncan

 10:15 – 10:30             Pharmaceutical compounds in BES streams: concentrations and ecological effects—E. J. Rosi-Marshall, D. Kincaid, H. Bechtold, T. V. Royer

10:30 – 10:45              Effects of urbanization on dissolved organic matter composition in Maine, USA—T. Parr, C. Cronan, T. Ohno, K. Simon

10:45 – 11:00              Break

11:00 – 12:45              Session 6 (7)

11:00 – 11:15              Estimation of soil CO₂ effluxes from suburban forest and lawn using continuous measurements of CO₂ profiles in soils—J. Chun, K. Szlavecz, D. Ferrer, M. Bernard, S. Pitz, J. Hom, B. Zaitchik

11:15 – 11:30              Spatial and temporal controls of nitrogen cycling and export—J. Duncan, P. Groffman, L. Band

11:30 – 11:45              Spectral analysis of long-term and high-frequency chloride and nitrate stream chemistry data in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER watersheds—J. Verhoef, C. Welty, S. Kaushal, A. Miller        

11:45 – 12:00              Ultra-urban baseflow and stormflow concentrations and fluxes in a watershed undergoing watershed restoration (WS263)—K.T. Belt,  W.P. Stack, R. Pouyat, K. Burgess, P. Groffman, S. Kaushal

12:00 – 12:15              Integrated hydrologic modeling: discretization, initialization and hydrogeologic data input—A. Seck, C. Welty, J. Cole, R. Maxwell

12:15 – 12:30              Sources and transformations of carbon and nitrogen in the Potomac River Estuary—M. Pennino, S. Kaushal, S. Murthy          

12:30 – 12:45              Land-use effect on stream organic matter composition in two metropolitan areas in USA—S. Duan, S. Kaushal, R. Amon, R. Brinkmeyer