Got Nature? Blog

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG): “I was 19 years old. I never even knew any of this stuff existed. I didn’t know I could be a scientist. I thought that was something way beyond what I could be,” said Susan Daniel, a Buffalo State College researcher who studies invertebrates that live at the bottom of the Great Lakes.

She was talking to students from Ellis Middle School in Elgin, Illinois, who had posed questions for her and a handful of other scientists taking part in a virtual session bringing these two groups together. These students in Holly Yee’s science classes had been studying the Great Lakes and the participating scientists are experts on the subject. They hail from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), universities and the Sea Grant program.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) developed the Scientists to Students (S2S) program to connect students with Great Lakes scientists on board the EPA research ship, the Lake Guardian, via videocasts. While out on the lakes collecting samples, scientists visit classrooms virtually and talk with students about aquatic science, water quality monitoring, careers, and life on a ship. Since the program’s inception, over 25 scientists, 33 teachers, and more than 3400 students throughout the Great Lakes have participated.

This spring, due to COVID-19, as with most events, S2S videocasts needed to be rethought, if the program happened at all. Working with several teachers, IISG’s Kristin TePas and Allison Neubauer refashioned the get-togethers with everyone in their homes, both scientists and students alike.

“This has resulted in a fair amount of trial and error to find processes and platforms that work well,” said Neubauer, IISG Great Lakes outreach associate. “As it turns out, I think this has been beneficial in encouraging participation from different types of learners, ranging from those who feel comfortable unmuting themselves and directly asking the scientists questions to those who would prefer to type in a chat box.”

The interactions with scientists and the Elgin students included prerecorded videos created when convenient—introductory videos from scientists describing their work, students posing questions, and scientists’ recorded answers. Many of the questions focused on Great Lakes conditions and issues, but some were more personal in nature, such as what is your favorite thing about being a scientist?

For full article and the video >>>

Resources
New toolkit makes finding weather and climate lesson plans easy, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
Aquatics & Fisheries, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube channel
Best Practices Guide for Charter Fishing and COVID-19, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Diets of Lake Michigan Salmonids, The Education Store
Salmon and Trout of the Great Lakes: A Visual Identification Guide, The Education Store

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG)

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August IDNR Wildlife Bulletin Newsletter: Fascinated with the natural world? Tag along with an Indiana DNR biologist on one of their upcoming excursions to learn more about wildlife and their habitats. Hone your identification skills while enjoying the outdoors.

Aug. 8 – Bike with a Biologist, Amo

For those who are new to hunting and fishing, DNR also hosts workshops through the Learn to Fish and the Learn to Hunt, Shoot, & Trap programs. Find more upcoming educational events.

Aug. 7 – Learn to Hunt: Frogs, Martinsville
Sept. 12 – Learn to Stream Fish, Atterbury Fish & Wildlife Area
Sept. 26 – Family Learn to Fish, Cicero

Resources
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Mythbusters, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources Youtube channel
Best Practices Guide for Charter Fishing and COVID-19, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Resourceful Animal Relationships, The Education Store
Considerations for Trapping Nuisance Wildlife with Box Traps, The Education Store
Handling Harvested Game From Field to Table, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IN DNR)

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FNR Extension Wildlife Specialist Jarred Brooke and Dr. Mitch Zischke teach you how to better manage your land and ponds for fish and wildlife. They provide tips and also answer all of your land management and pond management questions in the video below.

Resources
Pond and Wildlife Management
Need help with pond or wildlife management? Looking for a professional to contact for help?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue FNR extension 
Salmon and Trout of the Great Lakes: A Visual Identification Guide, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Pond Management: Stocking Fish in Indiana Ponds, The Education Store
Pond Management: Managing Fish Populations, The Education Store
A Pond Management Plan Template, The Education Store

Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Meet Dr. Stephen Spears the director of wildlife ecology at the 10,000 acre zoo in Ohio, The Wilds. Dr. Spears takes you on a virtual tour of their hellbender conservation center and gives us insight of where they find hellbenders in Ohio. Don’t miss the question and answer time with Dr. Spears and Purdue University’s wildlife biologists.

Resources
Help the Hellbender Website
Hellbender Havoc, Video Game: Purdue Envision PC / Apple App Store
The Wilds
Help the Hellbender, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Hellbenders Rock!, The Education Store

Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Do you know what a hellbender is or where they can be found? This live session will answer those questions for you, show you what they look like by taking you on a virtual tour, share where they live, what they like to eat and who their predators are.

Resources
Help the Hellbender Website
Hellbender Havoc, Video Game: Purdue Envision PC / Apple App Store
Help the Hellbender, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Hellbenders Rock!, The Education Store

Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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“The best and the most meat on the fish lays right on top of the rib cage, right down the back”, Purdue Extension County Director Dave Osborne shares in this Fish Cleaning Seminar (Youtube video). Learn the basics of using a fillet knife and an electric fillet knife to clean the fish as he guides you through the process.

Resources
Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension website
Indiana Pond Fish, Species Identification Card Set, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 1, Field Dressing, Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Handling Harvested Game: Episode 4, Cutting, Grinding & Packaging, Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel

Dave Osborne, County Extension Director
Purdue Extension

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Purdue Forestry & Natural Resources extension specialists gathered for a Facebook LIVE event held May 5th to answer questions on a wide range of topics from woodland management to wildlife habitat, ponds to invasive species and more.

Topics ranged from what to do about moles, voles and Canada geese causing damage in your yard, to how to pick the right tree for your landscape and how to measure the worth of your trees. The presentation also included segments on what to do about algae in your pond to how to know if you need to restock it as well as what to do about invasive plant species and how to protect your trees from deer damage.

Get advice from extension specialists Jarred Brooke, Lenny Farlee, Brian MacGowan, Lindsey Purcell, Rod Williams and Mitch Zischke in the video below.

If you have any further questions feel free to send your questions by submitting our Ask An Expert form.

Resources mentioned:
Purdue Extension – The Education Store
Purdue Report Invasive Species Website
Midwest Invasive Species Network Database
TreesAreGood.org
Find a Forester in Indiana
Improve My Property for Wildlife, Purdue Extension
Online Mole Program, Event May 14th, Purdue FNR Extension
Have you seen a hairless squirrel, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue FNR Extension
Stocking Fish, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store
Selecting a Nuisance Control Operator, The Education Store
Forest Products Price Report (pdf), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Indiana DNR Nuisance Goose Control Options (pdf), Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Turtles of Indiana, The Education Store
Salamanders of Indiana, The Education Store
Frogs and Toads of Indiana, The Education Store
Snakes and Lizards of Indiana, The Education Store
Aquatic Plant Management, The Education Store
Native Grasses, The Education Store
Preventing Deer Browsing on Trees/Shrubs, Video, Purdue Extension Youtube Channel

Brian MacGowan, Wildlife Extension Specialist
Purdue University, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Mark your calendar for four upcoming Facebook LIVE events from Purdue FNR Extension specialists.

On April 30, tune in at 3 p.m. to expand your knowledge about the Hellbender husbandry program as Dr. Rod Williams chats live with Dr. Stephen Spear from The Wilds, who is going to talk about captive rearing, different age groups of hellbenders and some of their research using EDNA to sample for hellbenders across the country. This Facebook LIVE event will take place on the Help the Hellbender page. https://www.facebook.com/HelpTheHellbender

Check back in a few hours later at 6 p.m. for a live Q&A with extension wildlife specialist Jarred Brooke. He will offering habitat help and offering tips and tricks about establishing native grasses and forbs for wildlife. Tune in on the Purdue FNR Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/PurdueFNR/

On May 5, a host of Purdue extension specialists will be available to answer your questions on a variety of topics during a noon ET Ask the Expert session on the Purdue FNR Facebook page .  Have a question about woodlands, wildlife, fish, or ponds you want to ask a Forestry and Natural Resource Specialist? We will be discussing wildlife habitat management, prescribed fire, forest management, invasive plants, wildlife conflict management, wildlife damage, amphibian and reptile identification, wildlife ecology, pond management and fish ecology.  This Q&A session will put you in touch with:

• Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist, wildlife habitat management, prescribed fire
• Lenny Farlee, Extension Forestry Specialist, forest management, invasive plants
• Brian MacGowan, Extension Wildlife Specialist, wildlife conflict management, wildlife damage
• Rod Williams, Extension Wildlife Specialist, amphibian and reptile identification, wildlife ecology
• Mitch Zischke, Extension Fisheries Specialist, pond management and fish ecology

On May 7 at 3 p.m., in Episode 3 of our Help the Hellbenders Facebook LIVE series, Dr. Rod Williams will talk with the keepers at the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens about their efforts to breed hellbenders in captivity. Viewers will also have a tour of the facility and see interactive exhibits.

All Facebook LIVE sessions will be archived on Facebook. Go back and watch Episode 1 of the Help the Hellbender series.

To access a Facebook live feed, go to the page at the established time. When the event is live, a LIVE icon will show up next to the word video on the left hand side of the page. Click the video link and a new page will open. The video that is live will be the first video in the list. Click that to begin watching.

Resources:
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Effective Firebreaks for Safe Use of Prescribed Fire, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension
Renovating native warm-season grass stands for wildlife: A Land Manager’s Guide, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store
Pond and Wildlife Management, Purdue Extension
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center

Wendy Mayer, FNR Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The Purdue Extension Pond and Wildlife Management website has been updated with a contact search function to better help you find the right professional biologist or conservationist in your county to serve your needs.

The newly created County and Habitat Management Contacts page allows individuals to search for experts within their county by simply selecting it from a dropdown menu. Within each individual county is a listing of Indiana Department of Natural Resources contacts, extension specialists and more.

In addition, the contacts page lists various agencies and services that can also help with questions about pond or habitat management. These resources include the Indiana DNR, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Pheasants and Quail Forever, Purdue Extension, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Soil and Water Conservation Districts and event private consultants.

As fishing, hunting and other wildlife recreation continues to be popular in Indiana, Purdue Extension has developed this new program to help Indiana landowners manage their ponds and wildlife.

Along with the search features to help you find professional contacts, you will also find these topics and resources on the website:

• The Pond Ecosystem
• Fish Population Management
• Pond Construction and Maintenance
• Aquatic Vegetation Management
• Evaluating Your Property
• Forest Management
• Grassland Management
• Habitat Management Planning

To better understand and manage pond ecosystems in Indiana for fishing and wildlife habitat this website provides detailed information to help you reach your goals.

Resources:
Salmon and Trout of the Great Lakes: A Visual Identification Guide, The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Pond Management: Stocking Fish in Indiana Ponds, The Education Store
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Illinois & Indiana Sea Grant, using research, outreach, and education to bring the latest science to communities and their residents
How to Score Your White-tailed Deer, Video, The Education Store
How to Build a Plastic Mesh Deer Exclusion Fence, The Education Store
Assessing Your Land’s Potential for Wildlife, The Education Store

Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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While our FNR Purdue Extension specialists can’t be with you in person at workshops, meetings or in the field right now, they are still here to assist you. Don’t hesitate to reach out.

Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources, purdue.edu/fnr/extension
Ask An Expert

Wendy Mayer, Communications Coordinator
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Diana Evans, Extension & Web Communications Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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