Got Nature? Blog

Among the steel and concrete that make up the urban environment, trees provide welcome relief from heat and potentially unfavorable sights and smells. Trees provide value from ecosystem services, which can refer to any of the benefits humans obtain from nature. Trees in the built environment provide many benefits, such as storing carbon, reducing air temperature and air conditioning costs, filtering air and water pollutants, intercepting rainwater to reduce flooding, and increasing aesthetic value.

The Preparing Indiana’s Urban Forest for Climate Change is an overview of choosing species of trees that will thrive in urban settings has always required careful consideration, but climate change is making that task even more important. In this paper, Purdue and other researchers provide tools to help urban foresters, arborists and planners adapt so that the ecosystem services that trees provide can be maintained.

To receive the free download for the Preparing Indiana’s Urban Forest for Climate Change please visit The Education Store.

Resources:
Urban Forestry, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Sustainable Communities, Purdue Extension Program
How to Find an Arborist Near You!, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Storms Can Cause Damage and Tree Cleanup, What You Need to Know, Purdue Extension – FNR Got Nature? Blog
Purdue Landscape Report, Purdue Science-Based Midwest Landscaping
Forest Improvement Handbook, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Investing in Indiana Woodlands, The Education Store
Woodland Wildlife Management, The Education Store
ID That Tree, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel

Julie McAulay, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Environmental and Ecological Engineering
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Lenny Farlee, Sustaining Hardwood Extension Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Brady Hardiman, Associate Professor for Environmental and Ecological Engineering
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Indiana communities use several kinds of plans to help guide decisions about development, quality of life, and public safety. Comprehensive plans, parks and recreation plans, multi-hazard mitigation plans, and sub-area plans are conducted by local governments for these purposes. This Environmental Planning in Community Plan include opportunities for addressing environmental concerns. This document provides examples of the connection between each type of plan and environmental planning, along with instructive examples from Indiana communities.

Although this document focuses on the connection between local government and watershed plans and their connections to environmental planning, several state and federal regulatory agencies also impact environmental planning. Some of the major agencies are discussed in this publication, and links to additional resources are provided.

Communities create comprehensive plans to guide decisions about development, quality of life and public safety, parks and recreation plans, multi-hazard mitigation plans, and sub-area plans. Such plans include opportunities to address environmental concerns. Using instructive examples from Indiana communities, this publication examines the connection between those plans and environmental planning.

Resources:
Sustainable Communities Extension Program Website, Purdue Extension
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces Program Video, Purdue Extension
Implementation Examples of Smart Growth Strategies in Indiana, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Climate Change and Sustainable Development, The Education Store
Enhancing the Value of Public Spaces: Creating Healthy Communities, The Education Store
Subscribe to Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel

Dan Walker, Community Planning Extension Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

Kara Salazar, Assistant Program Leader and Extension Specialist for Sustainable Communities
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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This publication  American Paddlefish FNR-625-W is the fifth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Zesty Grilled Paddlefish.

Paddlefish lack scales and bones, with one exception— the have a jawbone. They have smooth skin that is similar in appearance to sturgeon, also a scaleless fish in the order Acipenseriformes, and have skeletons comprised primarily of cartilage. They have small eyes, large mouths, large tapering gill covers, and shark-like tails. They are dark bluish gray, with lighter sides and white bellies. Their most distinguishing feature is their elongated snout, called a rostrum, which looks like a paddle.

There are only two known paddlefish species- one native to the Mississippi River basin, and one which was native to the Yangtze River in China. The Chinese paddlefish is believed to have been extinct2 for some time now, making paddlefish a uniquely North American fish. Paddlefish are primarily produced for caviar, although the meat makes for great table fare. Paddlefish are commercially harvested from the wild, farmed, and even ranched. Paddlefish products are specialty items and, therefore, can be a little hard to find. Paddlefish products can be purchased from restaurants, specialty stores, and directly from producers.

Resources:
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Pacific White Shrimp Farmed Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources/Illinois Indiana Sea Grant Program

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Pacific white shrimp, also known as whiteleg shrimp, is a variety of prawn in the order Decapoda. Pacific white shrimp have ten legs on the underside of their carapace (head), ten appendages (pleopods) on their abdomen for swimming, a pair of antennae, and can reach a maximum length of 9 inches (230 mm). Shrimp color can vary slightly depending on habitat, feed, and water turbidity, and tend to range in color from translucent white to reddish-brown. When cooked, they turn pink.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood product in the United States. However, the majority of farmed shrimp is grown in Asia. The Pacific white shrimp is the most common farm-raised shrimp species in the world, and it is well suited for pond and indoor production. In the Midwest and other parts of the U.S., Pacific white shrimp are grown in indoor environmental controlled systems. U.S. farm raised shrimp can be purchased at farmers markets, restaurants, and directly from farmers.

This publication, Pacific White Shrimp, FNR-623-W, is the fifth in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Sautéed Old Bay® Shrimp.

Resources:
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Rainbow Trout Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), Illinoi-Indiana Sea Grant

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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The swallow-worts (also called dogstrangling vine) are perennial, herbaceous, twining vines. The two species of principal concern in North America are black and pale swallow-wort. Black swallowwort is native to southwest Europe; pale swallow-wort is native to Ukraine and parts of Russia. Both were introduced to North America in the 1800s as potential ornamental plants.

Although swallow-worts are not yet well established in Indiana, their vines are highly invasive and grow vigorously, quickly twining around, and will climb anything nearby such as trees and shrubs or even man-made structures. This can overwhelm nearby plants by physically shading them, weighing them down, causing stem breakage, and forcing them to compete for moisture and nutrients.

At the time of writing, nine counties in central and northern Indiana reported small populations of black swallow-wort ranging in size from 10 square feet to 2,500 square feet of the infested area. Along Indiana’s border, two Michigan counties and the Chicago area report significant populations of black swallow-wort. No records of pale swallow-wort have been reported for Indiana. Two Michigan counties bordering northern Indiana and a central Illinois county are the nearest reported populations of pale swallow-wort.

This publication, Invasive Plant Series: Swallow-worts, aids in identifying these swallow-worts and provides management recommendations focused on prevention of spread, early detection, and properly timed and targeted control measures.

Resources:
Invasive Species, Playlist, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Invasive Plants Threaten Our Forests Part 1: Invasive Plant Species Identification, Webinar, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube Channel
Invasive Plants Threaten Our Forests Part 2: Control and Management, Webinar, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Indiana Invasive Species Council
Report Invasive, Purdue Extension
Invasive plants: impact on environment and people, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Invasive Plant Species Fact Sheets: Poison Hemlock, The Education Store
What are invasive species and why should I care?, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

Ronald Rathfon, Regional Extension Forester Southern Indiana Purdue Agriculture Center (SIPAC)
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

 

 

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This unit, part of the Nature of Teaching series, explores the effects of barriers and human assistance on wildlife gene flow. Students will learn about the effects of human-induced factors on wildlife movement and gene flow, and the effectiveness of human interventions that promote gene flow among wildlife.  You will find in the complete curriculum: teachers’ notes, vocabulary words, objectives and required materials for activities including gene flow simulation and estimating genetic variations in lady beetles.

The Nature of Teaching includes formal standards-based curricula and informal activity-based curricula all centered around getting youth outside. The three program areas of the formal curricula include: Wildlife, Health and Wellness, and Food Waste. Each program area provides standards-based lesson plans free as a downloadable PDF. Lesson plans are classroom ready for grades K-12.

Resources:
Nature of Teaching website and Nature of Teaching Youtube Channel
Ask An Expert: Anurans (Frogs and Toads) video, Got Nature?, Purdue Extension-Forestry and Natural Resources
The Nature of Teaching, Unit 3: Reptiles, Amphibians, and the Scientific Method, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
The Nature of Teaching: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health, The Education Store
Introduction to Nature of Teaching Sneak Peek Videos, Got Nature? Blog, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources

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

Jason Hoverman, Professor of Vertebrate Ecology
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Did you know that the majority of tilapia grown in the Midwest region of the United States are sold live in ethnic markets? And the majority of tilapia eaten in the United States are imported from Asia and Latin America?

Farmed tilapia is considered safe to eat. In fact, they are identified as a “Best Choice” fish for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children according to the EPA and FDA.

This publication, “Tilapia Farmed Fish Fact Sheet“, is the third in a series of consumer guides that describe fish and shellfish farmed in the Midwest region of the United States. The fact sheet also includes culinary characteristics, cooking tips and a recipe for Sauteed Tilapia.

To view other consumer guide publications and video resources, check out Purdue Extension’s The Education Store website.

Resources:
Fish: Healthy Protein Handout, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Walleye Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Yellow Perch Farmed Fish Fact Sheet, The Education Store
Salmon and Trout of the Great Lakes: A Visual Identification Guide, The Education Store
Eat Midwest Fish, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant online resource hub

Amy Shambach, Aquaculture Marketing Outreach Associate
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

 

 

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As trees grow and reach heights which many consider to be unsafe, tree owners would often top their trees by reducing the tree size. This is by heading back most of the large, live branches from the tree. However, topping trees proves to be more damaging than beneficial.

Topping trees can cause decay, weak branch attachments, and an increased likelihood of failure. If we do not top our trees and leave them to develop naturally, the structural strength of the trees is stronger than those that are not topped. The extensive root system, when left undisturbed, provides adequate support for the trees.

This publication titled What’s Wrong with Topping goes in-depth on the implications of topping and provides better alternatives to topping.

To view other urban forestry publications and video resources, check out Purdue Extension’s The Education Store website.

Resources:
Planting Your Tree Part 1: Choosing Your Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Planting Part 2: Planting a Tree, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel
Tree Selection for the “Un-natural” Environment, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Tree Installation: Process and Practices, The Education Store
Tree Pruning Essentials, The Education Store
Tree Pruning Essentials Video, Purdue Extension YouTube Channel

Lindsey Purcell, Urban Forestry Specialist
Purdue Department of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Many landowners are interested in enhancing their property for wildlife. An important first step in that process is creating a plan. As the adage goes, “failing to plan, is planning to fail.” Just as you would have a blueprint if you were building a house or a map if you were starting a road trip, the same is true when you are managing habitat for wildlife on your land.

Landowners can tailor a wildlife habitat management plan to their own personal goals for their property. Maybe a hunter wants to increase the population of upland birds on their property, or a bird-watcher would like to improve the overall diversity of songbirds in their woodlands. Management plans help turn these goals into reality.

This 12 page publication titled Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners is packed with photos, resources and suggestions to help meet your goals.

View other wildlife habitat management publications and video resources as you place keywords in the search field located on The Education Store website.

Resources
A Template for Your Wildlife Habitat Management Plan, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension – FNR playlist
Wildlife Habitat Hint, Purdue Extension – FNR playlist
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel

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

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Many landowners are interested in enhancing their property for wildlife. An important step in that process is creating a plan. This publication provides a template to help landowners write a wildlife habitat management plan.

View other wildlife habitat management publications and video resources as you place keywords in the search field located on The Education Store website.

Resources
Creating a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan for Landowners, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
Managing Your Woods for White-Tailed Deer, The Education Store
Woodland Stewardship for Landowners, Playlist, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel
A Woodland Management Moment, Purdue Extension – FNR playlist
Wildlife Habitat Hint, Purdue Extension – FNR playlist
Ask an Expert: Wildlife Food Plots, Video, Purdue Extension – Forestry and Natural Resources YouTube channel

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

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