麻豆传媒内幕

Institute For Environmental Studies

Rodney & Bertha Fink Environmental Studies Field Laboratory & Conservancy

Overview

In October, 2007, IES received a gift of land from Dr. Rodney Fink, Emeritus Dean of the former College of Applied Sciences and Mrs. Bertha Fink, a Western alumna and former instructor of health sciences. The 77 acre property, now known as the Rodney and Bertha Fink Environmental Studies Field Laboratory and Conservancy is located approximately 3 miles west of WIU鈥檚 campus in Macomb, IL, and contains almost 陆 mile of East LaMoine River frontage. The land is currently held in three United States Department of Agriculture conservancy agreements.

Map of the Fink Field Laboratory
Map of the Fink Environmental Studies
Field Laboratory & Conservancy
(courtesy of the 麻豆传媒内幕GIS Center).

Key Features

  • Proximity to campus allows undergraduate and graduate students to become engaged in 鈥渉ands-on鈥� applications that complement classroom studies.
  • Unrestricted water access supports the uninterrupted collection of aquatic data over a protracted period of time.
  • Multidisciplinary opportunities.听 A variety of terrestrial and aquatic habitats (including recovering prairie) provides opportunities for students from many academic backgrounds to work both individually and in multidisciplinary teams. Representative examples of groups at 麻豆传媒内幕who are involved in multidisciplinary studies include the Departments of Biological Sciences, Earth, Atmospheric, and Geographic Information Sciences (EAGIS), English and Journalism, as well as the School of Agriculture.
  • Enhancement of field-based capabilities.听 Resources at the site complement and expand on WIU鈥檚 existing field education and research facilities: the Alice L. Kibbe Life Science Station and the Ira & Bertha T. Post Wildlife Sanctuary.
Lamoine River Pool bordering the Fink Field Laboratory
A pool on the east Lamoine River听(photo by L. Dean, 10/2007).
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Prairie & Forest at the Fink Field Lab
Recovering prairie & hardwood forest 听(photo by L. Dean, 10/2007).
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Student & Faculty Engagement

The Fink Laboratory & Conservancy has been integrated into laboratory/field components of courses in the Departments of Biological Sciences, English & Journalism, Geography, and Geology as well as the Institute for Environmental Studies; examples include:

  • ENVR 201 鈥� Introduction to Environmental Studies
  • BIOL 414 鈥� Ichthyology
  • ZOOL 451 鈥� Animal Ecology
  • GEOL 310 鈥� Geologic Field Methods
  • JOUR 400 鈥� Journalism Topics 鈥� Environmental Journalism

The site is also used by undergraduate and graduate student researchers and faculty who are studying the distribution of turkey populations throughout the region.

Geology drill rig at the Fink Field Laboratory
Drill rig at the Fink Filed Laboratory听 (photo by S. Bennett, 2009).

Geology 350 students with soil core
GEOL 350 students with a soil core听 (photo by S. Bennett, 2009).

Additional information from University Relations on the Fink鈥檚 gift to WIU.