Calendar

> Bird Hike, EcoLab
1/20/2007, 8:00 a.m.
EcoLab Colonnade

> Volunteer Conservation Work Day
1/20/2007, 9:00 a.m.
EcoLab colonnade

> Bird Hike, EcoLab
1/25/2007, 8 a.m.
EcoLab Colonnade

> Bird Hike, EcoLab
1/27/2007, 8 a.m.
EcoLab Colonnade

> Raptor ID Workshop
1/27/2007, 9 a.m.
Marian Hall 157

View the monthly EcoLab Calendar

Visiting Schools

St. Richards School
Pre-K
24 students

Holy Spirit
2nd grade
48 students

KIPP School
7th grade
80 students

Bird Sightings

Henslow's Sparrow 10/5/06

Sedge Wren 10/12/06

Brown Thrasher 1/11/08

Under Construction

Beaver on the main pond have been busy building up a large food cache just southeast of their lodge along the North Shore Trail.

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:: Note from the Director
Part of the basic philosophy of the EcoLab is that biology can be easily taught, but in order to be truly learned it must be used and experienced; it must be engaging. By providing opportunities for Marian College students, pre-K-12 students, and the community to get involved in an actual ecological restoration project, we hope to help people “truly learn” about biology and responsible environmental stewardship.

Please join us this Saturday, January 20, at 9 a.m. at the St. Francis Colonnade at the north end of the Marian College campus for a fun opportunity to engage in the environmental restoration of the EcoLab property. See http://wetland.marian.edu for more information on our volunteer conservation work days.

Dr. David Benson, Marian College EcoLab director

:: Natural History
The recent warm weather has made winter walks in the EcoLab especially enjoyable. Indeed with the unseasonably warm weather we've experienced over the past few weeks it's hard to remember that it is still winter. Shrub honeysuckle has started to leaf out in the EcoLab and you've probably noticed bulbs peeking through the dirt and forsythia leaves and blooms elsewhere around town. But the native plants are more patient. They are much less likely to be tempted into early blooming or leaf out than many "imported" plants. When real winter returns for a bout or two between now and the end of March, the native plants and animals will take it in stride and be in fine stead for a new growing season when the time is proper. One potential impact of a mild winter is larger insect populations later this year. While this may not sound like such a good thing, don't forget the myriad of beneficial insects that will be pollinating flowers, feeding birds and other animals, and generally providing the "ecosystem services" we depend on for survival.

:: Cultural History
With leaves off the trees, some of you may have noticed our larger trees in the EcoLab wearing jewelry. The small aluminum tags that you see on the north side of trees are numbered and indicate trees that Jensen may have planted circa 1912. Marian College students Diane Gall, Stephanie Okerson, and Maggie Hoyt matched trees on the property with what was planted according to the Jens Jensen planting plan. They found that many of the original trees have survived and many more are second generation recruits. For more information on the Riverdale estate encompassed by the EcoLab, see http://riverdale.marian.edu.

:: Environmental Education
Six schools and over 250 students took part in educational programs and restoration projects at the EcoLab this fall. Not only did these students get a chance to visit and learn about beaver, wetlands, and native plants, they also participated in the restoration of the EcoLab by collecting seed, sowing seed, and planting native plant plugs in the EcoLab. What fun to put knowledge into action!

The EcoLab also hosted two Girl Scout troops working on their Water Wonders badges. Don't forget, unless it's thunderstorming, the EcoLab is open year round for programming-even in winter! Come see our booth at HASTI if you would like more information about Marian College's EcoLab, or visit http://wetland.marian.edu to sign up for a field trip.

:: Volunteer News
Ecological Restoration

The main focus of the restoration activities this fall has been the far southwest portion of the property along the access road. In this area, with the help of many volunteers, hundreds of native trees and shrubs were planted, seed was sown, and over 1,000 plant plugs were installed. This will be a great area to watch in the coming year.

Friends of Riverdale

Recently, a group of dedicated volunteers formed the Friends of Riverdale, which seeks to raise funds for the restoration of the Jensen landscape on the former Riverdale estate. The Friends also are looking for volunteers to help with spring planting and maintenance of the gardens as they are restored. For more information, contact Deb Lawrence at 317.955.6208 or dlawrence@marian.edu.

Citizen Science

This fall was excellent for birding in the EcoLab. The most significant sightings of the season occurred in early October when our citizen scientists spotted a Henslow’s Sparrow during the first week of the month followed by a Sedge Wren the next week. Both of these birds are listed on the state’s endangered species registry and are considered rare migrants in Marion County for the fall. The presence of these species also provides evidence of the importance of habitat restoration. Without the nascent wetland vegetation, which is being enhanced thanks to the efforts of volunteers during our monthly stewardship workdays, Sedge Wrens and Henslow’s Sparrows would not be part of the EcoLab’s bird community.

The weekly bird surveys provide a significant biological metric for Marian College when assessing the effectiveness of this habitat work, and it’s a rewarding way for citizen scientists and bird enthusiasts to contribute to local conservation. If you’d like to assist in this research effort, weekly surveys/hikes are conducted on Thursdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m., or you can contact James Cole (jcole@audubon.org), Indiana’s Important Bird Areas coordinator, for more information.

:: News from our Partners
Life Science Education Center at Marian College

The Life Science Education Center at Marian College (LSEC), formerly Hook's Discovery and Learning Center, became a part of Marian College in the fall of 2006. LSEC's mission is to provide pre-K - 12 life science educational programming for Indianapolis area schools and surrounding areas. LSEC can host your school for an EcoLab field trip here at Marian College, provide programming for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, provide video conference classes on various topics, and bring after school or in-school field trips to your location. For more information about LSEC, check out our web site at www.lifescienceed.org.

The Life Science Education Center at Marian College is also the subject of a story in the January 16 Indianapolis Star; here is the link: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070116/BUSINESS/701160357/1003/BUSINESS

Amos W. Butler Audubon Society

Want to learn how to identify raptors that are found in Indiana, recognize calls, hone your identification skills of our hawks and owls, and learn about their breeding, migration, and flight? Jim and Susan Hengeveld from Indiana University will be presenting a workshop on the biology and identification of raptors at 9 a.m. on January 27, 2007 in Marian Hall, Room 157 on the Marian College campus. For more information and to register, go to http://www.amosbutleraudubon.org.

Dr. Mark La Salle, manager of National Audubon’s Gulf Coast Project will be presenting a talk entitled “Impacts of Hurricane Katrina on Birds and Other Wildlife” at the AWBAS annual banquet, March 24, 2007 at Allison Mansion on the campus of Marian College. See http://www.amosbutleraudubon.org for more details and to purchase tickets.