natural area teaching laboratory annual report. 2008-2009

Natural Area Teaching LaboratoryAnnual Report. 2008-2009Doug Levey

Chair, 2007-09

NATL-West

NATL-East

Archer Rd

34th S

tree

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Proposed Activities for 2008-09 Finish developing NATL-east Build new walkway (200 ft across wooded marsh) Produce content for kiosk

Finish basic trail guides for all trails Host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for trails Advertise NATL to departments; record use

of NATL Continue eradication of exotic species Continue pine restoration (burning &

planting) Revise kiosk content and signs (as needed)

Completed Activities 2008-09 Finish developing NATL-east

Build new walkway (200 ft across wooded marsh) Produce content for kiosk

Finish basic trail guides for all trails Host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for trails Advertise NATL to departments; record use

of NATL Continue eradication of exotic species Continue pine restoration (burning &

planting) Revise kiosk content and signs (on-going)

Still working on this

NATL-east WalkwayBuilt by Tom Walker and Bob Guggenheim from mostly scrap lumber

We are moving away from trail guides, replacing them with stake

signs20% of plant species at NATL now have stake signs.

Self-Guided Nature Trails

3 Nov 2008: Student Body President Kevin Reilly and UF President Bernie Machen cut “ribbon” to open trails.

Survey of UseCollege Department # of courses/yr # of students/yr

Agriculture & Life Sciences

Entomology & Nematology 16 505

Forest Resources & Conservation 4 135

Plant Pathology 1 5

Soil & Water Science 1 35

Liberal Arts & Sciences

Botany 6 327

Zoology 4 52

Education Teaching and Learning 1 24

Engineering Environmental Engineering Sciences

2 47

SUM 36 1160

2008-09 Minigrants

1. NATL without borders: a community approach for management of invasives. Gerardo Celis & Corrie Pieterson

Brochure Ardisia removal Files for an invasives layer in NATL’s GIS map

2. Historical context of NATL. David Munroe Digitized records

Miscellaneous TrailMaster camera purchased to

record trail use. Burns and planting of wiregrass and

lopsided Indian grass plugs Mapped and measured original pines

in NATL-east Updated and enhanced online vascular

plant list Jack Putz: new chair of NAAC

Budget Report and Spending Plan“[The chair of NATL] … will annually

submit a spending plan to the Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee (LVLC) for its approval, and the Chair of NAAC will submit an annual report about the uses of endowment funds to LVLC.” See handout

2009-10 Proposed BudgetFunds available for 2009-10 (excluding stipend for TA)

Brought forward from 2008-09 $309

Projected income for 2009-10

Provost $2,100

NATL endowment $4,800

Sum $6,900

Grand Total $7,209

2009-10 Proposed BudgetSpending plan for 2009-10

Budgeted

Routine expenses $1,000

Undergraduate assistant $3,952

Minigrant program $1,000

Soil pit $500

Sum $6,452

Reserved $757

Grand Total $7,209

Naming request

On 6 October 2009, the NAAC unanimously approved a letter requesting that the NATL Conservation Area be named in honor of Tom Walker:

“Thomas Walker NATL Conservation Area”