1

I LLINOISNATURALHISTORYS U RV E Y

R e p o r t sSummer 2005

No. 384

I N S I D E

Possible DisplacementMechanisms in Non-

native Crayfishes2

Nutrients in IllinoisStreams

3

How DoesSuburbanizationInfluence Pest

Problems?4

Are Small, IsolatedPrairie Preserves

Sustainable?5

Species Spotlight:Black and Yellow

Garden Spider6

The Naturalist’sApprentice: Capture aGarden Spider’s Web

7

Continued on back page“Communicating Nature” participants pose outside DixonMounds Museum. Photo courtesy of Cindy McGrew

The Art and Science of CommunicatingNatureIt can take years to refine one’sphotography, drawing, and writ-ing skills. In a semester’s time Iwas able to confidently learn thebasics of each skill so that I cannow go and explore and practicethese skills further on my own.—Peter Frank, NRES 499 stu-dent

The term “interdisciplinary”appeared in the halls of highereducation some years ago, but isstill in some circles regarded as adeparture from serious study, asif the world were naturally com-partmentalized. What is oftenforgotten is that most disciplineswe regard as discrete entitiestoday once were not. The moststriking example is that of artand science. Leonardo Da Vinci,Lewis and Clark, and Darwin alldocumented their discoveriesusing sketches and written obser-vation, often with what we mightnow consider an “artistic” eye.

A new course at the University ofIllinois this spring was createdwith the intention of bridging thatmodern art/science gap andteaching science students to de-pict their findings artistically fora lay audience.

NRES 499, “CommunicatingNature,” was a collaborative ef-fort by three Illinois Natural His-tory Survey scientists: Dr. Mich-ael Jeffords, Susan Post, andCarolyn Nixon. The course pro-posed that empirical methods arenot always sufficient to describethe natural world, and can in factbe somewhat myopic. The loftygoal was to encourage students to“analyze with the mind of a sci-entist, see with the eyes of anartist, and speak with the wordsof a poet.”

The first step in communicat-ing nature is truly to pay atten-tion to it. Though the course wasdivided into the three disciplinesof photography, writing, anddrawing, all of the instructorsfocused on the fundamental skillof observation. Post, the writinginstructor, insisted that studentshave a 3" x 5" notebook on handat all times. They were to takeweekly notes on anything thatstruck them, as well as the cir-cumstances of the encounter: thedate, season, weather, and loca-tion. These notes can providethe raw material for a completedpiece, as shown by Post’s ownbook, “Hiking Illinois,” whichbegan as two shoeboxes filledwith these little notebooks.

U of I students John Marlin and Emma O'Brien collaborate in adrawing exercise of the NRES 499, “Communicating Nature”course. Photo by Michael Jeffords, INHS Office of the Chief

2

The influx of exotic species into Illinoishas been continual since European settlersfirst set foot in the state. Many exotic spe-cies do not become established or haveminimal impacts on our natural resources;however, some can have significant detri-mental effects on native flora and faunaonce established. One exotic species thatfalls into that second category is the rustycrayfish (Orconectes rusticus). The rustycrayfish is native to Ohio, Indiana, andKentucky and was first discovered in Illi-nois in 1973. Through its use as fishingbait, the rusty crayfish was introduced intoapproximately a dozen sites in northernIllinois over the next 12 years. Since thenthe species rapidly spread across northernIllinois and in the process has eliminatedpopulations of the native northernclearwater crayfish (Orconectespropinquus) and reduced populations ofthe native virile crayfish (Orconectesvirilis). In other states the rusty crayfishhas been shown to also reduce populationsof sport fishes by consuming those fishes’eggs and by eating vegetation used by ju-venile sport fish for refuge. Over the past30 years, Illinois Natural History Survey(INHS) researchers have documented theslow spread of the rusty crayfish acrossIllinois’ river basins. However, equallyimportant as documenting range expan-sions of exotic species is determining themechanism or mechanisms by which exot-ics are able to successfully displace nativespecies. Once these mechanisms are un-derstood, steps can be taken by resourcemanagers to minimize or even stop thespread of exotic species. A new researcheffort by INHS staff is attempting to deter-mine which mechanisms are at work inIllinois’ crayfishes.

Experimental evidence gathered byother researchers suggests that several pro-cesses may play a part in crayfish displace-ments. These include faster growth ratesby invading crayfishes and a subsequent“upper hand” in competing for food andshelter, differing susceptibility to fish pre-dation by native and non-native crayfishes,and the dilution and eventual extinction of

Possible Displacement Mechanisms in Non-nativeCrayfishes

native species genesby hybridizationevents with non-native species.

An additionalpossible displace-ment mechanism issimple resource com-petition, and INHSresearchers are be-ginning to examinefood resource use bynon-native versusnative crayfishes inIllinois streams.Crayfishes have beenreported to eat awide variety of food items such as algae,rooted aquatic plants, decaying leaf litter,insects, and even small fish. By measur-ing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotoperatios in body tissue, one can determinewhat types of food resources an organismhas been consuming over an extendedperiod of time. For example, organismswith relatively high ratios of 15N to 14Nare thought to reside higher on the foodchain than those with lower ratios, and13C to 12C ratios provide information oncarbon sources (e.g., aquatic versus ter-restrial plant material). Isotope ratioscan thus give a clearer picture of thelong-term diets of organisms since othermethods of diet analysis, such as examin-ing gut contents, are limited to what ani-mals have eaten in the past 24 to 36hours. Using museum records housed inthe INHS Crustacean Collection, re-searchers have identified streams in Illi-nois where rusty crayfish have occurredfor longer than 25 years, less than 5years, and streams that are currently be-ing invaded by that species. By takingtissue samples of crayfishes in thesestreams, in addition to those fromstreams not yet invaded by rusty crayfish,and analyzing isotope ratios in those tis-sues, INHS researchers are hoping to de-termine if food resources play a role indisplacement. Specific questions to beaddressed are what food items invading

rusty crayfish and native crayfishes con-sume, is there any overlap in diet re-quirements, and if so, are species withgreater dietary overlap more likely to bedisplaced. By examining sites whererusty crayfish have been established forseveral years, INHS researchers alsohope to learn if the diets of these exoticinvaders change once they become estab-lished and eliminate native crayfish.

The rusty crayfish is already well es-tablished in the northern half of the stateand there is currently no known means toeradicate it. The continued education ofanglers on the negative effects of rustycrayfish and the undesirability of dump-ing unused bait is one of the best ways toslow the spread of that species. How-ever, INHS researchers hope to able todetermine if food use plays a role in in-vasion dynamics. Once the diet of in-vading rusty crayfish has been identified,stream sites more susceptible to invasioncould potentially be identified and extraefforts taken to prevent the introductionof that species. The potential also existsfor reducing or eliminating newly estab-lished populations of rusty crayfish bymanipulating the availability of certainfood resources.

Christopher A. Taylor, Center for Biodiversity

and David J. Soucek, Center for Ecological

Entomology

The rusty crayfish is native to Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky andwas first discovered in Illinois in 1973. Photo courtesy of C. Lukhaup

3

Anthropogenic eutrophication persists as amajor problem for U.S. waters despiteprogress in reducing nutrient dischargesfrom point sources over the last 30 years.Excessive levels of nutrients continue to beconsistently identified as a reason why asmuch as half of U.S. waters fail to meetwater quality objectives. Illinois waters arenot exempt from the problem of eutrophi-cation; a growing population, expandingsuburbs, and intensive agricultural activi-ties are responsible for substantial loadingsof phosphorus and nitrogen into Illinoiswaters.

Cultural inputs of nutrients are respon-sible for excessive growths of microscopicand macroscopic plants, which then createa cascade of conditions detrimental to bothaquatic ecosystemsand their beneficialuses by humans. Un-controlled algal growthcan result in waterbodies that are visuallyunattractive and odor-ous, and extensivegrowths of filamentousalgae and macrophytesphysically interferewith fishing and boat-ing in affected waterbodies. The unbal-anced growth of algaecaused by culturaleutrophication affectsnumerous ecosystemparameters as well.Large standing cropsof algae cause largediurnal (24-hour)swings in dissolved oxygen and pH, whichthen can have severe repercussions for sen-sitive fish and invertebrates. Even whendissolved oxygen levels are adequate,eutrophication affects higher trophic levelsby skewing communities toward massivepopulations of grazers such as stonerollerminnows and midge larvae. Excessive al-gal growth can also alter fish and inverte-

Nutrients in Illinois Streams

brate communities by changing the na-ture of the benthic substrates.

The U.S. EPA is in the process of re-quiring Illinois and other states to estab-lish nutrient criteria for streams and riv-ers. Under provisions of section 304(a)of the Clean Water Act, the EPA has pro-duced a set of suggested nutrient stan-dards that will protect aquatic ecosys-tems. The U.S. EPA has encouragedstate agencies (e.g., Illinois EPA) to sug-gest alternative quantitative criteria thatare based on scientific research. In re-sponse to Illinois’ need for a scientificunderpinning for nutrient standards, theIllinois Council on Food and AgriculturalResearch (CFAR) funded a Water Qual-ity Strategic Research Initiative (SRI) to

specifically address phosphorus issues inIllinois streams. Scientists from the Illi-nois Natural History Survey (INHS), ledby Dr. Walter Hill, are collaborating withresearchers from the Illinois State WaterSurvey and the University of Illinois onCFAR-funded projects investigating therole of phosphorus in stream eutrophica-tion. These researchers are attacking anumber of poorly known aspects of

stream eutrophication that hinder thedevelopment of nutrient criteria. INHSresearchers are focusing on establishinga quantitative description of the relation-ship between phosphorus loading andalgal growth in streams. Unlike the situ-ation in lakes, it is currently impossibleto predict what effect a given reductionin phosphorus will have on algal growthin streams. The levels of phosphorusneeded to cause excessive algal growthare, at best, imprecisely known, and theeffects of other algal-limiting factors(e.g., turbidity, floods, temperature, ni-trogen, grazers, etc.) on the phosphorusrelationship to algal growth are unclear.INHS researchers have established athree-pronged research attack to address

these unknowns:(1) statewide sur-veys of algae, nutri-ents, and associatedecosystem param-eters; (2) intensiveresearch and moni-toring in LittleKickapoo Creek totake advantage ofthe nutrient inputby the newBloomington sew-age treatment plant;and (3) nutrientaddition experi-ments in streamsidechannels and labo-ratory streams.Other issues inves-tigated by research-

ers funded by the CFAR Water QualitySRI include the role of phosphorus re-generation in stream sediments and con-ditions under which excessive phospho-rus loading leads to dissolved oxygenproblems.

Walter Hill, Center for Aquatic Ecology and

Conservation

Uncontrolled algal growth can result in water bodies that are visually unattractive andodorous. Photo by Michael Jeffords, INHS Office of the Chief

4

Suburbanization is the outward expansion(or movement) of development away fromthe main portion of a city into previouslyuninhabited areas, including farmland andwooded forest. Suburbanization is, in gen-eral, the result of people wanting to escapethe city confines by living several miles (ormore) away. The construction of housingdevelopments and shopping malls or “stripmalls” continues to increase at a rapid pacedue to the demand for rural-type living.New subdivisions are typically built insemi-wooded habitats where a diversity ofinsects and animals have resided for years.However, encroaching into uninhabitedenvironments puts humans into direct com-petition with nature. In order to survive,insects and animals compete for food andspace. As suburban sprawl encroaches intoareas previously occupied by insects andwildlife, this leads to increased calls to pestcontrol operators and lawn-care profession-als by homeowners. In general, the peoplewho live in subdivisions are well-to-do anddon’t want to deal with insects and wildlifein their homes or landscapes.

New housing developments commonlyhave pest problems due to the installationof trees, shrubs, flowers, and turfgrass,which are watered and fertilized regu-larly—thus providing an abundance of foodor habitats for many insects and wildlife.Some common insect pests include ants,termites, wasps, wood-boring insects, andmosquitoes. Wildlife pests include skunks,raccoons, and deer.

How Does Suburbanization Influence Pest Problems?A combination of insects and wildlife

can lead to major problems forhomeowners. For example, many newhousing developments have large ex-panses of highly-maintained turfgrassthat are irrigated regularly, providing anideal environment for Japanese beetle,Popillia japonica, females to lay eggs.The larvae or grubs that hatch are a vi-able food source for skunks and rac-coons that destroy the lawn whilesearching for the larvae. Then the home-owner wants to know what can be doneto alleviate the problem.

New subdivisions and businesses arebeing built on land that was once used ingrowing agriculture crops such as cornand soybean. Herbicides were mostlikely applied to these fields in order toreduce problems with weeds. However,what is the impact on landscape plantsthat are exposed to these soils that maycontain herbicide residues? It is possiblethat herbicide residues may stress treesand shrubs enough to increase their sus-ceptibility to wood-boring insects.

Landscapes containing a variety ofplant material, especially trees, shrubs,or flowers in the rose family may expe-rience problems with deer because theseplants provide abundant food that is eas-ily accessible to the animals. Buildingwooden homes in previously forestedareas where termites or ants exist pro-vides abundant food for these two insectpests. Termites will feed on the wood and

ants, dependingon the species,will enterhomes insearch of foodor nesting sites.Suburbanizationmay also arti-ficially createconditionsthat place un-due stress onplants as wellas influencenatural con-trol by preda-tors and para-sitoids. Forexample, con-

struction activities near tree roots canresult in soil compaction, a change ingrade, and/or a change in soil pH. Allthese conditions can injure the root sys-tem of plants—increasing stress on pre-existing trees or shrubs. This kind ofstress increases plant susceptibility towood-boring insects.

Shopping mall plantings of trees,shrubs, and ground covers are typicallylocated near buildings or in parking lot“islands.” These plants are surrounded byconcrete or asphalt, which absorb andradiate heat, creating a microhabitat thatmay create stressful conditions, whichincreases susceptibility to insect pestsincluding scales, aphids, and spidermites. In addition, these microhabitats,which are typically warmer than the sur-rounding areas, increase the reproductivepotential of insect and mite pests. Thesemicrohabitats or “islands” are also inhos-pitable to natural enemies such as preda-tors and parasitoids due to the extremetemperatures, volume of dust, or levels ofautomobile exhaust. The plants may be soisolated that natural enemies cannot lo-cate the pests. This is referred to as “frag-mentation.” For example, mugo pinesplanted in parking lot “islands” are typi-cally heavily infested with pine needlescale, Chionaspis pinifoliae, becausenatural enemies are unable to locate thescale populations. The question then is:will this result in an increase in insecti-cide usage? The best way to avoid frag-mented landscapes is through properplant selection, that is, using resistantplant material and incorporating a diver-sity of plants into a landscape as opposedto pure monoculture plantings.

Suburbanization will continue to be adominant factor as housing developmentsand shopping malls expand beyond thecores of cities. However, it is importantfor humans to understand that just be-cause we inhabit a new area it doesn’tmean we will not have pest problems. Wewill never eradicate insect pests—theywere here first and many are a vital partof the established ecosystem.

Raymond A. Cloyd, Center for Ecological

Entomology and the University of IllinoisBuilding developments that encroach on unihabited areas put humans indirect competition with wild animals and plants. Photo by Charlie Warwick, INHS

Office of the Chief

5

The tallgrass prairie with all its complexinteractions among plant and animal speciesand environmental variables has nearly van-ished from Illinois. Prairie remnants aredisproportionately found on nutrient-poorsites or other lands with limitations to agri-cultural development. Remnants on the richsilt-loam soils are particularly scarce due toextensive conversion to agriculture. Prairieremnants persisting on these rich soil typesmostly occur in railroad rights-of-way or onlands associated with pioneer cemeteries.Vehicle incursions, abundant weed infesta-tions, fire absence, and continued losses dueto agricultural expan-sions continue tothreaten remnants inthe railroad rights-of-way. The remnantsassociated with pio-neer cemeteries tendto be small (< 5acres), isolated, rect-angular units, sur-rounded by agricul-tural and other landuses where prairiespecies are absent.However, these areasoffer the greatest op-portunities to preservethe floristic composi-tion characteristic ofthe original silt-loamprairies, and many ofthe best remainingexamples have beenprotected as IllinoisNature Preserves.

Important questions remain: are thesesmall and isolated sites sustainable or isthere attrition from the pool of prairie spe-cies? Will these species persist in the ab-sence of interactions with many bird andmammal species or even some insect polli-nators? Can these sites survive offsite influ-ences such as herbicide drift and do theyresist invasion of weedy species from sur-rounding lands? To answer these questions,a study begun in 2001 was designed to de-termine current patterns of plant species di-versity and assess trends in three high-qual-ity remnants of the rich silt-loam prairies ofIllinois. These preserves, Prospect Cem-etery Prairie, Loda Cemetery Prairie, and

Are Small, Isolated Prairie Preserves Sustainable?Weston Cemetery Prairie, range in sizefrom three to four acres.

The vegetation was quantitativelysurveyed using the standard quadratsampling frame— 50 cm on each side,placed along six parallel transects. Thetransects were placed in a stratified or-der across each preserve. Metal rebarposts mark the beginning and end pointsof each transect.

Based on these sample data, totalrichness of native plants ranged from 98to 109 species with total richness ofnon-native species ranging from 13 to

30 (13% to 28%) at Loda, Weston, andProspect, respectively. The averagenumber of native species per quadrat(species density) was similar across sitesranging from 13.2 to 14.5/quadrat in thecore interior portions of the prairies.Loda Cemetery Prairie, the only sitewith no grave markings in the preserve,had the greatest native species densityand the lowest proportion of non-nativespecies and appears to be the site withthe fewest on-site disturbances.

The first signals that changes whichcould threaten these preserves may beunderway would be differences in pat-terns of diversity and composition be-tween external and internal portions.

The profile of native plant species rich-ness across each site forms a consistentarching pattern with peak diversity inthe internal portions. Analysis of thecompositional differences between thesezones indicates that the edge plots in-clude a greater proportion of weedy spe-cies including many woody vines.Comparisons of native and non-nativespecies richness between the “edgeplots” in the external 10 m of each pre-serve and “interior plots” indicate thedifferences are more than expected fromrandom chance, with native species di-

versity greater in theinternal zones andnon-native speciesgreater in the externalzones. In most cases(excepting patternsfor non-native spe-cies at Loda), thecontrasts are statisti-cally significant.

These results pro-vide a baseline esti-mate of species di-versity and abun-dance patterns as ameans to make futurecomparisons. Sincesuch descriptionsfrom this historicallyspecies-rich regionof the tallgrass eco-system are surpris-ingly scarce, thesecharacterizations

also provide comparative informationfor studies of other grasslands. Resultsfrom resampling efforts will indicatewhether trends show an increase inedge-type vegetation at these preservesor whether on-site management is ad-equate to sustain these important relictsof our natural heritage. If the trends in-dicate attrition from the pool of prairiespecies, there will be strong justificationfor attempting to acquire adjacent landsto augment the prairies with borders ofreconstructed prairie to buffer themfrom some of the effects of edge.

John B. Taft, Center for Wildlife and Plant

Ecology

Most prairie remnants in Illinois are found along railroad rights of way or in pioneercemeteries. Photo by John Taft, Center for Wildlife and Plant Ecology

6

Carolyn Nixon

SpeciesSpotlight

Black andYellowGardenSpider

Susan Post

Two Illinois fairyshrimp swimming in anephemeral pool. Photo byMichael Jeffords, INHS Office ofthe Chief

Almost anyone who has ven-tured into an oldfield or even agarden in late summer has un-doubtedly had a close encoun-ter with an imposing yellowand black female garden spider.Her large size, bold colors, andhabit of sitting rather menac-ingly in the center of a largeweb, nearly always built inopen, sunny locations, makethe garden spider easily recog-nizable. Such encounters areunforgettable, if not downrightstartling.

The black and yellow gar-den spider, Argiope aurantia, isone of two species of gardenspider found in Illinois. A.aurantia are found from south-ern Canada, south through the

lower48UnitedStates,Mexico,andCentralAmerica.Theyarefound asfar southas CostaRica.Thesespiders have egg-shaped abdo-mens with yellow or orangemarkings on black backgrounds.Their legs are black with theupper portions orange. Likemost spiders, the females arelarger 19–28 mm, while themales are 5–8 mm.

Garden spider webs are ofthe classic orb design—a centralhub with a geometric arrange-ment of spirals and strengthen-ing threads radiating from thecenter like the spokes of awheel. This design forms astrong, yet flexible structure upto two feet in diameter, makingit a highly efficient interceptorof flying or jumping insects aslarge as grasshoppers. Addingto this efficiency is the uniquezigzag pattern of shiny whitesilk extending from the center ofthe web. This was once thoughtto be a warning device to pre-vent birds or other animals, per-haps even the inattentive gar-dener, from blundering into thepainstakingly constructed web.However, recent research sug-gests an even more ingeniouspurpose. Because it reflects ul-traviolet light much like flowersthat use these signals to attractinsects for pollination, the struc-ture may actually be sending anirresistible invitation to insects.

They may fly into the webthinking they are headed to aflower rather than onto a dinnertable!

Once snared in the web, theinsect’s struggles are sensed bythe female, who has been lyingin wait, with her head down-ward and legs outstretched tobetter detect even the faintesthint of a meal. She deftlymoves to the source of vibrationand quickly restrains the cap-tured prey by wrapping it in silkbefore biting and injecting itwith paralyzing venom. Thisready-to-eat package is thenmoved to an out-of-the-wayportion of the web so it will notinterfere with later catches. Thehapless insect can then besucked dry at the spider’s lei-sure.

In spite of their impressivesizes and seemingly ruthlessdemeanor, garden spiders areharmless to humans and shouldbe seen as allies in the garden,even when they cause us heartpalpitations in the tomato patch!This Illinois resident will perishwith the first hard freeze, leav-ing only a brown, fuzzy eggcocoon filled with tinyspiderlings that must await thecoming spring.The black and yellow garden spider, Argiope aurantia, is

one of two species of garden spider found in Illinois. Photo by

Michael Jeffords, INHS Office of the Chief

A classic orb web spun by the black and yellow gardenspider. Photo by Michael Jeffords, INHS Office of the Chief

7

TheNaturalist'sApprentice

Capture aGarden

Spider's Web

Carolyn Nixon

“The Naturalist’s Apprentice” presents educational activities for middle school students. Teachers are invited tophotocopy this page for classroom use.

Capture a Garden Spider’s Web

A spider web is a truly beautiful piece of natural art, and you cancapture a garden spider’s web and preserve it on a piece of pa-per. You will need a can of quick drying spray paint, a piece ofstiff paper such as poster board, a pair of scissors, and severalnewspapers. Use a dark-colored paint, such as black or brown,if you use white or light colored paper; use white paint withdark-colored paper.

Find a nicely formed spider web. It will work best if it is notwet from dew or rain. Cut your paper so that it is larger than theweb. If the spider is present, shoo it from the web. You do notwant to injure the spider as it is beneficial to the habitat. Thespider will make a new web once its old one is gone.

Hold the can of paint about a foot from the web and spray it atan angle to the web. Spray paint on both sides. Have a partnerhold up a piece of newspa-per to catch the paint thatmisses the web. Quicklyplace your piece of stiffpaper against the web, lift-ing the web onto it. Haveyour partner cut the longsilk threads that hold theweb to the supportingplants.

Lay your collected web ona flat surface for severalminutes while the paintdries. Write the date andlocation where you col-lected the web on the pa-per, and the species of spi-der, if you know it. Youcan either spray the col-lected web with clearacrylic to protect it or placeit in a picture frame with apiece of glass or plastic infront of it.

Drawing by Carolyn Nixon, INHS Center for Ecological Entomology

8

I LLINOISNATURALHISTORYS U RV E Y

607 East Peabody Drive,Champaign, Illinois

61820 USA

Non-Profit Org.U. S. Postage

PAIDChampaign, IL 61820

Permit 75

CommunicatingNature

continued from front page

Illinois Natural HistorySurvey Reports ispublished quarterly bythe Illinois NaturalHistory Survey, 607East Peabody Drive,Champaign, IL 61820.Headquartered on thecampus of theUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign,the Survey is adivision of the IllinoisDepartment of NaturalResources.

INHS Reports is editedby Tom Rice andCharlie Warwick andprinted on recycledand recyclable paper.Design by Otto-WalkerCommunications.

Equal opportunity to participate in programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those funded by theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies is available to all individuals regardless of race, sex, national origin, disability,age, religion, or other non-merit factors. If you believe you have been discriminated against, contact the funding source's civilrights office and/or the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, IDNR, One Natural Resources Way, Springfield, IL 62702-1271; 217/785-0067; TTY 217/782-9175.

Much of the course was de-signed to help students see thenatural world and their own ca-pacities anew. A sample exer-cise consisted of drawing from anupside-down image. Nixon, thedrawing instructor, feels that thisactivity forces the artist to exam-ine the actual contours of a sub-ject, freeing him or her of themind’s preconceived notions of,say, a duck. Many of the studentswere shocked at how effectivetheir drawings turned out, whenviewed right side up.

Coupled with observation, ofcourse, is the fundamental act ofrecording. Recording requirestools, and students spent a gooddeal of time practicing the basicskills in each genre. As the pho-tography instructor, Jeffords em-

phasized the importance of pre-cision. An image that is perfectin all other respects will still failif it is blurry. He taught photog-raphy as a matter of levels,grounded in basic technicalknowledge of the equipment,proceeding to artistic variables(depth of field, perspective, etc.)and finally to pure aesthetictools (e.g., composition). Heremoved the mystery from creat-ing striking images by breakingthe process down and showingthat the aim is to be thoroughand thoughtful at every level.

Hands-on experience was animportant part of the course.There were three field trips: toMatthiessen State Park andLodge Park in Illinois and Tur-key Run State Park in Indiana.Here students learned to distin-guish between theory and prac-tice. Birds aren’t cooperativedrawing models, wind-blownplants are challenging to photo-

graph, and it’s hard to make adescription of a sunset cliché-free. Students realized that afterlearning the fundamentals of anyart, the payback comes with practice.

NRES 499 involved near con-stant peer review, in class as wellas through an on-line forum. Theculmination of this process, andindeed of the entire course, willbe a real-world exercise in com-municating nature. Watch for theFall 2005 issue of the IllinoisSteward. Every article, drawing,and photograph in the issue willbe the work of this pioneer groupof NRES 499 students. The en-thusiasm of the students as wellas the quality of their work dem-onstrate that there is a need forcourses such as this one. The ideais not so outlandish, in the end, sincehigher education was initially in-tended to provide just this—a trulywell-rounded education.

Andrea Appleton, Office of the Chief