Lakeside News Winter 1995-96

Lakeside's Status
Friends of Lakeside, Inc.
Water Quality Laboratory
Summer Courses 1996
Internships
High School Visitors
XXIII NADS Meeting
Mike Lannoo's Okoboji Wetlands
Wehrspann Report

What is the status of the lab?

Arnold van der Valk, Director

Because of an outpouring of support for Lakeside from alumni and friends in the Iowa Great Lakes region, the Iowa Board of Regents decided in 1993 not to close Lakeside as recommended. The Regents, however, did not give Lakeside a permanent reprieve from closure. They were not satisfied with the status quo. In 1994, the Regents changed Lakeside's administration and funding, and Lakeside was given three years to meet eight goals that the Regents set or else. I was hired as director by the Regents on July 1, 1994; and, because I work there, Iowa State University became the host institution for the Laboratory on the same date. The host institution provides all Lakeside's infrastructural support, e.g., accounting, purchasing, and personnel services.

The Regents' eight goals fall into three categories: (1) broader curriculum, (2) increased enrollment, and (3) improved relations with the Iowa Great Lakes community. I would like to bring you up to date on our progress in meeting these three goals.

The Lakeside curriculum has been completely revamped while retaining the experiential nature of all Lakeside's courses. The old summer session of two five-week terms has been replaced with a summer session of two three-week terms and one four-week term. Shorter terms enable us to teach 15 courses each summer. All existing courses were shortened to three or four weeks. Besides many new courses in the life sciences (conservation biology, ecology, evolution, plant ecology, restoration ecology, etc.), courses in other disciplines have been added to the curriculum, including courses in archaeology, environmental planning, and geology. There are also new shorter courses whose sections last only one or two weeks. These include a new course specifically for high school biology teachers, Techniques in Biology Teaching, and the Natural History Workshops.

The revised curriculum, plus improvements in recruiting students, resulted in a doubling of the enrollment of students (110) in 1995 over the average annual enrollment over the previous five years (55). The 1995 enrollment exceeded the enrollment goal of 80 students set by the Regents. The enrollment in 1995 was the highest that it has been in more than 20 years and was one of the highest enrollments in the entire history of Lakeside.

Lakeside has done many things to improve its relationship with the Iowa Great Lakes community. The most important of these were (1) to establish Friends of Iowa Lakeside Lab, Inc.; (2) to inaugurate Wednesday night short programs for local residents and visitors; and (3) to make water quality of the Iowa Great Lakes a major focus of its research program. Additional information about the new Friends group and its first capital project to raise money for a water quality laboratory are found in other articles in this issue.

In summary, we are currently meeting or exceeding the goals set by the Regents. If everything stays on track, we should complete our probationary period with flying colors. In fact, we have already begun to plan for the post-probationary period. We are upgrading faculty and student housing (see Mark and Judy's column), planning for a year-round program in environmental education for grade and high school students, and developing plans to upgrade teaching and research laboratories.

Thanks to your support Lakeside survived its most recent crisis. It will take your continued support, however, to ensure that another such crisis does not threaten its future in the coming years.

Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc.

Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., was organized in March, 1995, as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Friends is working to broaden understanding and create more interaction between Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and the Lakes region. The Board of Friends consists of 16 community-minded citizens who realize the importance of maintaining the Lab. Officers are Judy Thoreson (President), Neal Conover (Vice President), Arnold van der Valk (Secretary), and Barbara Mendenhall (Treasurer).

Last summer eight Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Scholarships amounting to $3,100 were awarded to Lakeside students by Friends of Lakeside Lab., Inc. The following students were recipients in 1995: Sarah Bloom, Patrick Dugan, Julie Ehresman, Amity Givers, Theresa Horton, Duane Kitchen, Jennifer Peterson, and Laura Wendling. Scholarships will continue to be awarded every summer. Interested students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible. Scholarship forms are included in the 1996 Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Bulletin.

The most ambitious task for Friends is the planning of and fundraising for a water quality lab which is to be built at Lakeside (see next story for details). Thanks to the University of Okoboji Foundation 's substantial grant, the water quality lab project is off and running. The next phase of this major fundraising project, which will be conducted this coming spring and summer, is now being organized.

Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., is encouraging everyone who is interested in the future of Lakeside to join and support this new organization (see back page). All membership fees will be used for scholarships or local programming.

Water Quality Lab

Over the years Iowa Lakeside Laboratory has played a role in many regional water quality studies. The pioneering study of the water chemistry of the lakes by Roger Bachmann and John Jones ( Water Quality in the Iowa Great Lakes, 1974) was done out of Lakeside Laboratory as is current monitoring of West Okoboji Lake by Dr. Kenneth Lang, a long-time Lakeside faculty member, that is sponsored by the Okoboji Protective Association (OPA). Nevertheless, water quality has not been one of the major foci of Lakeside's research program.

With the reorganization of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in 1994, one of the major changes that is being implemented is to make the Laboratory more of a resource for the people of the Iowa Great Lakes Region. One way that this is being done is to make water quality of the region one of the major thrusts of the research program. There is, however, no suitable research laboratory at Lakeside for doing water quality studies. The only two laboratories built specifically for research purposes are King Laboratory which was built for parasitology research and the Botany Annex which was built to do prairie ecology research. There is a small limnology laboratory over the boathouse, but it is set up primarily for aquatic animal behavioral research.

Water quality involves much more than water chemistry. As is demonstrated by the activities of the Clean Water Alliance, the water quality of the lakes is primarily a function of land use in the Iowa Great Lakes watershed. Land use patterns (urban and rural) determine the annual inputs of nutrients and other contaminants into the lakes. The only way to protect and eventually improve the water quality of the lakes is to thoroughly understand where and in what quantities nutrients and other contaminants enter the lakes. To do this, land use has to be monitored regularly and flow paths identified. This requires the establishment of a geographic information system (GIS), a computer based system for entering, storing and manipulating spatial data. An operational GIS system for the Iowa Great Lakes would store all the available historic and contemporary data on land use, nutrient applications in the watershed, locations of in-flowing streams and storm sewer outfalls, water chemistry, biological indicators of water quality, etc. Various options for improving water quality can be modeled with the GIS to examine which would be the most cost effective.

Because of the importance of water quality for the region, a water quality laboratory is needed to ensure that the lakes are being routinely monitored and that the expertise needed to interpret these data and advise local public officials about how best to act on this information is available. Lakeside is the logical place to build such a laboratory, not only because it is located on the shores of West Okoboji Lake, but also because it would make more readily available to the region all the expertise on water quality at the three regents' universities. In order for Lakeside to become a center for water quality studies, a new water quality laboratory will need to be built.

This new laboratory would be open to everyone working on water quality studies and educational projects in the region. In other words, it is envisioned not just as a Lakeside facility, but as a regional facility that would be used by various groups associated with the Clean Water Alliance, Iowa Lakes Community College, the local high schools, etc. The construction of this Laboratory will greatly facilitate future work on the water quality of the region because it would provide the remaining infrastructure (laboratory space, offices) needed. Lakeside already provides housing and other support needed by visiting researchers. The building of this laboratory will attract more scientists from universities and colleges to work on water quality studies and make it much easier for these researchers to obtain grant money to fund their research.

The proposed water quality laboratory will contain three research laboratories (water chemistry, bioindicators, and GIS) and a small classroom. The water chemistry laboratory would be used to do basic water chemical analyses such as various species of phosphorous and nitrogen, pH, oxygen, and conductivity. More sophisticated analyses such as pesticides and herbicides would be done at an appropriate university, private, state or federal laboratory. These would be much too expensive to do at Lakeside because only a small number of samples would be done annually. The water chemistry laboratory will analyze water samples at cost from any project carried out by an institution in the Iowa Great Lakes Region or by researchers from the regents' universities and other colleges working in the region. Students will be hired as interns in the chemistry laboratory to keep labor costs to a minimum.

The bioindicators laboratory would be used to monitor the condition of various groups of organisms in the lakes. The composition of plant and animal communities in lakes is very sensitive to changes in chemical and physical conditions. Consequently, the composition of these communities is a good indicator of the environmental health of a lake and changes in their composition are a good indicator of whether it is improving or not. The bioindicator laboratory would monitor regularly, among other communities, the algal communities in the lakes. Algal communities are among the most sensitive and well understood indicators of water quality.

The GIS laboratory would function primarily as a repository for all the information collected on land use, water chemistry, and bioindicators. This laboratory would be set up to allow easy access to this information in order to examine historic trends in the data and to evaluate suggested land use changes and other changes that affect inputs to the lakes to determine how they would affect the water chemistry of the lakes.

The proposed water quality laboratory will be a modest-sized building of about 4,000 square feet that would be open year-round. Only the water chemistry and bioindicators laboratories would be wet laboratories, i.e., equipped with standard laboratory benches, sinks, chemical storage facilities, fume hoods and suitable purified water systems. The GIS laboratory would be primarily a computer facility.

Besides these three research laboratories, the building would contain office space and a classroom for use during the summer by various Lakeside classes which deal with water quality (aquatic biology, freshwater algae, diatoms, fisheries biology, aquatic plants, wetland ecology). During the academic year, this classroom will be used by grade school, middle and high school students. None of the teaching laboratories at Lakeside are heated; consequently, they cannot be used most of the academic year.

The floor plan for the water quality laboratory was developed by an architect from ISU Facilities Planning and Management in consultation with a number of scientists who work on water chemistry, bioindicators, and GIS. The input of these scientists was sought to ensure that the building and its laboratories would be suitable for their intended purpose. The proposed design represents the fourth iteration of the design process. The water quality laboratory will be built across the road from King Laboratory. The exterior of the laboratory (see beginning of article) is designed to blend with those of the existing teaching and research laboratories.

1996 Summer Courses

Fifteen regular courses for undergraduates and graduates will be offered within three terms. Each term will run for three or four weeks. Two multiple section shorter courses will also be offered, Techniques in Biology Teaching and the new Natural History Workshops. The latter are one-week, non-technical introductions to various aspects of the natural history of Iowa and surrounding states. All courses being offered and the instructor or instructors for each are listed below:

First Term (June 3-22)

Conservation Biology (Diane Debinski)
Ecology (Neil Bernstein and Thomas Rosburg)
Environmental Geology of Northwest Iowa (Richard Baker and Lon Drake)
Evolution (John Pleasants)
Field Mycology (Lois Tiffany)

Second Term (June 24-July 20)

Aquatic Biology (Kenneth Lang)
Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms (Eugene Stoermer)
Plant Taxonomy (Dennis Anderson)
Prairie Ecology (Daryl Smith)
Vertebrate Ecology and Evolution (Michael Lannoo)

Third Term (July 22-August 10)

Archaeology (John Doershuk)
Fish Ecology (Neil Bernstein)
Landscape Approaches to Environmental Planning (Julia Badenhope)
Plant-Animal Interactions (Stephen Hendrix)
Plant Ecology (Thomas Rosburg)

In addition to the above courses, four versions of the Natural History Workshop are being offered. There are no prerequisites for these one-week, one-credit courses. Listed below are the four versions and the instructor:

Amphibians and Reptiles
June 3-7 (Michael Lannoo)

Mushrooms and Other Fungi
June 24-28 (Lois Tiffany)

Nature Photography
July 1-6 (Thomas Rosburg)

Iowa's Trees and Forests
July 8-12 (Donald Farrar)

Techniques in Biology Teaching is again being underwritten by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Trust to Iowa State University. There are three sections this year, and they are open to high school biology teachers and community college instructors only. Teachers selected for this course will receive a stipend, tuition, and room and board. For more information on any of the following, please contact the instructor listed:

Animal Biology (June 9-22)
Charlie Drewes, ISU,
Phone: 515-294-8061

Aquatic Ecology (July 14-20)
Arnold van der Valk, ISU,
Phone: 515-294-2488

Prairie Ecology (June 21-27)
Daryl Smith, UNI,
Phone: 319-273-2238

Independent studies, internships, and research are available for undergraduates and graduates. Arrangements must be made with an instructor and a copy of that communication must be sent to the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Administrative Office along with the registration form.

Two Internships Available in 1996

Two internships will be available at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory next summer: Public Relations and Librarian . One intern is needed to be a half-time publicity person for Lakeside and a half-time reporter for the Spirit Lake Beacon . This person should have some background in journalism. The other intern would be a half-time librarian in the Lab's library. If you or anyone you know is interested in a possible internship, please notify the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Administrative Office.

High School Visitors

Akron-Westfield Community School brought 18 students and four teachers to the Lab in early October for a long weekend field experience. Ron Wilmot headed the project with fellow science teacher Theresa Horton. Both Ron and Theresa took summer classes at the Lab this past summer. They were joined by the math teacher, Mike Baker, K. Meerdink, and Dwain Wilmot, fellow teacher and son of Ron.

Projects included sampling and identification of fresh water invertebrates in Jemmerson Slough, water quality tests, and comparative studies, especially with invertebrate findings. Another outing included topographic mapping and data collection. The group all experienced a fen for the first time at Silver Lake and the Excelsior Fen in the Dugout Creek area.

The math man's expertise led the group in compiling a profile of the Kettlehole with volumetric calculation using a parabolic model.

This self-sufficient group brought their own portable lab which was a modified trailer purchased from Federal Excess Property, Des Moines, for about $400. In addition to basic scientific fittings, the lab also includes a two-burner gas stove and small grill. It is solar powered with AC/DC, lights, and small electronic weather station.

The group had a fantastic experience and drove home the point that exceptional teachers do make a difference. These men and women gave up their entire weekend and in-service day to make a memory for themselves and 18 young minds. We look forward to their return in the spring for comparative studies.

XXIII North American Diatom Symposium

Late September marked the 23rd North American Diatom Symposium at Iowa Lakeside Lab. Dr. Stephen Main (Wartburg College), Dr. Lynn Brant (UNI), and Dr. Dave Czarnecki (Loras College) made up the organizing and coordinating committee. The weather was near perfect for the 110 diatomists from this continent, Europe, and South America.

The symposium gave these select people, especially graduate students, the opportunity to share their work in oral presentation. Papers on individual research projects plus poster presentations and keynote speakers were presented throughout the two days. Iowa's own Jean Prior, senior research geologist with the DNR, served as one of the keynote speakers. Brains were picked, ideas shared, updates continued, friendships rekindled--all in the name of science.

For Mark and Judy it offered an opportunity to test their and the Lab's limits. Every bed was readied, every cabin cleaned, plus three cabins at the adjoining Presbyterian Camp were used. Mige's Mobile Meals from Milford catered the event. A special highlight for all was the Iowa Pork Producers barbecuing Iowa Chops for an evening meal.

The last time NADS was at Lakeside was in 1978 so it was a great opportunity to have them back in the Lakeside family. Many of the attendees are former Lakeside students and guests.

Okoboji Wetlands

Mike Lannoo's new book Okoboji Wetlands: a lesson in natural history will be published by the University of Iowa Press in the spring. It will be for sale at Lakeside this summer. The next edition of the Lakeside News will contain more information about this book and how to order it.

The Wehrspann Report

Mark and Judy Wehrspann

As this is the first newsletter after our adoption by Iowa State University, it might be interesting to tell you of all that has happened with Iowa State's encouragement and support.

The change was no more than made on July 1, 1994, and just a few days later a vice president, architect, electrician, and an environmental health and safety representative, all from ISU, appeared at the Lab to review the state of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. As we told them at the time, we would show them "the good, the bad, and the ugly." It is now documented that while certain changes were deemed for immediate change, generally they were impressed by the state of affairs and were only positive in their comments.

This immediate review brought smoke detectors and hantavirus kits into all living quarters, fire extinguishers into additional facilities, safety showers into appropriate lab facilities, no more sleeping in the loft due to a cooking kitchen below, a complete review of electrical wiring throughout the campus, an inventory of buildings and locations, and the identification of areas for possible new construction and building locations identified, etc. These items have become the master list of "things to do" at Lakeside.

More immediate in your mind and ours is perhaps what has been accomplished since that time and particularly this past fall. The kitchen/dining hall, loft, and all living units were immediately brought up to electrical code. The kitchen itself was in need of additional circuitry as over the years more electrical appliances are being used. The loft has been rewired for computer center operations and a conference room. This project can be completed with the installation of air conditioning.

With the demise of the loft as sleeping quarters, we were immediately placed in a pinch for sleeping space, particularly when the request of the Regents was for more utilization. New construction was and still is being considered; but the purchase and arrival of the former Brooks Beach Motel, a fine eight-unit motel, in mid-May initially allowed for replacement living quarters. They came with bathrooms, showers, and TV's!

We are anticipating the immediate arrival of an additional four plex and five single living units as we were given these additional units for purchasing the eight-unit motel.

The women who have used the stone shower facility for years will be pleased to see a new, bright, clean fiberglass ceiling along with new lighting. Hopefully, the men's unit will receive the same improvement next fall. Exhaust fans have been installed in both, and the mildew problem has miraculously disappeared.

As one might imagine, much time has been spent in the motel and on the new foundations and utility feeds for additional units. For those who guested with us this past summer, the electrical control panels (in the showers) have been moved! You had to see that one to believe it! Fill has been added to the front of the motel. With the addition of new decks now under construction, an attractive courtyard appearance should result.

Diggers are now constructing a new sewer line from Reimers Cottage past the north stone cottages and then due south to the septic pump station below the mess hall. This not only allows the placement of the arriving four plex next to Reimers on the cottage green, but also makes the north line of cottages a possible location for remodeling, relocation, or new construction.

The kitchen holds many surprises for our cooks when they return next summer. Historically our kitchen has been a pain to clean--the walls were the inside of the "barn boards." Nails which held the siding protruded into the kitchen making a quick wash down nearly impossible. Exposed pipes and tubing only caught grease and dust. Well, the kitchen is now lined with fiberglass, the lights have been lowered; and the newly painted white ceiling and white paneling makes it truly attractive and most importantly, easy to keep clean.

A used 5'x8' walk-in freezer to back-up the kitchen operation has been purchased to solve the freezer space problem. With the arrival of this free-standing unit, case lots can be stored there with breakdown to the inside kitchen freezers.

A project still in infancy but hopefully completed over the winter will be the moving of the main lab office from the house to Eilers Cottage across the road. When Judy and I arrived here some 18 summers ago, the office had a wood desk, a manual Royal typewriter, a manual adding machine, and a black telephone. Over the years, the antiques have been replaced, more equipment has been added, Judy's job has become more encompassing, and more Lab guests use the office. We now rely on E-Mail, FAXes, and the telephone. A remnant of an office will remain in the house, but the day-to-day operations will be moved across the street. Phones will be answered at both sites, and we will be available just the same as in the past. Coincidentally, we might be able to make our work easier and your stay more enjoyable.

Signs are being electrified. Now we know how people felt in the 1930's when electricity came to the farm. Can you believe that Lakeside will have lighted highway signs! Wow!

It has been a great feeling enumerating the past paragraphs and projects. We are truly encouraged by the direction and leadership that both ISU and Dr. van der Valk have provided. It has been several months of excitement for us, and we hope also for you.

See you next summer!