Lakeside News Summer 1997
Water Quality Laboratory
Friends of Lakeside, Inc.
Contracting Bids
Water Lab
OST Benefit
Natural History Week
Regents Meeting
Diatoms
Wehrspann Report
Interim Director
Construction of Water Quality Laboratory: A New Beginning
By Arnold van der Valk, Director
On August 19, 1997, Bill Eich Construction Company, Inc., of Spirit Lake was awarded the contract to build the water quality laboratory. Construction will begin in mid-September and is scheduled to be completed by May, 1998. Lakeside will always be indebted to the Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., for undertaking this ambitious project and for the tremendous support that was shown for Lakeside through contributions to this project by the Iowa Great Lakes community and by our alumni. I would particularly like to thank Sue Richter and Neal Conover, who co-chaired the fundraising committee, and the other members of the committee for their hard work and their boundless enthusiasm.
Even before construction of the water quality laboratory had begun, several other related events occurred. I would briefly like to outline the four most important ones.
Steve Fisher was hired to run the water chemistry laboratory within the water quality laboratory. Steve is exceptionally well qualified for this position. For the last few years, he has been in charge of the day-to-day operation of Dr. William Crumpton’s water chemistry laboratory at Iowa State University. Funds for this important new position were provided by the Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences at ISU. This reflects ISU’s commitment to protecting Iowa’s environment. For the first year, Steve’s position will be only half-time. After completion of the construction of the water chemistry laboratory, it is anticipated that it will become full-time. Steve will spearhead Lakeside’s new water quality program for the Iowa Great Lakes. Part of Steve’s job also will be to help local schools and other organizations with their water quality projects.
Lakeside received $140,000 through a state appropriation. These funds will be used to winterize and renovate Mess Hall. This renovation and the construction of the water quality laboratory are the first two steps in turning Lakeside into a year-round environmental education facility. The Mess Hall renovation will include insulating the building, adding a heating and cooling system, enclosing the porch, building a new entry on the west side of the building, and remodeling the kitchen and dish washing areas. Not only will this renovation give us year-round dining facilities, but it will allow us to develop the "loft" in the Mess Hall, which was previously a dormitory, into a combination computer facility and seminar/meeting room complex.
Significant progress has also been made toward the third step in turning Lakeside into a year-round facility, better housing. Improving housing at Lakeside has long been recognized as one of our greatest needs. Through the generosity of Mike Stineman, the design of new housing units was begun by Citation Homes of Spirit Lake, which specializes in building prefabricated housing. The exteriors of these proposed new units will resemble the CCC-built cottages that flank Mess Hall. If all goes well and funding can be secured in time, the construction of one or more new housing units could begin as early as next summer.
Funding also is currently being sought to hire an environmental education coordinator for Lakeside. The primary responsibilities of the environmental education coordinator will be to develop field exercises and to facilitate bringing high, middle, and grade school classes to Lakeside. This fall a program funded by the Andrea and Norman Waitt, Jr. Foundation in the form of a grant to Iowa Lakes Community College will begin to bring high school teachers and eventually their students to Lakeside. Over the next few years as the winterization of Lakeside’s facilities is completed, Lakeside will become a year-round environmental center primarily serving schools in northwest Iowa.
To all of us involved in the fundraising and design of the water quality laboratory, the letting of the building contract was the culmination of several years of work. In reality, as can be seen above, the construction of the water quality laboratory is just the beginning of the transformation of Lakeside into a more relevant and responsive educational and research center that will better serve the Iowa Great Lakes and the regents’ universities.
Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc.
By Judy Thoreson, Past President, Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc.
What an exciting summer for Friends of Lakeside Lab! The dream of a year-round water quality lab became a reality on the evening of June 21 with the groundbreaking ceremony. It truly was an evening of celebration shared by University officials, contributors to the project and professors and staff of Lakeside Lab. Outstanding food was prepared and served by the culinary students of Iowa Lakes Community College. It was an enjoyable evening for the more than 100 people who attended.
The groundbreaking became possible because the goal of raising more than $700,000 was achieved this spring. Our many thanks to Norm and Andrea Waitt, Iowa Lakes Community College, University of Okoboji Foundation, and the many (over 180 contributors) concerned citizens who have made the construction of the water quality laboratory possible.
On July 18, the Okoboji Summer Theatre’s special performance of "Meet Me in St. Louis" was enjoyed by over 200 people. Friends of Lakeside were honored that the Summer Theatre chose our project as their first ever benefit performance. Over $2,000 was raised for equipment for the new water quality lab. Thank you Okoboji Summer Theatre and Addison Myers for offering the Lab this opportunity.
A big thank you to the Board of Friends of Lakeside Lab for their efforts on our fundraising projects and to the continuing support of Lakeside Lab. And a special thank you to Arnold van der Valk for his leadership in ensuring that Lakeside Lab will continue as a stronger and better institution.
Contracting Bids
By Michelle Bauer
Local contractors won the key bids for the construction of the new water quality lab.
Bill Eich Construction Company of Spirit Lake put in the low bid as the general contractor for construction of the project. Faulkner Plumbing and Heating in Milford and Mueskie Electric, Inc., of Spirit Lake were chosen as the two key subcontractors for the project.
"To have that work stay locally is a tribute not only to our local builders and our trades people, but also to the architect to design the building in such a way that it can be constructed," Sue Richter, president of Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., said.
While there were five bids for the project, according to Bill Eich, four of the bids were within $10,000.
"It was a very tight situation," Eich said. "We were only low by $590 on a $578,000 project. That’s pretty unusual," he said.
Eich and his crew are now working with Lakeside, making building specifications and changes to bring the project within budget.
"We hope to have those mapped out by the first week in August, and we’ll go to a contract signing shortly after that," Eich said.
"We are targeting breaking ground somewhere in the middle of August or the first of September," he said.
The Andrea and Norman Waitt, Jr. Water Quality Laboratory should be complete by spring 1998.
Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., have raised money for the construction of the Lab through fundraisers and contributions. "We do have the necessary funds secured to build the water quality lab," Richter said.
"It’s just a matter of fine tuning the details," Eich said.
Water Lab
By Michelle Bauer
A milestone signifying the turning point of the future of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory took place in a ceremony Saturday, June 21.
The groundbreaking for a new water quality laboratory which will turn the institution into a year-round facility was celebrated with food and drink, music, and many excited guests.
"What a special, special evening this is," Sue Richter, President of Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., said.
"It wasn’t too many years ago that the future of Lakeside Lab was uncertain. Now as a result of this collaborative effort by concerned citizens, Iowa Lakes Community College, and others, there is a promising future for the Lab,"Richter said.
According to Richter, several years ago, the Iowa State Board of Regents questioned closing the Lab due to financial difficulties. In 1993, the regents approved a three-year plan, new organizational structure for the Lab, and new directorship under Dr. Arnold van der Valk.
Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., was established in December, 1994, to raise funds for upgrading and expanding Lakeside facilities, to help raise money for student scholarships, and to provide input into the development of new educational and research programs.
Friends conducted a campaign last year to raise the money for the new water quality lab. The funds were donated by 187 contributors around the Lakes region, including the Iowa Lakes Community College and University of Okoboji Foundation.
The lab will be named the Andrea and Norman Waitt, Jr. Water Quality Laboratory in honor of their lead gift of $300,000.
Through individual gifts, corporate gifts, and additional foundation gifts, Friends raised over $700,000 to construct the facility.
The lab will be named the Andrea and Norman Wait, Jr. Water Quality Laboratory in honor of their lead gift of $300,000.
In addition, an operating foundation with gifts approaching $250,000 already has been established to continue funding for the operation of the laboratory.
In the 1998 Fiscal Year, the Friends group will raise funds to equip the new facility.
The lab will contain a water chemistry laboratory, teaching laboratory, environmental education classroom and administrative offices.
The functions of the lab include monitoring and identifying nutrients and contaminants of water in the Great Lakes area, study biological communities, monitor land use, and education of the public at all levels about water quality issues. According to van der Valk, construction will begin this summer and is scheduled to be completed by May, 1998, for use next summer.
"This is the first step in a five-year master plan that will turn this into a year-round environmental education center," van der Valk said.
The construction of the facility will be the first major capital project in the Laboratory’s Five-Year Capital Plan. Van der Valk said this plan is approximately $2,000,000 of mixed funding from the Regents, capital appropriations, the state, and individual contributions.
Other construction under this plan includes new housing facilities and winterizing and upgrading Mahan Hall and Mess Hall to be used year-round.
Beginning October, 1997, a water quality analyst will be located at the Lab, funded by Iowa State University, who will be responsible for the analysis, monitoring, and recording of important water quality data for the area.
Through a $25,000 grant from the Andrea and Norman Waitt Jr. Foundation to Iowa Lakes Community College, a year-round environmental program for high school students will be implemented.
Secondary Environmental Education Development, SEED, will bring high school teachers and their classes to get hands-on experience with environmental exercises.
According to van der Valk, the new facility will also allow for middle school and elementary students to learn about the environment and water quality year-round. He estimated this will bring nearly 2,000 students into the learning center.
"This establishes a new partnership between Iowa Lakes Community College and Lakeside Lab," Richter said.
The lab will also enable research for a major study to be done.
"We will begin a research project of water quality on the Iowa Great Lakes watershed," van der Valk said.
"We’ll study the effect of land use in water quality," he said.
"This is the first major study done in this region in many years," he said.
OST Benefit
By Michelle Bauer
The Okoboji Summer Theatre featured a benefit performance for Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in July.
The play "Meet Me in St. Louis" was performed Friday, July 18, at the Okoboji Summer Theatre.
OST featured the benefit performance to raise funds to purchase equipment for the new Water Quality Laboratory.
According to Judy Thoreson, former president of Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc., they raised over $2,000 and nearly 200 people attended the show.
"We would like to thank the Okoboji summer Theatre for making the benefit possible, particularly Addison Myers,"Thoreson said.
The tickets were sold for $15 each, and the show was general admission.
Ticket holders automatically became members of "Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc.," for 1997, entitling them to newsletters and informational materials sent out by the board.
The price of the ticket also included an ice cream social and a drawing for door prizes. Door prizes included Lakeside T-shirts, hats, and a Rosburg print of Cayler Prairie.
"I thought it went really well,"Sue Richter, president of Friends of Lakeside said. "What a nice thing for the Okoboji Summer Theatre to do," she said.
Natural History Week
By Michelle Bauer
Natural History Week was a new term added to the summer program at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.
During Natural History Week, August 11-15, five courses were available for anyone who wanted to learn about Iowa’s natural history and resources from some of the leading ecologists and environmental educators in the midwest.
"Anybody can take these courses," Dr. Arnold van der Valk, director of the Lab said.
In 1993, the Board of Regents approved a three-year plan in an attempt to bring the Lab out of financial instability which threatened the future of the Lab.
"They’re designed for residents and visitors who have an interest in learning more about the region," he said.
The courses offered were Aquatic Plants with instructor Dean Roosa, Fish Biology with Mike Lannoo, Life in Lakes with John Schalles, Nature Photography with Tom Rosburg, and Prairies and Prairie Restoration with Paul Christiansen.
These introductory courses each lasted five days and stressed experiential learning. According to van der Valk, participants spent most of each day in the field getting hands-on education.
Due to the intensity of the courses, participants were limited to one class.
There were no prerequisites required to take the classes and one college credit could be obtained by registering through Iowa Lakes Community College or one of the three regents’ universities. Classes could also be taken on a non-credit basis.
According to van der Valk, the classes were each limited to 10 participants. This summer 25 students participated in Natural History Week. Natural History Week will become an annual event. Plans for summer 1998 are being made at this time.
For more information on summer 1998 courses, contact Iowa Lakeside Laboratory at 712-337-3669 or the Lakeside administrative office in Ames at 515-294-2488.
Regents Meeting
By Michelle Bauer
The Iowa State Board of Regents met for a two-day conference June 18 and 19 at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory.
This was the first meeting held at the Lab in many years, and according to Arnold van der Valk, hopefully will turn into an annual event.
"It’s good that the meeting was here because the regents know very little about Lakeside," van der Valk said.
A review of the Lab along withprogram changes and proposed budgets for the three major universities were among the topics at hand.
"This is the environmental equivalent to a teaching hospital,"van der Valk said, explaining the type of education students can expect to obtain at the Lab.
Van der Valk reviewed the progress made over the last three years towards the goals of the Lab.
In 1993, the Board of Regents approved a three-year plan in an attempt to bring the Lab out of financial instability which threatened the future of the Lab. Eight goals were set for the three-year plan, which began July 1, 1994.
The financial situation has since improved through increased enrollment and the establishment of Friends of Lakeside Lab, Inc. Friends has successfully raised over $730,000 towards construction of the new water quality lab and is currently raising funds for the equipment inside the lab.
Increased enrollment has more than doubled housing revenues which will allow for better housing units to be constructed. According to van der Valk, enrollments have increased 250 percent in the last three years, from 80 students in1995 to 167 students duringsummer 1997.
This is in part due to the changes in enhancing the instructional program. All courses offered through the Lab have been shortened from five weeks to three or four weeks to allow students to take more courses each summer.
The number of courses was increased from 10 to over 15 per summer, adding new courses in archaeology, ecology, evolution, and geology. Short courses for nontraditional students are also being offered now through Iowa Natural History Week at the Lab.
Another factor in the growing success of the Lab is through improved relations with the local community through Sunday and Wednesday programs offered to the public, local media coverage, and the Friends group.
Other goals which the Lab has reached include enhanced research opportunities and increased scholarships for students.
By reaching these goals, Lakeside has successfully turned itself around and is heading for a bright future, including the new water quality facility which will be used as a year-round learning facility, not only for college students but also middle school and elementary classes.
Diatoms
By Michelle Bauer
One single celled organism is popular enough to entice citizens from foreign lands to explore the Iowa Great Lakes.
Diatoms are the single celled organism causing people to travel to Iowa Lakeside Laboratory from across the seas.
"They are a diploid organism and, in a way, a very highly advanced unicell and excellent environmental indicator," Dr. Gene Stoermer said.
Diatoms form their cell wall entirely out of silicone and are a few micrometers long. Their identification is based on shapes and marking of the cell walls.
These microscopic algae are found in land, fresh water, and ocean water. According to Stoermer, there are nearly 2,500 different species of diatoms here in Dickinson County.
Diatoms are studied as indicators of water conditions, including lave acidity.
Because of the silicone cell walls, this algae can preserve for centuries. The history of lake conditions can be indicated by taking core samples from the bottom of the lake.
According to Stoermer, there are nearly 2,500 different species of diatoms here in Dickinson County.
"From fossils, we can tell about what conditions were when an animal died," Stoermer said. "The history we can learn is what intrigues me," he said.
According to Stoermer, core samples from the bottom of local lakes can be compared to conditions of lakes in far away places by studying diatoms. As a researcher for the Center for Great Lakes and University of Michigan, Stoermer has been able to study lakes in China and Lake Baikal in Siberia. He can compare those studies to studies here at the Iowa Great Lakes.
While the study of diatoms is important to ecology of water sources and flora, Stoermer is concerned about the lack of diatom learning facilities around the country. He teaches one of the few diatom classes, Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms, at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory. "This was the first diatom class in North America," Stoermer said. There are very few now in the U.S. that are offered," he said.
"This class is partially sponsored by the National Science Foundation," he said, which grants them with the Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy grant. "There is a national concern about the lack of facilities and losing knowledge about natural history," he said.
According to Stoermer, this is a four-week class offered at Lakeside Lab focused entirely on diatom research, including identification and ecology. This summer, the course was followed by a one-week Diatom Clinic, available to students or professionals.
Stoermer said this used to be a five-week class, however, it was cut back to four weeks. "This particular class requires too much to do in four weeks," he said. "We have added the extra week for students and professionals to do personal research," he said.
"The class is designed for people who have well developed aspirations," Stoermer said. "Mostly graduate and advanced graduate students," he said.
Stoermer said the diatom course and workshop is designed for regular students wanting to learn more about diatoms and for professionals who want to do studies and use their facilities for research and analysis. He said many people often bring their own materials to work on personal studies.
Because of the lack of diatom education around the country, Stoermer said this class draws students not only nationwide, but also worldwide. This year a professor from Taiwan and a graduate student from New Zealand were among those students who traveled from overseas.
"It’s a diverse and wide ranging group," Stoermer said.
Eduardo Morales, a graduate student at University of Connecticut, originally from Bolivia, attended the diatom class and workshop.
"All the things I’ve learned in the last three years were on my own because no one around the New England area offers diatoms,"Morales said. "This is a pretty famous class in the whole country,"he said.
Morales is studying for a Ph.D. in Paleolimnology, studying lakes and lake history. "There is lot of application of diatoms, including lake management," he said. "What I like is the practical approach," he said, learning with hands-on experience.
Students go on field trips to We continue to break all records in total number of students and educational opportunities.local lakes to collect samples from the mud and other sites, including Pilot Knob State Park, to collect specimens from local flora.
"It’s a lot of fun," Stoermer said. "I feel it’s a duty. This is one of the few chances for people to get started," he said.
Return to beginning of this newsletter .
The Wehrspann Report
By Mark & Judy Wehrspann
Summer 1997 at Lakeside has again been an exciting experience. We continue to break all records in total number of students and educational opportunities.
With the increased numbers we also have had the opportunity to meet new faculty and, of course, welcome the "old timers." Student population again this year has been multi-cultural-- Bolivia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland UK, Taiwan. States observed are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington. We probably have overlooked others.
Class numbers have been strong and only two classes were dropped due to lack of subscription.
The campus community has been lively and cohesive--even the high temps and humidity did little damage to relationships.
We again have been thanking area residents for special donations--Jim and Mary Lou Wright for air conditioners, Butch and Snooky Parks for personally helping Lakeside replace the pontoon, Milford Rescue and Dickinson County Hospital for Emergency Medical Services. If any others have been omitted, it is unintentional and our thanks go to you also.
In the same vein we personally thank all of the Friends of Lakeside for their special efforts in preparing for and carrying out the groundbreaking and thank you party for the new water quality lab. We are excited as construction is imminent for the new lab. Final details are being worked out, and we hope to see construction commence about mid-September.
Strong consideration is still being given to new dormitory space. Over the next year or so we hope to have our Mess Hall completely winterized so that at least we can go deeper into the fall and begin sooner in the spring.
Yes, Lakeside is changing but all for the best.
We hosted the Iowa Board of Regents meeting in June and are hoping that they will continue to see Iowa Lakeside Laboratory in a positive mind frame. Lakeside has so much to give if only given the opportunity to perform. Thanks go to each and every Regent for his/her support.
About the same time we also hosted representatives of the Association of Business and Industry. They were having their state meeting in the area and through the direction of JoAnne Stockdale, our faculty members provided an introductory program for them.
Fall will bring additional construction. Electrical rerouting and conversion to natural gas should be accomplished before the snow falls.
So as the faculty and students leave, the leaves begin to turn, and the cold weather gets closer, we go into remodel and construction mode and begin to make improvements and changes on the campus for the next summer.
Sincere thanks to all of you for all your continuing support. It’s wonderful to know that we have a community about us that is truly interested in the future of Lakeside.
Interim Director
Dr. Arnold van der Valk is on sabbatical at the Florida Center for Environmental Studies, Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, until September 1, 1998. During his absence Dr. William Crumpton, associate professor of botany at Iowa State University, will be the acting director for Iowa Lakeside Laborato
