Projects – Natural Resources Measurements (NR 300)

Walnut Creek Wetland Center (Spring 2019 course offering).

Project – Natural Resources Measurements – Spring 2022

Each year, students in this course complete a service-learning project with a community partner. Project information is provided on this page. Past projects are documented below.

For 2022, Raleigh Parks have agreed to work with us and have suggested a number of potential measurements projects. If none of these interest you, you are welcome to pursue anything that excites you – especially if you can get a number of other people to work along with you. But you have to decide quickly, because a semester is shorter than you think.

Key elements of a successful project include defining clearly the objective; area to be measured; whether it’s a sampling or mapping approach (or a bit of both); selecting needed sampling plans and measurement techniques; collecting, organizing, storing, analyzing data; displaying results in graphic and tabular form; providing a written report; providing an oral report; and teaching the rest of the class about what you’re doing.

During the course of your efforts, you will help decide …

how to tackle this project technically and organizationally;
what the report and presentation should include;
what data must be collected;
how to collect the data;
how to analyze the data; and
lots of other things!

Learning Objectives

Many professional skills are required to complete a successful project of this magnitude. During this course you will have the opportunity to …

identify a problem, explain its importance, and explain how you will address it;
identify things you need to learn about to solve the problem, and learn them;
gain library and research skills;
develop study design expertise;
develop statistical expertise needed to solve the problem;
gather and analyze data;
figure out the right combination of tables, graphs, and maps to communicate your results;

communicate clearly the results of your efforts in written and oral presentations;
plan a large project with a team of people;
develop organizational skills;
work effectively as part of a collaborative team;
develop effective meeting skills;
document your efforts;
use evidence-based approaches to problem solving in environmental practices and city government; and
lots of other things!

Past Projects – Natural Resources Measurements

2022:: Varied

In 2022, we partnered with Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources and continued to use the 2021 flexible model in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 7 teams each working at their own sites.

List of project and partners
- Bigleaf Magnolia at Lake Johnson
- Ecological Scorecard for Management Priorities
- Emerald Ash Borer in Raleigh Parks
- Horseshoe Farm Wetland Restoration
- Invasive Plant Inventory and Distribution
- Long Leaf Pine Management at Lake Johnson
- Wildlife Monitoring & Diversity
All final reports are in this folder
All final presentations are in this folder

2021:: Varied

In 2021, we used a different model to allow more flexibility in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 7 teams each working at their own site for their own client.

List of project and partners
- Crabtree Creek Flooding – Case Study of the Effects of Impervious Surfaces – No formal partner
- Inventorying Invasive Plants – Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
- Long Leaf Pine at Lake Johnson – Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
- Wetland Soils at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve – Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
- Unauthorized Use at the Pearl Creek Property – Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
- Water Quality in Lake Raleigh – No formal partner
- Wildlife at the I-540 Underpass of White Oak Trail – Cary Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources
All final reports are in this folder
All final presentations are in this folder

2020 :: Raleigh’s Lake Johnson Park

Partners:

Raleigh Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Resources

Products:

Report: Lake Johnson Park Inventory (2020 May 5) | Executive Summary
Presentations: Erosion | Trails | Vegetation | Water Quality | Wildlife

2019 :: Raleigh’s Walnut Creek Wetland Park

Partners:

Products:

Report: Walnut Creek Wetland Park Inventory (2019 April 30)
Presentations: Garden+Play | Invasive Plants | Southside Connector | Little Rock Creek Water Quality | Wildlife

2018 :: Raleigh Park’s Lake Johnson Park

Partners:

Products: