Public Programs at the Edge

Cincinnati Museum Center’s Edge of Appalachia (EOA) introduces a new series of natural history workshops—Advanced Naturalist Workshops. These workshops teach the identification and ecological relationships of Ohio flora and fauna and are part of EOA’s EDGEe Project (Evaluating Diversity—Growing Earth Educators).

The EDGEe Project interfaces scientific study and survey with education. Through field and classroom experiences, participants are given the tools and training to assist in EOA’s effort to evaluate the preserve’s biological diversity and in turn share this knowledge with others.

The preserve views this project as an Ohio “back to earth” movement. With the distractions of the modern age, we too often lose sight and distance ourselves from the natural world. These workshops are designed to bring people back to nature by teaching identification and appreciation for the enormous variety of organisms in Ohio. Graduates of these workshops are termed “Earth educators.” Educators are charged with sharing their knowledge with others to excite and promote protection of Ohio’s remaining natural areas—backyards and beyond!

The workshops are open to all skill levels though naturalists, science educators, natural area managers and others in the natural sciences will find them especially beneficial.

Workshops take place at the 14,000-acre Richard & Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve in Adams County, Ohio. Graduate credits for educators are available through the University of Cincinnati. There is a maximum of 12 participants for each workshop.

July 9-11, 2010
Ferns and Lycopods
Dr. Cynthia Dassler, Curator of Cryptogamic Plants, Ohio State University Museum of Biological Diversity

Delve into the world of ferns and lycopods with a look at their identification and ecology. Develop a confident understanding of the fern life cycle by observing it in action. How did these plants survive since the Devonian? Why are ferns and lycopods more complicated in external and internal structure than most people suspect? Dr. Dassler, one of Ohio’s fern authorities, will help answer these questions, and more. With forty-one species of ferns and lycopods, the preserve is the perfect place to begin your journey.

August 20-22, 2010
Fish
Dr. Thomas Simon, Adjunct Associate Professor, Indiana University-Bloomington

If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to separate the sunfish, darters or minnows to species, then this is the workshop for you. Dr. Simon has 25 years experience as an aquatic biologist, has authored books on the fish of Indiana and a seven volume set on larval fish. Learn how to tell a minnow from a shiner, a catfish from a madtom and one minnow from another. Use fish morphology to recognize fish by family and get hands-on, in the stream experience with fish ID. While this workshop will be especially helpful for professional environmental managers, the lay person will enjoy the challenge as well.

August 27-29, 2010
Freshwater Snails
Dr. John B. Burch, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan

Freshwater snails are one of the most imperiled groups of organisms in the world. Isn’t it time biologists and lay people alike learn to identify these threatened creatures and to develop a better understanding of their life history and habitat needs? Be one of the first in Ohio to study freshwater snails with this foremost, respected authority in malacology—Dr. Burch. Jack has dedicated his life to the study of mollusks and has trained many of today’s working malacologists. Join preserve staff at this exciting event--the first-ever look at freshwater snails on the preserve.

September 10-12, 2010
Grasses
Dr. Michael Vincent, Curator, Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium, Miami University

Explore the world of Agrostology with one of the region’s foremost botanists. Dr. Vincent will lead participants through this, often avoided, section of botanical manuals. Learn the morphology of the grass plant and with practice, use it to key out grasses to tribe, family and species. Learn why glumes, lemmas, ligules and florets are important and how they are used to identify grasses. Stop embarrassing yourself at botanical gatherings by stating, “All grasses look alike.” Face the fact that grasses dominate most any flora for parks, preserves and sanctuaries and learn how to identify them correctly. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn grass identification with this respected scientist.

September 10-12, 2010
Grasses
Dr. Michael Vincent, Curator, Willard Sherman Turrell Herbarium, Miami University

Explore the world of Agrostology with one of the region’s foremost botanists. Dr. Vincent will lead participants through this, often avoided, section of botanical manuals. Learn the morphology of the grass plant and with practice, use it to key out grasses to tribe, family and species. Learn why glumes, lemmas, ligules and florets are important and how they are used to identify grasses. Stop embarrassing yourself at botanical gatherings by stating, “All grasses look alike.” Face the fact that grasses dominate most any flora for parks, preserves and sanctuaries and learn how to identify them correctly. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to learn grass identification with this respected scientist.

September 17-19, 2010
Freshwater Algae
Dr. Jeffrey Johansen, Professor, John Carroll University

Join internationally recognized algae authority, Dr. Jeffrey Johansen for the first-ever look at the freshwater algae at the preserve. When you consider that freshwater algae are among the most diverse and ubiquitous organisms on earth, it’s amazing they’ve not been studied at the preserve before now. And, when considering algae as a whole; the variety of form and color is seemingly endless, from tiny microscopic single-celled organisms to fifty meter long complex plants like giant kelp. They occupy an enormous range of ecological conditions from lakes and rivers, to ice and desert soils. Stop ignoring this important base of most aquatic food webs and join us for this introduction to the freshwater algae.