In the Canopy with Water Bears and Wheelchairs
June 1 – August 9, 2016
with W.R. Millerand, PI and M. D. Lowman, Co-PI
Want A Different Research Experience?
Want new skills, new challenges, a bit of adventure, and an opportunity to publish your research?
NSF: REU: Research Opportunity
This is a three-dimensional research project to define the taxonomy and distribution of Tardigrades (Water Bear) in the canopy in North American forests. This project is a fast paced, tree climbing, data collecting, rapid analysis, and results oriented internship. It’s not for the timid. Students will be professionally trained to ascend into the canopy. There they will measure the impact of invertebrates on the habitat and establish a baseline from which change can be measured. This is the cutting edge of ecological analysis in a world impacted by climate change. Students will learn to use remote sensing, GIS, image analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy to document the microenvironment.
An Opportunity for Students with Ambulatory Disability
Designed for 4 students with ambulatory disability and 4 without, this research is based on the idea that wheelchair dependency is not a limit to good field biology. In the canopy we climb ropes, not trees, and in the lab we use computers, microscopes, and minds that have no boundaries.
Students will be employed for the summer (stipend, housing, & travel). They will collaborate with the PIs to prepare their data for presentation and publication. They will also meet and network with the scientists and students at the California Academy of Sciences, Harvard Forest LTER, KONZA Prairie LTER and the KU Field Station. Students may attend a regional meeting to present their results.
Graduates will be part of a small team of scientists who are defining the condition of the temperate forests before global warming changes the forests and canopy.
Contact: William Miller at 785-594-8379 or reu-canopy@bakeru.edu
Information and application: www.bakeru.edu/canopy
Application Deadline: March 13, 2016