Projects and Research
Though often quiet and peaceful, Putnam Park can be a busy place. There are currently several ongoing projects as well as some work done for research and labwork. If you are interested in working on something concerning the park, talk to a professor near you!
The Moss Project
During the 2007-2008 school year, Dr. Joseph Rohrer and student Jennie Jacobson have been working to identify which species of moss are present within Putnam Park. This involves going into different habitats within the park and collecting some of the moss found in each area. Information is collected on what type of habitat the moss was found in, as well as the day and approximate location.
In order to identify the moss, specimens must be examined under various microscopes so that 'leafs' and reproductive parts can be seen in as much detail as possible. Many times, it is even necessary to make a cross-section of a leaf or the stem in order to identify the moss down to species. The preservation of the moss is a fairly simple matter, involving no pressing, but instead keeping the moss in a nice little packet of paper. These mosses can be seen in the Herbarium, by contacting Dr. Rohrer.
Invasive Species Removal
Since the summer of 2007, Dr. Evan Weiher and a team of students have been working to rid Putnam Park of some of our most rampant invasive plant species: garlic mustard and buckthorn. Coming the summer of 2008, they are looking for volunteers to work on a team to pick this plant before it becomes more of a problem. If you are interested in helping out, please send an email to weiher@uwec.edu. This can count towards your Service Learning requirement if you are a student at UWEC!
Coursework
Soon Biology 110 (Ecology and Evolution) students will be heading into Putnam Park for one of the semesterly projects. The students will be looking at what trees are found where, and if the size of a tree varies by whether it's in the lowlands (closer to the river) or the higher lands (nearer the hillside). The species of each tree is determined using a guide for the identification of Putnam Park's trees, which you can find on this website. Students then measure the size of a tree by taking it's DBH--diameter at breast height. What patterns do you think they will see?
