February  2014   Volume  12  Issue  5  

BioMass

Senior Reflection: Never Stop Being Curious

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I’ve always been impatient for knowledge. Growing up, I devoured books and asked incessant questions about everything I read and saw. In seventh grade, I was lucky to have a particularly inspiring science teacher, and I naively decided that science was the place I could find all the answers to my never-ending questions (of course, science only opened more doors for me to explore). That teacher introduced me to my first scientific article: some population study about elk in the Rocky Mountains. Right then and there, I decided wildlife biology was

my vocation. Of course, being young and wishy-washy, I changed my mind less than a year later when I started volunteering in the hospital at my local humane society. I became enamored with the possibility that I could make an active difference in a pet’s life and by extension, in the life of the human who

Contents

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Senior Reflection: Never Stop Being Curious

Minnesota DNR Conference shows State is on the right conservation path

Upcoming Seminars, Dates and Events

Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity all a part of Interim in Ecuador

Continued

Student  Coordinator:  Alex  Ripperger  ‘14  

By Marie Bak ‘14

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Volume  12  Issue  5  February  2014  

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loved it. Since that year, I’ve yet to fall out of love with veterinary medicine.

When I came to St. Olaf, I knew that’s what I wanted to do and I chose the biology major not because of my seventh grade discoveries but simply because it was the best choice to get my pre-requisites for veterinary school. In fact, throughout high school, I’d had rather poor science instruction, and I was a little nervous about being a biology major. Now that’s almost comical, because as a graduating senior, I can’t imagine the past four years without biology. From “Ch/Bi” to animal physiology to evolutionary biology, practically every class I’ve taken in this department has inspired me to dash back from class and tell my roommate, a very non-science major, about the new, incredible thing I was learning! My biology professors (some of the most inspirational, helpful and kind professors I’ve had) shared the material in an accessible yet challenging way, encouraging me to dig deeper every day. The variety of available classes allowed me to personalize my major into a pre-veterinary track and freshman year, I was even able to start a pre-veterinary club that has tripled in size and become very active on campus! However, the opportunities I’ve had through this department, like my interim abroad in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, have deepened my love for many facets of biology, not just the animal side.

Next year, I will be attending veterinary school at Colorado State University and while I plan to work in small animal private practice for a few years, the experience I’ve had as a biology major at St. Olaf has encouraged me to explore a specialization in the future, perhaps in theriogenology (animal reproduction) or anthrozoology (the study of the human-animal bond). Regardless of where the future takes me, St. Olaf biology has helped me remember to never stop asking questions.

M arc h S eminars

March 3 Peruvian Medic al Experienc e and The N atural Lands, 4:00 p.m.

March 10 C osta Ric a and Equatorial Biology Seminar, 4:00 p.m.

BIG DATA

2013-14 S c ience Symposium April 10 and 11

T hursday 4/10 7-8pm Tomson 280 - Panel disc ussion

F riday 4/11 2:45pm Tomson 280 - Music

3:00-4:15pm Tomson 280 - Dr. S tephanie Hampton

4:30-5:45pm Tomson 280 - Dr. G eorge D jorgovski

7:15pm Tomson 280 - Music

7:30-8:45pm Tomson 280 - Dr. Katherine Yelic k

MN A cademy of S c ience and W inchell Undergraduate

Research Symposium

S aturday, A pril 26

S t. Mary’s University in W inona

A ll day event

Email Tory <borovskt@stolaf.edu> by March 14 if you want to present/attend. The biology

department has some funds available.

C hinese with the Profs - Tuesday, March 11

A great opportunity to eat C hinese food and hang out with your favorite biology professors. Don’t miss it! This c ounts as a Tri-Beta/Biology C lub event.

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Volume  12  Issue  5  February  2014  

Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity all a part of Interim in Ecuador By Nick Baker ‘15

Ecuador is widely known as one of the most biodiverse areas of the entire planet. Despite its relatively small size, it is home to a stretch of the Andes Mountains, part of the Amazon Rainforest, a coastal region, and, of course, the famous Galapagos Islands. As a biology student, it was a dream come true to study in Ecuador this past interim and experience its unique variety of ecosystems.

The first week of our trip was in the Cloud Forest, so named because its altitude places it within the heavens. Each mountain is home to endemic species, and the region is particularly famous for displaying the co-evolution of dozens of species of hummingbirds and orchids. We stayed in a lodge that was staffed by incredibly knowledgeable guides who had spent their lives in close conjunction with the ecosystem. Each day included five to seven hours of hiking through immense forests, waterfalls, swamps, and streams, where we saw various plants, birds, and insects. We also had lab activities that emphasized teamwork in labeling different species of plants and insects.

The second major part of the trip was in the Galapagos Islands, the Mecca of evolutionary biology. It was amazing to personally witness the plants and animals that amazed Charles Darwin 150 years ago. We spent three days on a yacht that traveled from island to island. Every day featured hours of snorkeling with sea turtles, rays, sea lions, limitless schools of fish, and sharks! On island hikes, we saw many of Darwin’s finches and the famous blue-footed and red-footed boobies. On Isabela Island, we visited a turtle hatchery, hiked a volcano, and engaged in many discussions on the relationship between biological and social sustainability, an issue that Ecuador currently faces. In fact, throughout the trip, we focused not just on the biodiversity itself but also on the complications of environmental preservation in still-economically-developing South America.

The final piece of the trip was a week in the Yasuní Rainforest, which lies on a tributary of the Amazon. Its equatorial position affords it a constant growing season and ample precipitation. Like in the Cloud Forest, we stayed in a lodge with guides and undertook day-long hikes through the rainforest. Some sighting highlights included over six species of monkeys (including an extremely rare nocturnal monkey), a family of river otters, gigantic tarantulas, macaws, parrots, and poison-dart frogs. Our week was particularly timely because the government of Ecuador has recently decided to exploit the region for oil despite pressure from the international community, which has divided the opinions of the populace. This generated many thought-provoking class discussions, especially when considering parallels like our own Keystone pipeline.

This interim was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, especially for anyone interested in life science. It was absolutely amazing to see the material from Evolution & Diversity, Ecology, and Animal Physiology come to life. Every single day of the trip had something new to offer us. It reminded me of everything I love about the biology major.

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Volume  12  Issue  5  February  2014  

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This December I had the opportunity to attend the Minnesota DNR roundtable conference. I was struck by the quality of people there, each of them friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about serving the state of Minnesota in the pursuit of protecting and enhancing our natural resources. I thought about how fantastic it is to live in a state where our natural parks, rivers, and wildlife habitat are so highly valued- even Governor Mark Dayton was there to show his support. In his opening remarks he commented on the overwhelming bipartisan support that the DNR receives in Minnesota because of the good and effective work they do. He offered his personal phone number to the room of conversationalists, saying that he’s always willing to hear the DNR’s next great idea. Throughout the day there was considerable conversation about the “Legacy Amendment,” which Minnesotans voted to add to Minnesota’s constitution in 2008. The amendment provides funding for the protection and enhancement of prairies, wetlands forests, wildlife habitat, lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. It also aims to support parks and trails and preserve arts and

Minnesota DNR Conference shows State is on the right conservation path By Nora Flynn ‘14

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cultural history. Increases in state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent until 2034 will fund these projects. At the conference, it was clear that the DNR feels a great weight of responsibility in spending taxpayers’ money in a meaningful and efficient way. They claimed this be the ‘Golden Era’ of conservation in Minnesota and strongly emphasized wise long-term implementation of the funds that will shape the future of Minnesota. Currently, the most difficult issue for the DNR is the loss of prairies and wetlands to agricultural land. Not only are we losing species diversity and abundance, but there is also an economic cost. Native pollinators help many cultivated flowering plants to reproduce; it’s estimated that a third or more of our food is a direct result of pollination, not to mention the many other parts of the ecosystem that they positively affect. Without pollinators, we could see an ecosystem collapse, causing higher food prices for all. Less than 2% of Minnesota’s native prairie remains, and native prairies are North America’s most endangered habitat type. The DNR wants to protect existing prairie and has begun a campaign to propagate pollinator habitat on farms, roadsides, and even citizens’ back yards. It was both overwhelming and inspiring to be in a room with several hundred other people who share the same passions as me. Sportsmen and scientists alike were on the same page concerning issues of land management. Never before have I felt my love for ‘recreating’ so legitimate nor do I think I will soon find myself in a conference room among camouflage blazers and Carhartt skirts again.

Currently, the most difficult issue for the DNR is the loss of prairies and wetlands to agricultural land. Not only are we losing species diversity and abundance, but there is also an economic cost.