Enjoy Natural Resources Week Oct. 10-14

Utah State University's College of Natural Resources plans a variety of activities for campus and community Oct. 10-14 to increase awareness of natural resources study and research at the university.

 

"During Natural Resources Week we have a number of recreational and educational activities planned to share information about our college and the impact of our research," said Chris Luecke, interim dean of USU's College of Natural Resources and head of the college's Aquatic, Watershed and Earth Resources (AWER) Department.

 

The week kicks off with Natural Resources Day on the Quad Monday, Oct. 10, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Try your hand at roping a steer (an inanimate breed), climb a rock wall, shoot a pellet gun or step to the open mike and take a stand. Visit exhibits featuring campus recycling and outdoor recreation and learn about university geography, forestry, wildlife, ecosystems and sustainable living interest groups. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held Friday, Oct. 14.

 

Also on Oct. 10, enjoy virtual fishing in the Sunburst Lounge on the second floor of the Taggart Student Center from 12:30-3 p.m. A nature art and photography exhibit will be on display in the Sunburst Lounge throughout the week.

 

Tuesday, Oct. 11, Dale Ashcroft, senior zookeeper with Logan’s Willow Park Zoo, presents Lounging with the Animals in the TSC Sunburst Lounge from noon-1:30 p.m. The exhibit features reptiles and wild birds.

 

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, the college presents the free symposium, Water in the West: Use, Abuse and Scarcity, in the TSC auditorium. Open to the public, the symposium runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and covers a variety of water issues presented by a diverse range of water experts.

 

Symposium speakers include researchers from USU's College of Natural Resources, Utah Water Research Laboratory, College of Agriculture, College of Engineering, and USU Extension, as well as representatives from the Utah Division of Water Quality, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

Thursday, Oct. 13, College of Natural Resources students challenge all Aggies to Ultimate Frisbee on the Quad from 4-7 p.m.

 

The week concludes Friday, Oct. 14, with a moonlight hike to the Logan Canyon Wind Caves. Participants should meet at the parking lot north of the Natural Resources building at 7 p.m. Carpooling to the trailhead is provided, along with doughnuts and hot chocolate.

 

If an indoor event is more to your liking, the college encourages you to attend the free lecture Your Food Systems, Are They Secure? by food security expert John Ikerd on Friday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. in USU’s Eccles Conference Center auditorium.

 

An emeritus professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Ikerd opens the 2005 Bioneers Conference, which runs Oct. 14-16 on campus. Registration information about the Bioneers Conference is available at extension.usu.edu/bioneers or by calling 435-797-0423.

 

Utah State's College of Natural Resources includes the academic departments of AWER; Forest, Range and Wildlife Sciences; and Environment and Society. More than 400 undergraduates and more than 150 graduate students are enrolled in degree programs administered by the college.

 

Parking for Natural Resources Week activities is available in the university parking terrace at 850 E. 700 North. The Quad, TSC, Natural Resources building and Eccles Conference Center are a short walk from the parking terrace and the Logan Transit District Route 4 bus stop at the Veterinary Science building on 700 North.

 

For more information about Natural Resources Week activities, contact Mary Ann Lowe at 435-797-2452.