The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 10, 2003 Page: 3 of 11
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September 10, 2003 The University News
News
on servation
Action
i
ffift Iffi
U
Tina AM Mohammad and
Anh Nguyen gaze
around the preserve
from a lookout point
built by boyscouts.
Sophomore
Jason Butler
measures
one of the
larger oak
trees during
vegetation
surveys this
past sum-
mer,
Richard
Marsden/
Contributor
Professor leads students in preservation projects
by Meghan Kuckelman
Editor in Chief
At 7:30 in the morning last
Saturday, seven UD students
showed up at the tower groggy-
eyed. but eager. After eating a
breakfast of doughnuts and
peaches provided by Dr. Marcy
Brown Marsden, assistant
professor of biology, they
headed out to the Cedar Ridge
Preserve near Duncanville.
Brown Marsden took the
students to the preserve to give
them an overview of current
preservation projects. As the
group hiked through the woods
on the cool, sunny morning, she
pointed out various species of
trees and plants, explaining their
significance to the endangered
species restoration project she
has been working on all summer.
Saturday was the first in a
series of workdays Brown
Marsden will lead this semester
at the preserve in efforts to
improve the habitat of the
endangered Black-capped Vireo
and Golden-cheeked Warbler
Brown Marsden began the
project this summer with the
help of three UD students,
seniors Sussann McCabe and
Annie Collins, and sophomore
Jason Butler.
The four spent their days
surveying the vegetation of one
section of the preserve. The
team focused mainly on the
canopy (large trees) vegetation.
This involved plotting points in
straight lines through dense
brush, poison ivy, mosquitoes,
and heat.
"It was miserable," Brown
Marsden said. Their work was
worth it, however. The baseline
data they collected identified
three future restoration projects
for the preserve. In addition, the
students were able to play an
intimate role in what Brown
Marsden said is very scientific
research.
"The science component is
very important." she said. "They
could see that they had a piece
of that research:'
The work the students did
also gave them an idea of
possibilities for future work in
conservation.
"I liked the summer research
because it gave me a better
understanding of the
possibilities for a biologist and
the possibilities for my future."
Collins said.
Brown Marsden said the
students" research has been vital
to the restoration project. They
were able to gather data very
quickly, and at the end of the
summer actually presented their
findings to the Audubon board,
the group that manages the
preserve for the city and county.
"They [the Audubon board)
are so impressed with how much
data we have," she said.
"They've been praising the
students to the skies."
Student involvement is
important to Brown Marsden,
who has been impressed w ith the
interest shown by UD students
for the preserve so far. She leads
workdays every Tuesday and
Thursday from 6 to 9 a.m.
'Tm just so impressed that
students found it important
enough at wake up at six in the
morning," she said.
Collins thinks working in this
type of research is important
because '"educationally, humans
need to realize the impact
they're having on the
environment. It's our
responsibility to fix the
problems we've created."
Though the restoration
project is ongoing and could
take four or five years, Brown
Marsden said students should
already be able to see tangible
evidence of their work.
Immediately inside the preserve
entrance stands a kiosk with a
map of the area. The kiosk was
erected by UD students last
spring.
Next to the kiosk is a native
plant garden Brown Marsden
said is maintained by "old ladies
who like to garden" that UD
students will work on later this
semester.
In addition to the preservation
projects this semester, UD
students are also invited to
participate in Conservation in
Action Workdays. Taking place
Sept. 21, Oct. 8, and Nov. 22,
these events will focus on
specific needs of the preserve as
a whole.
The first will involve
preparing the native plant garden
for its autumn species, building
a walkway, and preparing new
flowerbeds.
The second will find students
building a greenhouse, and the
third involves restoring a
wetland by removing non-native
plants choking the amphibians
and fish that live there.
Any students interested in
attending these sessions should
call Brown Marsden at x5245.
The Cedar Ridge preserve
occupies 633 acres near
Duncanville and Cedar Hill. It
was run by a private
organization from the mid 70s
until last year, when it was taken
over by the Audubon society. It
is run with donations from such
source as the Meadows Fund,
the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation and with support
from the city and county of
Dallas. Much of the work at the
preserve is done by volunteers.
'®T think the site itself is sort
of a snapshot of what Texas used
to look like," Brown Marsden
said. "The land is maintained
as naturally as it can be."
Brown Marsden thinks it is
very important for people to
work closely with nature. She
said one of the main reasons she
leads projects with students and
works with the preserve is to
help people connect with nature.
(or
ONSERVATION f ALENDAR
G
Sept 20: Training in plant sampling techniques
Sept. 21: Conservation in Action Workday
Oct. 18: Conservation in Action Workday
25: Botanical surveys
1: Botanical surveys
8: Botanical surveys
22: Conservation in Action Workday
All sessions are from 8 a.m. to noon.
If interested contact Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden
at x5245.
Oct.
Nov.
Nov.
Nov.
/
Meghan Kuckelman/University News
Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, assistant professor of biology, shows students the different
plant species native to the Cedar Ridge Preserve last Saturday.
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Kuckelman, Meghan. The University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 10, 2003, newspaper, September 10, 2003; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth201376/m1/3/: accessed May 13, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Dallas.