Natural Resources Measurements (NR300) - Spring 2024

George Hess, with Sydney Case

Image: The 286 Property  we'll work on this spring is 151 acres nestled among I-40, RDU Airport, Umstead Park, and a Wake Stone quarry.  Long used illicitly by mountain bikers, it is now managed for them and hikers by Wake County Parks, Recreation, & Open Space (Photo by Hess, 2023).

News & Announcements (Archive)

Quick Links

Week 15 ... 04.15 ... Project Work ... Presentation Practice (Round 2) ... Final Reports (F), Gather Final Data

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 04.16 ... Project Work

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Project Work

14:00 Practice Presentations


W 04.17 ... Project Work ... Open House Practice

12:50 Housekeeping & announcements

12:55 Project Work

14:00 Practice Presentations

Project Work

15:35 Adjourn


Th 04.18 ... Project Work Wrap-up


13:30 13:35 Housekeeping & announcements


13:35 Project Work

14:00 Practice Presentations


Assignments

Week 16 ... 04.22 ... Last class Tu 04.23 ... Open House Th 04.25 12:00-14:30 ... The End ... Have a nice summer / life

Tu 04.23 ... Last class ... finalize for Thursday


13:30 13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Project Work

14:00 Course Review

14:30 Any last minute stuff

W 04.24 ... Reading day ... NO CLASS

Th 04.25 noon-2:30P ... Open House

11:30-Noon Arrive, setup, get comfortable

12:05 Introduction & Teaser Slides - Hess leads

12:15 Open House - Teams lead

14:00 Open House ends

14:05 Last thoughts

14:30 Adjuorn - have a great summer / life!

Assignments

Back to the Beginning

Week 1 ... 01.08 ... Building Esprit de corps ... Stats Review

Above: Small group counting grass.

Goals for the week ...

Assignments

Tu 01.09 ... Welcome to Natural Resources Measurements

W 01.10 ... Team Building & Stats Review

You will be outside part of the time - dress accordingly!

Th 01.11 ... Teambuilding

Assignments

Week 2 ... 01.15 ... Our Work This Semester ... Meet our Partners ... Site Visit

Above: Most of our team at the gnome log on the 286 property.

Goals for the Week ...

Assignments

Tu 01.16 ... Meet our Partners

13:30 Housekeeping & Announcements

13:35 Partners for our work this semester ... those present will introduce themselves ... 

13:45 Description of site, goals, potential work - questions and disucssion throughout

14:25 Any final questions and discussion 

14:35 Instructions for tomorrow

W 01.17 ... Meet our Field Site

You will be outside for around 2 hours - dress accordingly!

12:50 Depart from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall for 286 Property (2139 Old Reedy Creek Rd, Cary - parking lot at dam)We will actually park here - a wide spot in the road across the highway.  From the dam parking lot, drive across the highway on Old Reedy Creek Road.  In about 1/4 mile you'll see a house on the right - lots of anti-quarry signs.  A little past that on the left is a big map sign and a wide spot in the road.  Park in the wide spot, head in.

13:10 Arrive 286 Property

13:30 Field site tour

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State

Th 01.18 ... Now what?

13:30 Housekeeping & Announcements

13:35 What topics interest you? - Here are Potential Topics of Interest from our discussions and site visit (286 Project Folder) ... shout out or add to document if I've missed any ... then we'll guage interest levels around each and see if we can form some topic groups, at least to explore

Proximate Goal: Next week, we'd like to complete a Project Worksheet and One-Pager for each thing we want to work on (templates in 286 Project Folder)

13:50 We'll form some topic groups to develop ideas ... move furniture around as needed

14:20 Hear from each group

Week 3 ... 01.22 ... Project Development ... Team Development

Goals for the week ...

Assignments

Tu 01.23 ... Project Planning

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Start developing project worksheet and timelines

14:30 Full class discussion of issues and whatnot

W 01.24 ... Reflection & Evaluation ... Project Planning

12:50-12:55 Housekeeping & announcements


Reflection & Evaluation (35 minutes)

13:00-13:05 Hess to describe

13:05-13:25 Review Reflection & Evaluation document (Course Information) - make comments and any suggestions for change.  Feel free to ask me questions as you do this (reach out on Zoom thru Syd).

13:25-13:35 Class discussion as needed


Project Development

13:40 Continue working on your project worksheets and one-pages.  Hess & Case will wander the room to ask and answer questions.

15:35 Adjourn

Th 01.25 ... Team Development ... Operating Procedures

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements


Students from Last Year

13:35-13:50


Operating Procedures (or whatever you decide to call them)

13:50-14:05 Past experience with teams

14:05-14:20 Operating procedures for this semester

14:20 Class agreement on Operating Procedures

Assignments

Week 4 ... 01.29 ... Safety ... Recon ... Planning 

Goals for the Week ...

Assignments


Tu 01.30 ... Safety & Public Interactions

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Wrap up Operating Principles - Class discussion


13:55 Safety & Public Interactions - Added to Quick Links, in Course Information (Hess)

14:10 Structure for tomorrow (Case)

14:15 Work time


W 01.31 ... Reconnaisance

You will be outside for around 2 hours - dress accordingly!

12:50 Depart from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall for 286 Property (2139 Old Reedy Creek Rd, Cary - parking lot at dam)We will actually park here - a wide spot in the road across the highway.  From the dam parking lot, drive across the highway on Old Reedy Creek Road.  In about 1/4 mile you'll see a house on the right - lots of anti-quarry signs.  A little past that on the left is a big map sign and a wide spot in the road.  Park in the wide spot, head in.

13:10 Arrive 286 Property

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 02.01 ... More GIS & Planning

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 DeBrief from yesterday / Data issues (Case) / Hess will relate any feedback from the County /

13:50 Work session - Hess & Case will visit with teams


Assignments

Week 5 ... 02.05 ... Project Work

Above: Random cyclist on the 286 tract, plus a couple team members.

Goals for the Week ...

Assignments


Tu 02.06 ... Planning & Project Work

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Project work

14:30 Team spokesperson meeting with Hess


W 02.07 ... Field Work

I was wrong - you're ready and we're going to the field!

12:50  Vans depart from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall for 286 Property.  Driving yourself?  Be on site by 1:15 latest.

15:35 Back at Hodges Lab


Th 02.08 ... Planning & Project Work

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Team work - Hess & Case will circulate

14:30 Team spokespersons meeting with Hess

Assignments

Week 6 ... 02.12 ... Project Work ... No Class Tu 02.13 (Wellness Day)

Above: Part of Team Water at Haley's Branch. (Photo by M Dunn)

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 02.13 ... Wellness Day - No Class

00:00-23:59, Today & every day ... Take good care of yourselves :-))


W 02.14 ... Field Work

12:50 Depart for 286 from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall. Please be sure to being whatever equipment you'll need, including any safety vests you have.

13:10 Arrive 286.  Briefing about finding your way back to the vans if you get disoriented.

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 02.15 ... Project Work


13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:40 Project Work

14:25 Oral status report to class from team leads

Assignments

Week 7 ... 02.19 ... Project Work

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 02.20 ... Planning

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 - Develop big timelines together

14:05 Project work


W 02.21 ... Field Work

12:50 Depart for 286 from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall

13:10 Arrive 286

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 02.22 ... Planning


13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Potential changes to operating principles

13:50 Project work

14:30 Team spokespersons meeting with Hess

Assignments

Week 8 ... 02.26 ... Project Work ... Team Lesson (Th - Human Use)

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 02.27 ... Planning

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements


13:35 Project work


W 02.28 ... Field Work

12:50 Depart for 286 from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall

13:10 Arrive 286

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 02.29 ... Human Use Team Lesson ... Planning


13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:45 Human Use Team Lesson

14:05 Project work

Assignments

Week 9 ... 03.04 ... Project Work ... Team Lesson (Tu - Wildlife)

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 03.05 ... Planning ... Project Work ... Wildife Team Lesson

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:40 Work time - prep for tomorrow

14:15 Team Wildlife lesson (in the classroom)

Any remaining time will be work time


W 03.06 ... Field Work

12:50 Depart for 286 from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall

13:10 Arrive 286

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 03.07 ... Planning ... Spring Break Ahead!


13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Final report and presentation guidelines [ Hess ]


14:00 Project work


14:25 Quick (<5min) progress review from each team for entire class

14:45 Adjourn for Spring Break

Assignments

Week 10 ... 03.11 ... Spring Break

Have a good one!  And, hey, be careful out there!! 

Week 11 ... 03.18 ... Team Lessons (Tu - Trails; Th - Soils) ... Project Work ... Open House Storyboarding

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 03.19 ... Trails Lesson ... Plan for Tomorrow

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Team Trails lesson

14:05 Team Stream - what's the electofishing plan for tomorrow?  How can others observe?

14:10 Work time - prep for tomorrow


W 03.20 ... Field Work

12:50 Depart for 286 from parking lot by Hodges Lab, behind Biltmore Hall

13:10 Arrive 286

15:10 (latest) Depart for NC State


Th 03.21 ... Project Work ... Organization ... Storyboarding


13:30 13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Team Soils Lesson

14:05 GIS & Data Leads work with Syd across hall; Team time

Assignments

Week 12 ... 03.25 ... Open House Storyboarding ... Team Lessons (Tu - Streams; Th - Plants) ... Fieldwork CANCELLED

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 03.26 ... Team People Lesson ... Project Work

13:30 Class will begin at 1:30 at the southwest corner of the Student Health parking lot near Dan Allen Drive.  Navigate to this location to arrive by 1:30.   Steam Team Lesson.

14:10-14:15 Housekeeping & announcements

14:15 Project Work


W 03.27 ... Project Work - Last Field Lab - CANCELLED 

W 03.27 ... we are NO GO for the field outing today.  Please don't go out on your own; please attend class so we can work on other things.

With thunderstorms likely, I'll send an eMail by 11:15A today, and post here, the Go / No-Go decision for fieldwork today.  If I declare No-Go, please don't go on your own; please attend class instead so we can work on other things.

12:50  Arrive in class

13:00 Housekeeping & announcements

13:10 Telling a Story & Designing a Presentation (Case & Hess)

13:40 Project Work

15:30 Adjourn


Th 03.28 ... Plant Team Lesson ... Project Work


13:30 13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Team Plants lesson

14:00 Project Work

Assignments

Week 13 ... 04.01 ... Celebration ... Project Work ... First Draft Presentation (all teams) ... First Draft Report (all teams)

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 04.02 ... Ice Cream Celebration of Field Work Completion ... Project Work

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Celebration of field work completion (and th Final Four), followed by (or mixed with) project work

13:50 Project Work


W 04.03 ... Project Work ... Presentation Feedback

12:50 Housekeeping & announcements

12:55 Project Work

14:30 Trails Team practie presentation (round 1)


Th 04.04 ... Project Work


13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Project Work


Assignments

Week 14 ... 04.08 ... Project Work ... Teaser Slides ... Second Draft Report ... Presentation Practice (all teams) ... Syd out this week 

Goals for the Week ...


Tu 04.09 ... Project Work

13:30-13:35 Housekeeping & announcements

13:35 Project Work


W 04.10 ... Project Work

12:50 Housekeeping & announcements

12:55 Project Work

13:00 Roland Kays will visit to meet with Mammal and Human Use teams to show how to analyze Wildlife Insight data using Tableau

14:00 Practice presentations - Round 1 - Teams Streams, Plants, Wildlife


Th 04.11 ... Project Work


13:30 13:35 Housekeeping & announcements


13:35 Project Work

14:00 Practice presentations - Round 1 - Teams Soils, Human Use

Assignments