Friends of Nachusa Grasslands
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“Sustained financial support for research, especially student researchers, will help establish Nachusa as an internationally-recognized research center.
—Dr. Nick Barber
Assistant Professor at Northern Illinois University 
Recipient of research grants awarded by Friends of Nachusa

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Dr. Nick Barber earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from St. Louis University and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in ecology.  Currently, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Northern Illinois University.  Dr. Barber has studied the impacts of bison on plants, insects, and soil bacteria in the restored prairies and remnants at Nachusa.  Dr. Barber also mentors numerous students through the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergrads and NIU’s Research Rookies programs. 
 
Restorations at Nachusa Grasslands are going pretty well.  Why should prairie lovers care about research?
Nachusa is already a world-class restoration site, and the staff and stewards have developed management techniques to achieve this result. But managers also know that there are always opportunities to improve and to more fully understand the consequences of their actions. This is especially critical given the changes in climate and other factors that Nachusa and other prairies are facing today. A more thorough understanding of prairie ecosystems and prairie management helps practitioners like the staff at Nachusa plan for the future.  


 
How does Nachusa Grasslands compare with other research sites? What's it like for you and your students interacting with the volunteer stewards?
Interacting with stewards makes Nachusa unique compared to most research stations. One of the most valuable resources for researchers working here is the knowledge of the staff and stewards. Their intimate knowledge of sites and prairie plants helps researchers understand the patterns we observe, and their curiosity and detailed observations can help generate new research questions. Interactions between researchers and stewards are a key part of why the community and partnerships at Nachusa are so strong.

What would Friends be surprised to know about the research experience at Nachusa Grasslands?
This relates to why prairie lovers should care about research.  There are still countless mysteries to be solved and discoveries to be made, even at a place as well established as Nachusa. Our research on insects regularly documents species new to the site, including those that play important roles like pollinators or the beetles that help decompose bison dung. In fact, the vast majority of soil bacteria we study are unknown to science — we can detect their unique DNA but are unable to culture them in a lab. Research at Nachusa is exciting! Both the potential for discovering something new, and the knowledge that these discoveries can help support such a beautiful site, provide great motivation for scientists! 

​What will it take to make Nachusa Grasslands a prominent grasslands research center?
Sustained financial support for research, especially student researchers, will help establish Nachusa as an internationally-recognized research center.  Scientific research is especially productive when it is paired with education because students bring new ideas and curiosity to projects. Working with students to develop research questions and carry out their projects not only generates new knowledge, but also builds a new generation of scientists and restorationists so that the benefits extend beyond Nachusa to other ecosystems across the country and around the world. ​
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  • Home
  • About Friends
    • Mission and Leadership
    • Endowments
    • Heritage Heroes Initiative
    • Friends Annual Reports
    • Newsletters >
      • PrairiE–Update (email)
      • A Prairie Calling (print and digital)
    • Friends Annual Meeting 2022
    • Commenting Policy
  • Plan Your Visit
    • Hours & Parking
    • Directions and Map
    • Visitor Center
    • Teacher Resources
    • Pet Policy
    • Public Bison Tours
    • Bison Viewing
    • Hiking >
      • Hiking Guidelines
      • Hiking Destinations
      • Stone Barn Savanna Tour
      • Visitor Center Trail
      • Scavenger Hunt
    • What's In Bloom?
    • Autumn on the Prairie
    • Exploring Nachusa Grasslands on Your Own
    • Things to Do
    • Places to Eat and Stay
    • Local Sites to Visit and Explore
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Thursday and Saturday Workdays >
      • Workday Signup
      • Volunteer Workday Safety Protocols
      • Workdays – November to February
      • Leader Workday Safety Protocols
      • Steward Workday Tips
    • Stewardship Teams
    • Workday Email List
    • Steward Login
  • Stewardship
    • Nachusa Stewardship
    • Restorations
    • Planting Histories >
      • Stewardship Unit Planting Histories
      • Planting Histories in Chronological Order
    • Stewards and Staff
    • Groups and Committees
    • Available Units
    • Controlled Burns
    • Prescribed Fire Recruitment
    • Restoration Publications
    • Stewardship Resources >
      • Weekly Top Picks
      • Seed Collection Guides
      • Invasive Plant Management
      • Invasive Identification
      • Monitoring
      • Links & Resources
  • Science
    • Science at Nachusa Grasslands
    • Science Grants >
      • Science Grants 2023
      • Science Grants 2022
      • Science Grants 2021
      • Science Grants 2020
      • Science Grants 2019
      • Science Grants 2018
      • Science Grants 2017
      • Science Grants 2016
      • Science Grants 2015
      • Science Grants 2014
      • Science Grants 2013/2012/2011
    • Science Symposium 2022
    • Science Symposium Abstracts >
      • Science Symposium Abstracts 2019
      • Science Symposium Abstracts 2018
      • Science Symposium Abstracts 2017
      • Science Symposium Abstracts 2016
    • Potential Research Topics
    • Scientific Publications
    • Testimonials >
      • Dr. Holly Jones
      • Dr. Nick Barber
      • Kimberly Elsenbroek
    • Science Videos
    • Become a Community Scientist >
      • About Community Scientists
      • Butterfly Monitoring
      • Calling Frog Monitoring
      • Dragonflies & Damselflies
      • RiverWatch
  • About Nachusa
    • General Info
    • Prairie Smoke Annual Reports
    • Plant Inventory >
      • Common Names
      • Genus Species
    • Animal Inventory >
      • Amphibians
      • Birds
      • Bison Bison >
        • Bison
        • Bison Babies Broadcast Videos
      • Fish
      • Insects
      • Mammals
      • Other Arthropods
      • Reptiles
    • History
    • Jobs
    • Hunting
    • Geology >
      • Geology Part 1
      • Geology Part 2
      • Geology Part 3
    • 30th Anniversary Memories
    • Websites of Interest
  • BLOG AND MEDIA
    • Nachusa Blog
    • In The News
    • Photo Gallery >
      • Spring Photos
      • Summer Photos
      • Autumn Photos
      • Winter Photos
      • Visitor Photos
    • Submit Your Photos
    • Videos
  • Contact Us / FAQs