Nachusa Grasslands Virtual Science Symposium 2022
Saturday, April 23
The seventh annual Nachusa Science Symposium co-hosted by The Nature Conservancy and Friends of Nachusa Grasslands will take place on Saturday, April 23, 2022, via Zoom.
Registration has closed for the Symposium. If you have signed up, watch your email inbox for a Zoom invitation a few days before the event.
Registration has closed for the Symposium. If you have signed up, watch your email inbox for a Zoom invitation a few days before the event.
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Event Overview:
The virtual event will feature three thematic sessions, each with a series of pre-recorded talks and posters, a live panel discussion with questions from the virtual audience, and an interactive virtual networking session. Pre-recorded talks and posters will be made available in advance of the symposium, allowing attendees to view them at their own convenience before (and after) the symposium day. |
On the day of the symposium, there will be an option to watch the session talks prior to the live panel discussion and networking event. We hope this allows people maximum flexibility for interacting with the content and allows balance between live interactive sessions, Zoom-breaks, and other life demands. Everyone is encouraged to attend all three live sessions, but we recognize everyone is managing a lot right now and have structured the day to allow each attendee to pick and choose which sessions to attend. |
Nachusa Virtual Science Symposium Schedule:
Session 1: Revisiting historical data
9-9:45: Watch Session 1 pre-recorded talks and review posters online
9:45-10:30: LIVE Session 1 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Holly Jones, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Wetland restoration efforts result in increasing phylogenetic diversity” Nicholas Foster, MS (Botany/Plant Biology, Duvall Lab), Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Twenty years of tallgrass prairie restoration at Nachusa Grasslands” – Elizabeth Bach, PhD, Ecosystem Restoration Scientist, Nachusa Grasslands – The Nature Conservancy
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Poster: “Predicting Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) Spring Emergence at Nachusa Grasslands” – Andrea Colton, Field Technician; Devin Edmonds, PhD candidate; Michael Dreslik, PhD, Professor, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Poster: “Effects of fire frequency on shaping multiple ecosystem outcomes in tallgrass prairie: A Meta-Analysis Approach” – Kathryn Bloodworth, PhD candidate (Koerner Lab); University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Session 2: Microbes on the prairie
10:45-11:30: Watch Session 2 pre-recorded talks and review posters online11:30-12:15:
LIVE Session 2 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Wes Swingley, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: "Longitudinal study to identify factors important for Bison health" - Pallavi Singh, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Seasonal variation of enteric parasites in wild bison” – Laurie Spencer, PhD candidate (Singh Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Talk: “Microbial Community and Soil Geochemical Responses to Land Management Practices” – Desirae Klimek, MS candidate (Swingley Lab), Northern Illinois University.
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Poster: “Surveillance of foodborne pathogen, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in wild bison” – Ritesh Ray, PhD candidate (Singh Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Poster: “Testing the effect of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on prairie restoration success at Nachusa Grasslands” – Reb Bryant, PhD candidate (Bever/Schultz Lab); The University of Kansas.
Poster: “Quantification of Microplastics in Soils and Sediments at Nachusa Grasslands, and impact on soil microbiota” - Sarah Khoury, MS candidate, Mariah Morales, D’Arcy Meyer-Dombard, PhD, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago.
12:15-1:15: Lunch
Session 3: Ecosystem responses to management
12:30-1:15: Watch Session 3 pre-recorded talks and review posters online1:15-2:00: LIVE Session 3 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Maria Lemke, Director of Science, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois
Talk: “Landscape and habitat associations of prairie small mammals: a preliminary investigation” – Erin Rowland-Schaefer, PhD candidate (Jones Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Talk: “Bird responses to bison and prescribed fire at Nachusa Grasslands and Kankakee Sands” – Tony Del Valle, MS candidate (Jones Lab), Northern Illinois University.
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Poster: “Post-management AM fungal community composition is associated with selection for spore traits and altered plant-AM fungal interactions” – Jacob R. Hopkins, PhD, USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow, The Ohio State University.
Poster: “Well, dam: Is water storage potential influenced by beaver dam structure and density?” – Jesse Sikora, MS candidate; Holly Jones, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University.
Poster: “A look into the diversity of ground-nesting bees and wasps (Aculeata) found in the bison wallows of Nachusa” – Josh Klostermann, PhD candidate (Sullivan Lab), University of Missouri.
Session 1: Revisiting historical data
9-9:45: Watch Session 1 pre-recorded talks and review posters online
9:45-10:30: LIVE Session 1 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Holly Jones, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Wetland restoration efforts result in increasing phylogenetic diversity” Nicholas Foster, MS (Botany/Plant Biology, Duvall Lab), Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Twenty years of tallgrass prairie restoration at Nachusa Grasslands” – Elizabeth Bach, PhD, Ecosystem Restoration Scientist, Nachusa Grasslands – The Nature Conservancy
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Poster: “Predicting Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) Spring Emergence at Nachusa Grasslands” – Andrea Colton, Field Technician; Devin Edmonds, PhD candidate; Michael Dreslik, PhD, Professor, Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Poster: “Effects of fire frequency on shaping multiple ecosystem outcomes in tallgrass prairie: A Meta-Analysis Approach” – Kathryn Bloodworth, PhD candidate (Koerner Lab); University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Session 2: Microbes on the prairie
10:45-11:30: Watch Session 2 pre-recorded talks and review posters online11:30-12:15:
LIVE Session 2 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Wes Swingley, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: "Longitudinal study to identify factors important for Bison health" - Pallavi Singh, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University
Talk: “Seasonal variation of enteric parasites in wild bison” – Laurie Spencer, PhD candidate (Singh Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Talk: “Microbial Community and Soil Geochemical Responses to Land Management Practices” – Desirae Klimek, MS candidate (Swingley Lab), Northern Illinois University.
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Poster: “Surveillance of foodborne pathogen, Shiga-toxin producing E. coli in wild bison” – Ritesh Ray, PhD candidate (Singh Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Poster: “Testing the effect of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on prairie restoration success at Nachusa Grasslands” – Reb Bryant, PhD candidate (Bever/Schultz Lab); The University of Kansas.
Poster: “Quantification of Microplastics in Soils and Sediments at Nachusa Grasslands, and impact on soil microbiota” - Sarah Khoury, MS candidate, Mariah Morales, D’Arcy Meyer-Dombard, PhD, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago.
12:15-1:15: Lunch
Session 3: Ecosystem responses to management
12:30-1:15: Watch Session 3 pre-recorded talks and review posters online1:15-2:00: LIVE Session 3 panel discussion followed by networking time
Moderator: Dr. Maria Lemke, Director of Science, The Nature Conservancy in Illinois
Talk: “Landscape and habitat associations of prairie small mammals: a preliminary investigation” – Erin Rowland-Schaefer, PhD candidate (Jones Lab), Northern Illinois University.
Talk: “Bird responses to bison and prescribed fire at Nachusa Grasslands and Kankakee Sands” – Tony Del Valle, MS candidate (Jones Lab), Northern Illinois University.
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Poster: “Post-management AM fungal community composition is associated with selection for spore traits and altered plant-AM fungal interactions” – Jacob R. Hopkins, PhD, USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellow, The Ohio State University.
Poster: “Well, dam: Is water storage potential influenced by beaver dam structure and density?” – Jesse Sikora, MS candidate; Holly Jones, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Northern Illinois University.
Poster: “A look into the diversity of ground-nesting bees and wasps (Aculeata) found in the bison wallows of Nachusa” – Josh Klostermann, PhD candidate (Sullivan Lab), University of Missouri.
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Thank you all for being part of what makes the Nachusa Grassland Science Symposium a special event. We recognize that a virtual meeting presents challenges, and we appreciate your patience and enthusiasm as we host an event that will differ from our past symposiums.
The virtual format also provides opportunities: we can accommodate more people virtually, folks can join without traveling, and pre-recorded content can be consumed on your own schedule. |
Download the app (or update it) before the meeting: https://zoom.us/download.
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If you are interested in the scientific research that is being done at Nachusa and would like to give a gift to support the program, please consider making a designated donation today.
You can also mail a check with “Friends Fund for Science” or "Friends Endowment for Nachusa Science" written on the memo line to: Friends of Nachusa Grasslands, 8772 S. Lowden Road, Franklin Grove, IL 61031.
You can also mail a check with “Friends Fund for Science” or "Friends Endowment for Nachusa Science" written on the memo line to: Friends of Nachusa Grasslands, 8772 S. Lowden Road, Franklin Grove, IL 61031.
Updated 04/2022