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Appalachian Forest School course descriptions
We are proud to announce the leadership of five
outstanding field and research biologists who will be leading this course.
David Johnson gained his Ph.D in Botany at the University of Michigan,
with undergraduate work in Biology at Hendrix College in Arkansas. He is
currently Director of the Jason Swallen Herbarium at Ohio Wesleyan and,
as Professor of Botany-Microbiology, teaches Introductory Botany,
Biodiversity of Flowering Plants, Plant Morphology, Tropical
Greg Lipps, Herpetologist
Born
in Cincinnati, Ohio, Greg moved to Toledo in 1995 where he took a position in
the Department of Herpetology at the Toledo Zoo. After leaving the zoo, he
completed his Masters in Biology in 2005 at Bowling Green State University,
focusing on utilizing emerging technologies (Geographic Information Systems and
Remote Sensing) for applied conservation. Since that time, Greg has been
working as an independent biologist for state agencies and NGO’s, conducting
surveys of amphibians and reptiles throughout the state and collaborating on
conservation strategies for a wide range of species and ecosystems.
Specifically, he has conducted surveys for most of Ohio’s rare and endangered
amphibians and reptiles, including Green Salamanders, Cave Salamanders,
Blue-spotted Salamanders, Eastern Massasaugas, and Spotted Turtles. For the
past three years, Greg has been working with Ralph Pfingsten to examine the
status and distribution of Eastern Hellbenders and to determine threats to the
viability of populations in Ohio. Greg resides in the Oak Openings Region of
northwest Ohio, and is currently the co-chair of the Midwest Regional Working
Group of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC). Roger F. Thoma, Specialist in Crayfish research, Senior Research Associate
With 36 years of field research studies under his belt, today Roger Thoma is
one of the Eastern Forest's foremost "voices" Marc Kibbey, Associate Curator of Fishes, Ohio State University Museum of Biodiversity
Inspired by doting grandparents during
summers spent with them to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the wonders of wild
creatures, Marc decided early on that he wanted to work with animals in some
fashion. Like many young folks with such aspirations it was the exotic
destinations that appealed to him the most but reality of family obligations
kept him in Ohio and the Eastern Forest. Fortunately, Marc found Ohio had much
to offer insofar as ecological diversity. He has kept his childish wonder alive
by exploring Ohio streams and rivers where he is constantly finding facets of
our wildlife that startle and enrapture him. Since 1996 Marc has worked at OSU,
first as Collection Manager of Fishes, and currently as Associate Curator. His
research studies have included: propagation of host fishes for bivalve mussel
glochidia larvae; propagation of
Marc will be including the following fish topics in his presentations:
Anthropogenic influences, geologic history. interdependency of the faunas within
the watershed ecosystems, Eastern Fishes including Atlantic drainage fishes,
Great Lakes and Mississippi River drainage fishes, and fishes of nearby Paint
Creek.
G Thomas Watters is a native of pastoral
Beavercreek, OH. He received his BS in Biology at the University of Miami (FL),
an MS in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island, and his PhD in Zoology
from The Ohio State University. He is currently Curator of Molluscs at
the OSU Museum of Biological Diversity and Science Director of the Columbus Zoo
& Aquarium Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Research Facility. Tom is a Past
President of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society and ex-Trustee of the
Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Tom is best known regionally for his
renowned expertise in the field of fresh-water mussels, and is equally respected
for his enthusiasm and mastery of educational techniques as an instructor.
Things you will want to know ...... including Registration, travel and Meal info
Please plan
for the following expenses
in addition to your registration cost: Transportation to day trip
destinations. Car-sharing will be facilitated and encouraged for all who are
interested but is not mandatory.
Cancellation Policy
If you are registering before June 16, 2009, a $200.00 deposit/person
will hold each reservation. Full payment is due after that time. Sorry, there is
no guarantee of refunds for cancellations after June 16, 2009. Please try to
find someone to fill your place and we will do the same. Lodging: Lodging will be provided at one of two historic and fully remodeled group lodges at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. Both lodges are extremely handsome and have memorable ambience. Beechcliff will be filled first because of its convenient location. Ravenwood, which is a lovely light-filled historic mill house 15 minutes drive in distance, will be filled second. Most of the rooms in both lodges have bathrooms shared on the hall, and bedrooms with two single beds. We are happy to accommodate private room requests for anyone so desiring for a modest fee increase. Meals: Delicious and healthy meals made are signature services of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary staff and volunteers. Both vegetarians and meat-eaters will be accomodated. Breakfasts and suppers will be ample, with lunch a bit lighter so as not overload you with five days of memorable eating. Meal components emphasize foods that are fresh, hand-made, relatively unrefined, and when possible, organic. THIS WORKSHOP IS RUN IN A FOLK SCHOOL MANNER, WITH PARTICIPANTS SOMETIMES HELPING OUT WITH MODEST LAST MINUTE MEAL PREPARATION, AND DEPENDABLY HELPING OUT WITH DISH CLEANUP. Trip Size: Trip size will be limited to approximately 16 participants. Airports and Nearest Large Town. Our two nearest airports are almost equidistant. Columbus is approximately 1.75 hours away. Cincinnati is about the same, maybe 5-10 minutes further.
Insects, ticks, and other natural
challenges. Physical Condition Required If participants should be able to hike sustainably over uneven ground and occasionally off trail for 3 or more miles a day at a moderate pace and can stand on your feet most of the day without discomfort the next day - you will be able to handle this course without any problem. Since we will be in the water a lot, it is important that you can stand on uneven rocks and slippery stones, and possibly take a fall or two into the water without permanent injury to pre-existing conditions. Things to Bring Bring informal outdoor clothing for both wet and dry weather. The temperatures will likely be in the 80's or 90's F. Bring sunscreen, a light-weight broad-banded hat to cover your head, hiking/walking shoes, a daily change of socks, and at least one pair of shoes you can wade in, such as tennis shoes, tevas, chacos, etc. Pack shorts and lightweight pants that you don't mind getting wet and dirty, and extra casual shoes and clothes for a change in the evenings. Bring a flashlight. Flashlights are VERY important as it's dark here at night and we keep night lights to a minimum. Insect repellant optional, see above. Please bring your own first aid kit with items you think appropriate to your needs. A cell phone might be handy, although we don't get much coverage at our lodging areas except for Nextel and Sprint. There are land lines in the main group lodges for which you could use long distance phone cards to call out. Please pack along some pocket money. Reference Books Reference books are not required and tend to be expensive in this field, but here are some to consider if you don't mind making the investment: Salamanders of the United States and Canada by James W. Petranka The Crayfishes of Kentucky by Christopher A. Taylor and Guenter A. Schuster Fishes of Alabama by Herbert T. Boschung Jr. and Richard L. Mayden. This is a gigantic book but there is none better to showcase the southeastern peak diversity and natural beauty of Eastern fishes Questions? Call the Arc of Appalachia Field Trip Coordinator, Director Nancy Stranahan at 937-365-0101, or write her at director@highlandssanctuary.org.
The Appalachian Forest School is presented by the
Arc of Appalachia Preserve System.
Return to Appalachian Forest School home.
Connecting is the
first step in saving the forest.
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Biology,
and seminars in Ethnobotany and Biogeography. In 2000 he was the
recipient of the Ohio Wesleyan Shankland Teaching Award. In many ways
Dr. Johnson is a renaissance man in terms of his life's education. He
speaks and reads several foreign languages, and can read in three
more... or four, if you count Latin. His botanical specialty is the
study of the family Annonaceae (the mostly tropical custard apple
family, which includes our native pawpaw). His life's studies and
activities have taken him around the world to destinations which include
but are not limited to tropical America, Thailand, Tanzania, and Europe.
For his complete
biography, and a complete listing of his publications, 
for crayfish. He is not only a
prominent researcher in the crayfish field, but has a well-earned reputation
of being an outstanding teacher as well - having an equal capacity for deep
knowledge and unending enthusiasm for his subjects. Roger is
currently a Senior Research Associate at the Midwest Biodiversity Institute
in Columbus, Ohio and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Ohio State
University where he volunteers to curate the Museum of Biological
Diversity's crustacean collection. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree
from The Ohio State University in Fisheries Management. Previously Roger
worked in the Ecological Assessment Section at Ohio EPA (1982 – 2004) where
he developed biological criteria and habitat assessment techniques for
Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline. He was the principal investigator of a statewide
survey of Indiana’s burrowing crayfish and is currently conducting crayfish
research in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia,
North and South Carolina. Mr. Thoma has published twenty-seven papers
primarily on crayfish throughout the Appalachians. He has also published biological criteria in
Ohio’s streams and Lake Erie. Thoma has described three new crayfish species
to date.
His principle interest at present is crayfish conservation, evolution, and
taxonomy.
For more information on Roger's research, including
interesting videos, see
fishes
for reintroduction of extirpated populations and augmentation of imperiled
population; survey of Ohio's Little Miami River to assess effects of
introduction of northern studfish Fundulus catenatus; morphological
analysis of quillback carpsucker Carpiodes cyprinus from geographically
disjunct populations; and compilation of GIS based, revisable fish distribution
maps to update Milton Trautman’s 1981 version of Fishes of Ohio. His
relevant Publications include: 1) Inventory and analysis of post-impoundment
changes in the Alum Creek fish fauna, Franklin, Delaware and Morrow Counties,
Ohio. and 2) The fishes of Paint Creek drainage: A study of distribution,
species richness and site diversity.
