Natural Area Teaching Laboratory

&

Thomas J. Walker Conservation Area

Annual Report 2011-2012

Jennifer Gillett-KaufmanChair, Natural Area Advisory Committee 2011-

NATL-West

NATL-East

Archer Rd

34th S

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Agenda for 2011-12 update• Burns and restarting tracts • Nature trail update

– East trail- who has been helping, why didn’t they contact us?• People counter update• Volunteer hours• Invasive species report• Additional activities• Fiscal report for FY 2011-12• Fiscal plan for FY 2012-13• Additional needs that could use funding

Burns, Restarting Tracts, Oaks • April 2012 burn of north

public area pine and south public area pine: next burn in planning stage

• Accomplished the10 year restart of tract A

• Accomplished the yearly restart of tract B (west side of the trail)

Nature Trail Update• Improvements to NATL’s interpretive signs along

nature trails: addition of new photosigns describing ecosystems, birds, reptiles and insects

• Placement of a new 3x2 ft. insect trail sign, funded by the Entomology Department’s Ecotourism Program

• Over the summer, NATL hosted three long term student volunteers we dubbed the Botany Interns

• Interns worked to maintain nature trails, develop content for interpretive signs and enhance our plant databases

Four Florida Ecosystems for You to Explore!Nature Trails of UF’s Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL)

SEEP Trail (wetlands) (3/4 mi.) - Follow signs or start at Natural Area Park

Hammock Trail (1/4 mi.) - Begins where Upland Pine and Old Field Trails end

Nature Trail Update- East Trail?

QR Nature Trail Update• QR (Quick Response) Nature Trail NATL

OpCom members provided content for and created QR-code-based signs for a self-guided nature trail at the Natural Area Park SEEP junction

• The information contained on the signs can also be found on the NATL website

• We now have over 50 QR codes on signs in NATL, some even direct users to video content that we developed

People Counter Update

• Three TrailMaster units are installed at NATL’s Academic, Cultural Plaza and Natural Area Park (NAP) Entrances

• The Cultural Plaza Entrance has had a unit installed since July 2010, initial technical difficulties yielded unreliable data in the first few months

• Two additional units were installed at the Academic Entrance (June 2011) and Natural Area Park Entrance (April 2012)

People Counter Update

• Because most NATL visitors are counted twice (as they enter and exit), all counts are divided by two in order to estimate the number of visitors NATL receives

• Information gathered by the TrailMaster units since December 2010 generates an estimate of 21,327 visitors to the Natural Area since then

• This is an underestimate because the three units were not installed concomitantly

People Counter Update

People Counter Update

• The high number of counts (>3000) logged at the Cultural Plaza Entrance in April is the result of FLMNH’s Earth Day event, which brought at least 240 visitors to the Natural Area

• With the exception of April, the unit at the Academic Entrance logged the most visitors so far in 2012, likely a reflection of classes using the NATL pavilion as a meeting or teaching area

Volunteer Update• In 2012 NATL hosted several volunteer events

as well as four highly skilled long term volunteers and two super volunteers

• Total hours so far for 2012- 659!

• NATL is very appreciative of its two super volunteers, Tom Walker and Ken Prestwich, who have each contributed 331 and 102.5 hours, respectively

Month Event Volunteers HoursJanuary MLK Day of Service 13 17.3February Ardisia control day 4 8.5

March Ardisia control day 4 9April All-Greek Day of Service 31 47.5June Invasive control day 5 8.7Total 57 91

Volunteer HoursSarah Allred 40.5Michael Bainum 41Sam Hart 35.75Morgan Conn 18.5Total 135.75

Control of Invasive Plants• Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) Of 45 sites infested

in previous years, only 10 had cogongrass in 2012. More may be found next May, but currently living cogongrass is known at only one site

• Skunkvine (Paederia foetida) During 2012 all previously infested sites were periodically inspected. No skunkvine was found

• Coral ardisia (Ardisia crenata) In 2009 most of NATL’s 26 acres of hammock were heavily infested. During the past winter, in a systematic search, only 5 mature plants were found

Additional activities for 2011-12• Partnered with the Harn to offer a course in NATL

– DIY EcoArt• Produced 33 new photo signs • Advertise NATL to departments and with the

Provosts Faculty Newsletter; record use of NATL• Developed partnership with the Florida Foundation

to allow for online donations- $922 given to date• Updated NATL website to conform with UF and

ADA

Additional activities for 2011-12• Begin Use calendar for NATL Pavilion• Continue eradication of exotic species• Continue upland pine restoration (burning & planting)• Revise kiosk content and signs (as needed)• Added an Owl Box• Two new bike racks, one in NAP one by pavilion • Social networking to deliver news about NATL

On find us at NATL.UF

Follow us on

@UFNATL

facebook search for: The Natural Area Teaching Lab

You are invited to:

Share pictures taken in NATLComment on observationsAsk questionsEnjoy pictures of the areaLearn what others have seen

NATL Minigrant 2011-12• Inventory of the Herpetofauna- $500

– Brittany Grzybowski, CALS Undergraduate– Dr. Steve Johnson, Associate Professor

• Wildlife Ecology & Conservation

• Despite the relatively low number of captures, this limited study documented numerous species of amphibians and reptiles

• Including several species documented at NATL for the first time

Budget Report & Spending Plan

• Fiscal Plan for FY 2011-12 was followed• Fiscal Plan for FY 2012-13 was unanimously

approved by the NAAC• “[The chair of NAAC] … will annually submit a

spending plan to the Lakes, Vegetation and Landscaping Committee (LVLC) for its approval, and the Chair of NAAC will submit an annual report about the uses of endowment funds to LVLC.”

See handout

NATL Fiscal Plan for FY 2012-13

Funds available for 2012-13Brought forward from 2011-12 $916 Correction of a 3-yr delay in an endowment payment!Projected income for 2012-13Provost $6,000 Transfer completedNATL endowment $4,625 August 2012 estimate for 2012-2013 by Florida FoundationSum $10,625 Grand Total $11,541

Spending plan for 2012-13Personnel* Undergraduate TA $4,322 Experienced help, 8 hrs/week (maintenance of nature trails)Control of invasives $2,640 Invasive specialist, 4 hrs/weekOther spending Miscellaneous expenses $2,200 Upland pine restoration $900 Efforts to restore 13 acres of longleaf pine ecosystem2000 NT fliers $479 2 minigrants @$500 each $1,000 Program attracts student proposals to fulfill NATL needsGrand Total $11,541

NATL improvement fund (from online donations) Brought forward from 2011-12 $921

*The Provost and the CALS Dean will each pay the stipend for a NATL Graduate Teaching Assistant

Wish List• Extend 110v AC to the pavilion and the NATL

shed • Extend potable water service to the pavilion area

to provide access to water for an eyewash, drinking, bottle filling, hand washing, and class-related low-volume uses

• Two or more locking cupboards for class use • Dog waste sanitation stations

See handout

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