MACALESTER COLLEGE TWIN CITIES RIVER PROJECT

The Project

As part of this class we will begin working towards meeting goals 1 and 4 of the new Mellon Three Rivers Center (to innovate, assess and refine curriculum that takes advantage of the diverse learning opportunities the Three Rivers offer; to establish and upgrade the human infrastructure for learning, including the creation of long-term partnerships with community groups, academic entities and government organizations). By having our class explore the major environmental challenges facing the three rivers in the Twin Cities we will be using the rivers to better understand the environmental principles associated with the rivers systems everywhere. In addition, as we focus on our local rivers, we will become better aware of those entities that work on preserving and improving the quality of these critical resources.

There are four major goals for this project:

1. To immerse you in a cooperative, team oriented project utilizing quantitative analysis to address a major environmental science concept (water availability and quality),
2. To allow you to explore how the local environment near Macalester provides important examples of environmental issues that are global in nature,
3. To enhance your understanding of the major factors that influence water quality and availability and the trade-offs that must be addressed in dealing with the utilization of this resource, and
4. To use this knowledge to make concrete policy recommendations that would allow the Twin Cities to make environmentally sound and politically/economically reasonable decisions to protect and enhance the river systems that are important to our region.

The Webpages produced by the students in this class can be accessed from the links below.

• The Effects of Mercury in Three Different River Basins: A Study of the Minnesota, Mississippi, and St. Croix River Basins by Grace Geiger, Mandy Hulke, Steph Kleinschmidt, and Kirsa Shelkey [poster presentation]
• The Ford Assembly Plant and Dam: Past, Present and Future by Hannah Pallmeyer, Alice Gerard and Abby Gutmann [poster presentation]
• To Bridge or Not to Bridge…: St. Croix River Crossing Controversy by Annalee Levin, Davita Flowers-Shanklin, Tom Klink, and Zorah Johnson [poster presentation]
• Restoring an Urban Wetland: Ames Lake by Thom Boik, Stephen Davis, Heidi Evans, and Stephanie Stoumbelis [poster presentation]
• River Recreation in Minnesota by Carolyn Black, Claire Briguglio, and James Engeln [poster presentation]
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Upper Mississippi River System Environmental Management Program: Pool 8 by Molly Brown, Erin Gibbs, Dave Hanold and Grant Stegner [poster presentation]
• Invasive Species - Attack of the aliens by Jake Rocke, Nate Aurell and Raisa Behal [poster presentation]
   
  

Posted December 17, 2007

The views expressed in these webpages are those of the students in the ENVI 133 class and do not necessarily represent the views of Macalester College or the course instructor.