October 2002

The Fall INHA Meeting
 The fall meeting of the Iowa Natural History Association will be at Simpson College in Indianola on 23 and 24 November 2002.  It will be sponsored by Jeff Parmelee.

Friday Evening Dinner Meeting - We will meet at 7:00 pm at the El Tapito restaurant for dinner and will either have the after dinner presentation there or at Carver Hall.  The evening talk will be an illustrated presentation of the results of the study of the Proposed Honey Creek Resort State Park on the north shore of Rathbun Reservoir.  Tom Rosburg will do Plants and Birds, Dennis Schlicht - Butterflies, Jim Christiansen - Herps, and David McCullough - Mammals.  This study utilized the resources of the INHA to locate the best scientists to prepare the competitive proposal and conduct the study.

El Tapito Restaurant - is on Hwy 92, 0.3 mi E of intersection with Main Street (Hwys
65/69).

Carver Hall – The SE corner of the campus.  Park along the street or in the parking lot just W of the building.  We will meet in the Jordan Lecture Hall.

Saturday Morning Meeting - at 9:00 am at Carver Hall (the science building, room to be determined).

Proposed Agenda

Donuts and coffee; Welcome

1. Approval of minutes of Fall 2001 Meeting

2.  Treasurer's Report

3.  Discussion of the 2003 Mussel symposium at the IAS annual meeting (David Lyon)

4.  Paul Christiansen comment on potential input of Loess Hills Alliance on research opportunities and funding of Loess Hills Study.  JLC will comment on USFWS potential input.

5.  Changes in Iowa's wetlands (Laura Jackson at UNI a potential resource)

6.  The impact of farm ponds on Iowa’s flora and fauna.  Should it be focused to deal with the part played by ponds in the survival or decline in state listed species?
 

7.  Discussion of potential scientific problems around the state, questions that need to be
answered, and how to fund the research.

8.  Discussion of fee schedules.  When we apply for funding on research projects we are in competition with other scientists.  An important factor determining who gets funded is our cost in doing the work.  Even so fees we charge range from $10/hr to $45/hr.

9.  Discussion of any new proposals we wish to pursue for 2003. How to organize an analysis of the tiger salamander decline.

10.  Encourage applications by students for the Runkel-Roosa Research Award.

New Business

1. Review of ongoing studies by INHA members (put them in newsletter?)
2. Recent publications of INHA members relative to Iowa (put them in newsletter)
3. Election of officers?
4.  Other?

The Spring Meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

 The INHA has worked closely with the IAS in establishing symposia, arranging topical publications of the Journal often related to symposia, and most of our members have distinguished themselves by taking other active parts in the organization.  It is important that we again be represented with our students in the presentation of papers on either completed works or works in progress.  The next IAS meeting will be in Des Moines at the Hotel Fort Des Moines on 25 and 26 April 2003.  That, by the way, will be the last meeting in Des Moines for a while as we return to the practice of meeting on different college campuses around the state.

Please send or bring your proposed agenda items.

Please bring your dues checks( $15)

        James L. Christiansen
        President