4th Annual Urban Landscape Summit: A Preview

By Michael Gutierrez

IrriGator blog is pleased to kick-off its spring/summer season with one of the high points of the spring calendar - UF/IFAS Urban Landscape Summit 2019! Focused on all things urban landscape, this year’s event spans two days and includes an optional Green Infrastructure Field Day preceding the summit for extension professionals. The UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology (CLCE) hosts the Urban Landscape Summit and Center Director Dr. Michael Dukes agreed to an interview with IrriGator to preview the event.

Do you feel there is a more defined theme to this year’s summit than previous years?

MD: Yes, that is the intention. We want the group to intentionally think about landscapes, influence of external forces such as water quality requirements (BMAPs/TMDLs). Specifically, how are external forces going to shape future Florida landscapes?

The structure of the event has changed this year with an emphasis on more presenters and no keynote speaker. Can you give us some insight into this decision-making?

MD: The first day will start with state of the art presentations summarizing research on landscape issues including turfgrass nutrient requirements, water requirements, and breeding as well as soil amendments and water quality associated with urban areas.These presentations will then lead into a panel of external stakeholders that will discuss forces that could change current landscapes into what will become future landscapes. Given the recent red tides and harmful algae blooms, these topics are extremely timely!

There is a lot of great research slated for presentation on both days of the summit. Any highlights you’re excited about?

MD: I’m excited to hear the updates I mentioned above and in particular to hear from the panel. How do we collectively envision future landscapes? What are the implications for the industry and ultimately the public? This summit will go beyond presentations as in previous summits and will serve to synthesize what we know and help us chart a path for future research priorities.

There is still some time left to register. What would you tell a green industry or extension professional on the fence about attending this year’s summit?

MD: Register!! If you want to get a view on the thinking of the people that are closest to the cutting edge research and those closest to policy concerning landscapes in Florida you will not be disappointed!

Is this summit one of CLCE’s final events considering the recent announcement of the Center for Land Use Efficiency’s creation? Can we expect a continuation of the summit or events like it in 2020/the future?

MD: CLCE will still exist! The formation of CLUE will serve to link existing programs such as CLCE, PREC, and Ag BMPs. The summit has been a key event for our urban landscape programs and will continue.

The 2019 UF/IFAS Urban Landscape Summit takes place March 20 - 21, 2019 in Gainesville, FL. Register here.

A Look at Water in South Central Florida

If you stay abreast of water media you may be familiar with Dr. Mary Lusk from handy insight on reclaimed water in Florida and topical research on septic system pollutants. You may also recognize Dr. Lusk as the UF/IFAS Water Regional Specialized Agent for the South Central District. This spring during the Urban Landscape Summit, Dr. Lusk agreed to speak with IrriGator for our on-going series featuring Water RSAs and their districts.

What drew you to the Water RSA position?

ML: I really like that it combines science with communication to the public. To me Extension is just the perfect job because you’re taking scientific information and you’re conveying that to the public. I love that combination. It’s the best of all worlds to me: science and communication.

What are the critical water issues in the South Central District?

ML: My district is a mixed bag. We definitely have a lot of urban land with the Tampa/St. Pete area, and the Sarasota, Port Charlotte and Naples areas. We also have huge amounts of ag in this district. We have strawberry and vegetable row crops in the Hillsborough County area - all the row crops in the Immokalee area. I really have to wear two hats between the urban and ag world.

If you had to focus on one issue as being most important, it’s probably nutrient storage. We have a lot of water bodies that are impaired because of excess nutrients. What I focus a lot on is ways to get the message out of things we can do to reduce our nutrient footprint, reduce that transport of nutrients from land, whether it’s urban or agricultural, to the water.

Dr @UF_MaryLusk led a team to write longest article in "Critical Reviews in ES&T" on septic systems pollutants." https://t.co/n9YBw0YNLf

— Gurpal Toor (@ToorUMD) May 19, 2017

Do you consider your first year as an RSA a success?

ML: I feel like this past year has been a success. I’ve seen firsthand the issues. I know who the players are. I’ve met so many people at agencies like DEP, FDACS, the water management districts. I’ve learned who the people are and what they’re working on, what’s important to them and by default learned what’s important to Florida. Now that I have this information I feel that I’m ready to go, ready to start tackling some of those problems.

How do you feel having a digital presence on Twitter benefits you and your work?

ML: I really was looking for ways to just expand my reach, reach those folks that I don’t see face to face, perhaps I’ve never met, but folks who are out there looking for this information. Expand my reach. That to me is great. The more people we can get in touch with, all the better.

Read about Water RSAs Charles Barrett, James Fletcher and Lisa Krimsky.

A UF/IFAS Water School Near You

Water Schools are an expanding priority for UF/IFAS. The concept was originally conceived in Polk County in the 90s and then caught on throughout neighboring Southwest FL. Currently there are plans to develop water schools in Marion, Brevard, Citrus and Lake/Sumter Counties. On June 27^th the Lake/Sumter Water School is set to debut. Event co-organizer Lloyd Singleton (of Sumter County Extension) recently communicated with IrriGator to offer further insight into the Lake/Sumter County effort.

Lloyd Singleton (left) and Steve Turnipseed inspect a FL native (image FANN)

What do you feel is the most pressing water issue in your area of FL?

LS: Rapid planned residential development in the south part of Lake County (Clermont, Minneola, Groveland) and the north part of Sumter County (The Villages) are increasing the demands for water. Lots of new lawns and landscapes with irrigation, so water quantity is of great concern. Given its namesake, Lake County has water quality concerns for the beautiful chains of lakes in the region.

Christopher Martinez discusses water schools to educate & help influencers in making a difference in water conservation & quality #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/457xJk6jsF

— UF IFAS Solutions (@UF_IFAS) March 17, 2017

How often are water schools conducted in your counties?

LS: We conducted a water school for local community leaders last summer (2016), and this is our first one open to the general public. One of the outcomes of that water school, where we used Dr. Borisova’s evaluation, was that they suggested the same information be provided to the general public. So that’s what we decided to do this summer. Some of the information may be over the heads of the general public, but I’m not a big believer in dumbing stuff down. Sometimes you need to challenge critical thinking with a little bit of higher level information. 

We are grateful to our sponsors, the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District for providing the resources to share this event with the general public. If it is well received and the word spreads, I’m confident we can do more.

The water school program includes quite an array of expertise, who is the intended audience?

LS: The program is open to anyone; we are seeing interest from a wide variety of folks, including Master Gardeners, the environmentally-minded, early adopters of all sorts. We’ve assembled experts in numerous fields related to water, ready to share their expertise and answer your questions about this precious, limited natural resource.

There is a water school goodie bag to entice attendees. What kind of useful items are included?

LS: The gift bag itself is a reusable grocery bag in beautiful UF blue, labeled Water School. We will also provide a flash drive with all of the presenter’s presentations included as .pdfs, a personal water bottle, hose end spray nozzle, a fertilizer guide, bookmark, and lots of Florida-Friendly Landscaping information is included, too.

All of the above and information straight from the experts

Co-organized by Juanita Popenoe, PhD., and Lloyd Singleton, the Lake/Sumter County Water School takes place Tuesday, June 27^th. Register here.

Making Sense of Landscape Fertilizer Ordinances in Florida

Water quality is a hot topic in Florida. If you follow water media you’ll know that in the wake of 2016’s algal blooms along some of the state’s finest coastlines, putting policy in place to lessen the possibility of future recurrences was a top priority during the Legislative Session. During debates therein everything from Ag, to septic tanks to landscape fertilizer were mentioned as factors contributing to poor water quality. While IFAS research suggests landscape fertilizer does not play as significant a role as its often assigned, the reality is that much of the state has crafted ordinances on when it should/should not be applied (some vigorously contested).

What part of Florida has enacted which landscape fertilizer ordinance? Good question! Enter turfgrass specialist Dr. J. Bryan Unruh. Earlier this year Dr. Unruh tweeted a preview of a mobile website/app he is developing about landscape fertilizer ordinances throughout Florida. IrriGator caught up with Dr. Unruh during the recent Urban Landscape Summit and he was kind enough to answer a few questions about this exciting project (a collaborative effort in conjunction with the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program and IFAS-IT).

New map showing FL fertilizer ordinances. Two months from launching app that will allow you to know what's in place where you are standing! pic.twitter.com/ACC7B9vqqb

— Bryan Unruh (@jbunruh) March 9, 2017

How did the idea for the fertilizer ordinance app come about?

JBU: Working with the landscape industry in Florida – with now over 100 landscape ordinances, there’s a lot of confusion, especially in the larger urban areas (Orlando and Tampa) where you have multiple counties. So the idea was conceived that if you have a GPS-enabled smart phone you can hit a button and it will tell you exactly what ordinance is in place at that particular point. Nobody has really kept a very accurate compilation of all of these ordinances. My masters student, Christopher Ryan, through some of his work had created ArcGIS maps that show where all these ordinances are. So we’re merging this information into a handy app.

A screenshot preview of app interface (via Dr. Unruh)

Who is the intended audience for this product?

JBU: The primary audience would be the landscape industry. There’s an estimated 70,000 fertilizer applicators out there. Extension faculty as well might find it useful. I don’t presume to think an average homeowner would purchase this app, but they might.

Is this a stand-alone app or is it web-based?

JBU: We’re using app and mobile-website interchangeably. A mobile-website links into the database that is housed on a server. Whereas an app, your updates are tied to app stores. If they don’t push down an update as soon as we would like, then we have a problem.

There is a functional component, too. As we’ve compiled these databases, a lot of it is reactive. You’ll hear about an ordinance and then you have to go vet it out. But with 70,000 landscapers out there, this app has functionality in it where an industry person may hear about something happening in their municipality or their county, they can actually upload information into the tool that then comes back to us and then we can vet for accuracy. They won’t be able to change the database or maps, but they can provide us their ears on the ground.

Will this be a free service?

JBU: The app is a for sale product. You pay a fee for access. We have partial funding from Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, FNGLA, and internal program funds. It may not have thousands and thousands of users, but I think that those users that do have it will find it to be very helpful.

Detailed ordinance info at your fingertips (via Dr. Unruh)

The Florida Fertilizer Ordinances web app is now available for use on mobile devices. Access it here.

Two Days of Landscape Talk

Last month marked the 2^nd annual Urban LandscapeSummit. For two days researchers, state specialists and graduate students gathered on the UF campus to learn about new findings in landscaping and related topics. The following is a short summary from my perspective.

Big Moods

Day one began on a high note with wetlands and water quality expert Dr. Mark Clark’s expansive presentation on urban stormwater quality. I had never heard of “slab on grade” construction and found the complementing sections of Dr. Clark’s talk to be one revelation after another. Likewise for Dr. Hayk Khachatryan’s investigation of homeowners and alternative residential landscapses, as well as Dr. Gurpal Toor’s look at algal blooms and fertilizer bans in Florida.

Learning about "slab on grade" construction & potential impact of fill soils in residential developments #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/Zq9ljJ01bT

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Of course no summit would be complete without a look into the future and on day two researchers behind the Water 2070 report provided just that. Attendees got a feel for why Florida continues to attract new residents, how the 2070 report generated its future projections and what practices, including IFAS programs, can offer some sustainable solutions to the challenges ahead.

FL 2070, "There's only one Florida". Alternatives like @UF_IFAS @floridafriendly landscapes will help meet future water demand #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/B0AEGeisMF

— Michael Dukes (@mddukes) March 17, 2017

#CLCE17

One welcome change from the previous landscape summit was this year's digital presence on Twitter. At least half a dozen accounts were live-tweeting from the event and IFAS had their new social media manager working in the audience.

IrriGator took advantage of the summit’s draw to interview a number of experts for future blog content. These included a IFAS Water RSAs Drs. Mary Lusk and Charles Barrett, whom actively maintain a presence on Twitter. I knew these agents from their tweet content before meeting them in person. Stay tuned for their insight on how digital presence can be a benefit to research and outreach. 

Student poster session is full speed ahead @ Urban Landscape Summit 2017! #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/eLEd1SsmrF

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Students

Graduate students play an important role in the summit event. They have an opportunity to share their research in 5 minute lightning sessions and they also present posters for judging.  

Best posters this year included:

• PhD candidate Xumin Zhang for Investigating Homeowners' Preferences for Smart Irrigation Technology Features
• Master student Allison Bechtloff with Producers Value Sterile Cultivar Research for Potentially Invasive Plants for the Horticulture Industry in the southeastern United States 

Looking forward to this afternoon's new faculty session @ Urban Landscape Summit w/ Drs. Jorge Barrera, Eban Bean & @UF_IFASWater! #CLCE17 pic.twitter.com/IRcMMqw7ok

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) March 16, 2017

Looking Ahead
If nothing else, 2017’s Urban Landscape Summit established how salient many of these research areas are to the viability and sustainability of quality of life in Florida. Further, the “New Faculty” session indicates that the Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology and IFAS are adding even more experts to work on these issues. See you next year! 

Editor's Note: many of the slide presentations from the summit 

are now available in PDF form here.

“It’s really about communicating”: An Interview with Dr. Eric McLamore

This November, Dr. Eric McLamore, associate professor in Agricultural and Biological Engineering, was honored with a USDA Excellence in Teaching award in the New Teacher category. Dr. McLamore is popular among students in the ABE department for his wide-ranging research and a grant writing course he teaches which includes learning about and creating digital media. In fact, not too long ago Dr. McLamore worked with IrriGator on a short video about air conditioning condensate irrigation.

In this same collaborative spirit, Dr. McLamore recently shared with us some thoughts on his current research and receiving a teaching award.

USDA Excellence in Teaching award recipients for UF/IFAS: Eric McLamore and Nicole Stedman 

What do you focus on in your research?

We make biosensors – measurement technology for measuring small molecules, viruses, cells and everything in between. Most of our work is applied within food safety or water quality; although we do some medical and nutritional work as well.

Right now we have a big project where we’re trying to measure a bacterium in food called Listeria monocytogenes – it’s a particularly dangerous organism that affects children and the elderly. It’s a major problem across the world. We’re working in the US with food producers on both the water quality side – things like irrigation water within the farm and also the processing facility. And we’re also working overseas. We have a project in Colombia working with displaced refugees monitoring that pathogen as well as others on food - trying to help people who are very vulnerable from a health standpoint. We also have some work initiating in that same sort of humanitarian context in Malaysia right now.

La Toma: Colombian community impacted by small-scale gold mining

I mentioned that we measure small molecules. One of the larger things we’re measuring in a similar humanitarian effort in Colombia is mercury. That project is focusing on illegal gold mining which is prevalent in that region of the world. We’re working with a community of displaced Afro-Colombians and indigenous tribes who live in the mountains. The illegal miners use mercury to create what’s called amalgamate - which is how they extract the gold. The miners don’t understand the damage that they’re doing to the environment and to themselves and the indigenous communities by using so much mercury. We’re finding levels hundreds of times higher than what the World Health Organization allows in any drinking water. We also measure fish that the locals consume. We’re trying to put together a project where we can assist the community as well as help train the miners who are exposed to the most dangerous levels of mercury.

Read a WHO report on gold and mining health

You teach a grant writing course which emphasizes the usefulness of digital media in terms of professional development. How do you use these tools in your research?  

This is enormously important. In engineering we do a lot of nanomaterials and chemistry and physics and all these things – the fundamental sciences drive what we do. But at the end of the day it’s really about communicating it to people and making sure that they know where we’re coming from, they understand how to use the science in the way that we intended it to be used. 

Sampling and testing for mercury in water

And that really comes down to oral communication, digital media - these sorts of things. From a technology standpoint as well, the sensors typically output data that goes to a smart phone. So we’re getting to a point now where we’re going to start creating apps. We’re going to develop some of those things for the communities so that it’s user-friendly and not so sciencey.

Right now on the mercury project we’re working with a filmmaker in Colombia. We have several videos online. We need to get the message out and give a voice to the people who need help.

What does it mean to be honored with the new teacher award at this stage of your career?

It was primarily associated with the humanitarian work and bringing that kind of research into the classroom. It’s humbling and it’s a big honor. Just standing in the room with some amazing people who have been teaching their entire career and learning from them about all the things they do gave me a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.

Researchers and community leaders meeting 

What are some projects you’re focusing on in 2017?

The big thing is these two humanitarian projects. There are a lot of other projects that we’re working on that are important. For example, I have a student who is trying to make a type of breathalyzer, but it monitors a compound associated with diabetes that is the number one diagnostic tool for preventing death in children – it’s called diabetic ketoacidosis. He’s monitoring a specific maker in the breath that’s kind of difficult to measure with ornery kids who are sick and can’t communicate as adults can. Hopefully we can make a cute, fun breathalyzer that monitors this marker and helps these kids stay out of the emergency room because it’s a deadly problem. We have some other very important projects, but the humanitarian work has been a focus of the last year and will probably continue to be for the next four or five years.

Collaboration and Expansion: A Q & A with South District Water RSA Lisa Krimsky

This month all of UF/IFAS’ regional specialized agents (RSA) for water gathered in Gainesville to meet with each other and an assortment of state specialists. Water RSAs are a recent advent in IFAS that many of us water pros are excited to see in action. Unlike a typical extension agent, an RSA is assigned a state region in which to exercise his/her insight and expertise.

A Gainesville Gathering (courtesy: Michael Dukes)

Regional Assets

In Florida, water quality and quantity are major concerns. Having five RSAs in the mix across the state is an asset. “I see the RSAs as a tremendous opportunity in connecting IFAS resources with water issues that cross political boundaries and water users,” said IFAS water specialist Dr. Kati Migliaccio. “Water issues are not typically one well or one stream, they are watershed size or aquifer size.”

IFAS water RSAs work within and overlapping the water management districts 

Banner Year

2016 has been a noteworthy year for water quality in South Florida. Fish kills and algal blooms, symptoms of long term management issues, made national headlines during spring and summer. Water experts and policymakers have a significant role to play in the region’s future. Newly minted South District RSA Lisa Krimsky talked to IrriGator about South Florida’s water challenges and the regional agent concept.

South District Water RSA Lisa Krimsky earlier this year in Miami-Dade

_______

What are you most excited about working on in this new position?

Since I started this position in July, I’ve been spending my time getting to know the whole South District region and understanding both the broad overarching issues and the unique local problems that impact South Florida’s water resources. I have met with local stakeholders, attended numerous meetings and visited with county Extension offices to learn about the great water programming efforts that Extension agents are currently doing. There is a lot of enthusiasm and support for this position, and I am most excited about continuing to work with and facilitate partnerships with each of these entities so that we can meet the challenges and have a greater impact in our existing efforts.

A recent article mentioned your interest in the Indian River Lagoon, can you talk about what the situation is there and what role you hope to play?

Fish kill in Indian River Lagoon (courtesy: WMFE)

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is a large and complex system that spans the length of 5 counties and recent algal bloom events have led to national attention. The northern part of the lagoon has been experiencing patchy blooms of Pyrodinium algae or “brown tides”. These high concentrations of algae plus summer’s high water temperatures have led to declining levels of dissolved oxygen which have resulted in localized fish kills. The southern part of the lagoon has also been experiencing algal blooms, although the type and cause are different from that in the northern IRL. Blue-green, Mycrocystis algae bloomed in the St. Lucie Estuary earlier this summer. This event is the result from high-nutrient, freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee as well as localized runoff from local watersheds. Immediately, one of the roles I hope to play is to help fill in the gaps in communication between scientists, resource managers and citizenry. I want to assist in understanding the causes, impacts, and current research and monitoring efforts surrounding these blooms which will hopefully lead to support and implementation of nutrient reduction (stormwater and wastewater) and restoration efforts.

Stuart, FL: algae in full bloom (courtesy: AP)

A year from today what would you characterize as a good start for the RSA position in South Florida? 

A year from now I simply hope to have a good grasp on all the complexities surrounding water resource issues in South Florida! Kidding aside, I think a successful first year for me would be to increase our collaborations with local partners and work together to expand successful localized projects on a larger scale so that they can be applied throughout the greater region rather than stay siloed within county-boundaries.

_______ 

As a platform focusing on water quality and quantity, IrriGator will be doing our best to follow and feature the work of all the water RSAs in the months/years to come. Stay tuned!

Another One: A Look Back At 2015

By Michael Gutierrez

The end of the year affords a great opportunity to reflect on and assess the work of the past twelve months. For me and the Dukes research group, 2015 was all about initiating new projects and watching others come to fruition. Follow along as I review our year in water research.

#Landscapechat
When you receive an invitation to discuss your work and agenda for the year before a national audience, you take it. That's what Miami-Dade's Urban Conservation Unit (UCU) and I did in January, collaborating on national twitter discussion #landscapechat - explaining the water challenges we face in Florida and highlighting the work we do to promote sustainability. Relive the discussion here.

A January 2015 promotional short 

Water Quality to the Fore

The SVAEC project (named after the Suwannee Valley County research center where it is based) started early in 2015 and continued throughout the year. SVAEC is a three year nutrient management study in corn and peanut cultivation that encompasses water sampling from drainage lysimeters, soil core sampling and plant tissue sampling to determine how nutrients from fertilizer move in the growing area. 

Installing a drainage lysimeter in Live Oak: like this, but 72 times!

We tested lysimeter designs on campus in early spring and by May were installing 72 drainage lysimeters in the ground in Live Oak. Planning for the second year of SVAEC begins in January, you can learn more about the project through the short video below.

Monday: new tech for nutrient management in corn & peanut at the BMP field day. http://t.co/REiNe8EQA1 pic.twitter.com/cBZPInw6Pm

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) August 14, 2015

Celebrating Rain

As a content creator, I never miss an opportunity to showcase people in the world of water that I admire. Cynthia Barnett is one of those people. In January, Ms. Barnett returned to UF as a Hearst Visiting Professional to teach Environmental Journalism and was kind enough to let me sit in on the lecture portion of the course. 

Cynthia Barnett at the Gainesville release event for Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

Ms. Barnett was also game to sit down with graduate student Mackenzie Boyer and discuss teaching as well as a new book set to release in April. For me, listening to and learning from an author like Cynthia Barnett, who is doing some of the finest water writing around, was a highlight of 2015. You can listen to the IrriGator interview here, as well as an extended public radio interview on Rain: A Natural and Cultural History here.

From Homestead to Gainesville

The renowned team of UF water researchers based in Gainesville grew in 2015 with the addition of Dr. Kati Migliccio. Previously based at UF’s Tropical REC, this summer Dr. Migliaccio relocated to Gainesville and soon began work on North Florida trials for the successful smart irrigation turf app. Located at research plots on campus, the tests are comparing smart turf app water savings with that of many widely available weather-based timers and soil moisture sensors. 

A proven water-saver, the smart turf app is currently under additional testing by @hydroKati http://t.co/Co3Hp4PPfl pic.twitter.com/zM3D0inH2P

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) October 16, 2015

Dr. Migliaccio has helped develop a number of irrigation apps for smart devices. Learn more about current testing in the short video above and check back with IrriGator in 2016 as these app products continue to improve and the focus of Dr. Migliaccio’s North Florida water research expands.

#UFSIM15
July is smart irrigation month. This year I helped push the message of wise outdoor water use on two fronts: showcasing experts locally and nationally. For IrriGator I produced videos with UF experts about four aspects of water-efficient irrigation. For the UCU I collaborated on a longer production collecting insights from industry professionals across the country defining the smart irrigation concept. See the four micro-videos here and the longer piece below.

July also marked an important milestone in the Orange County Smart Irrigation Study that the Dukes group helps manage. Following three years of research and data collection, the county began the process of developing policy around the water saving potential of smart irrigation devices. Learn more about how UF research helps promote water saving through technology here.

Faculty Fellow Award

This fall Dr. Michael Dukes was awarded the UF Water Institute’s Faculty Fellow Award for achievements in interdisciplinary water research and education. 

Congratulations Dr. Dukes!

Listen to a portion of Dr. Dukes’ acceptance speech here, and if you’re in Gainesville in January, be sure to attend his Water Institute Distinguished Scholar Presentation: Using Research to Inform Extension for Real World Water Conservation.

Next week: @MDDukes & others will be recognized at the Faculty Fellow Awards Celebration http://t.co/Xe0IgHYWAN pic.twitter.com/pqDJnuE8Qy

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) October 12, 2015

The Oklahoma/Miami-Dade Connection

Much of the irrigation technology and maintenance fundamentals that I know I learned while working in South Florida, and the group I’ve worked the closest with while there has been Miami-Dade’s UCU team. So few were more pleased than I this fall when they finally filled their long vacant team leader position with Extension Agent Morgan Hopkins.

Meet @MorganH2O, Miami-Dade Extension's new FL Yards & Neighborhoods Agent http://t.co/jbAyNMDC8h pic.twitter.com/Ggiy6rcnbo

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) September 16, 2015

At the time of this writing, Ms. Hopkins is four months on the job and doing very well. In fact, look for her to showcase some of the tangible water savings the UCU generates in Miami-Dade this spring at UF’s Water Institute Symposium.

Closing Big

Late fall is conference season for us and this year we were able to attend and present at both WaterSmart Innovations and the Irrigation Show and Education Conference.

Do irrigation water restrictions work? @UF ABE's Mackenzie Boyer will present this week at @WSIConfExpo #WSI2015 pic.twitter.com/gx0XdQaQSx

— UF/IFAS IrriGator (@IrriGatorUF) October 6, 2015

I was especially honored to have been invited to collaborate with IA/ASABE during the conference in November on content highlighting the good work of extraordinary researcher Dr. Terry Howell and the E3 Irrigation Program, which annually sponsors students and instructors to attend the event.

Looking Ahead

We’re starting 2016 at full speed. For the Dukes team, SVAEC planning begins in early January, followed by a contractor training on soil moisture sensor use and installation with Tampa Bay Water in February, and the Water Institute Symposium soon after. Check this space for on-going developments! 

In West Kendall shooting video about @MiamiDadeWater incentives for smart irrigation & sustainable landscapes! pic.twitter.com/WK338Z78MT

— UF/IFAS Miami U.C.U. (@MiamiUCU) December 29, 2015

In Miami-Dade, the UCU and I already have a slate of three videos in the can awaiting release, and as the work of promoting and educating about conservation and sustainability continues, there will certainly be plans for more. Follow them on Twitter, FaceBook or Instagram and stay tuned!

The SERC Experience: My Summer on the Chesapeake Bay

Rather than being knee-deep in water quality research at my home base in Gainesville, I spent this past summer at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center located in Edgewater, MD, on the iconic Chesapeake Bay. 

Research activities at SERC encompass virtually all aspects of coastal ecosystems: wetland biogeochemistry, marine biodiversity and invasions, plant and animal population dynamics, water quality, effects of global change and land use, and more! You can check out highlights of SERC research on twitter @SmithsonianEnv.

We're out to tag 6,000 blue crabs this summer. And we want you to find them after we do http://t.co/4xR9iRKkrH pic.twitter.com/HWzXjyh9qk

— SmithsonianEnv (@SmithsonianEnv) July 10, 2015

Step One: Get a GRIP
So, how did I end up in Maryland? The story begins with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Every year, NSF funds graduate studies through their Graduate Research Fellowship Program. NSF recently created a new initiative called the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). NSF GRIP offers NSF Graduate Research Fellows the opportunity to expand their research and spend a few months at a national lab or federal agency. I received a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship at the beginning of my graduate studies, so I was eligible for this new internship program - I applied, and I got a GRIP! 

The Global Change Research Wetland
During my 10-week stay this summer, I joined the Biogeochemistry Lab, whose Principal Investigator is Dr. Pat Megongial. Much of the Biogeochemistry Lab’s research takes place at the Kirkpatrick Marsh, which is also referred to as the Global Change Research Wetland. The Global Change Research Wetland is the world’s premier field site for research on tidal wetland responses to global change, and has been home to experiments and observations on the interactions between salt marsh plant communities, CO2, nitrogen, and sea level for almost 30 years. Essentially, researchers at the Global Change Research Wetland are increasing our understanding of the fate tidal marshes face in a future world.

Aerial view of the Global Change Research Wetland at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, taken by Dr. Chuck Gallegos.

Every summer, the experimental chambers in the marsh are comprehensively surveyed. Data collected during these surveys are used to understand how experimental and natural changes influence the marsh plant community, which can then assist efforts to understand how these changes might scale to other tidal marsh systems. One of my internship goals was to get my feet wet and hands dirty in Global Change Research Wetland activities (figuratively and literally!), and I was not disappointed! In July, I had the opportunity to assist with a few aspects of the aforementioned marsh survey, including stem density and dimension measurements.

Top to bottom: in the marsh and field station (credit: SERC)

How to MarshCycle

As part of my internship, I was also graciously included in a project called MARSHCYCLE. MARSHCYCLE investigators – including Dr. Maria Tzortziou of CCNY, lead Principal Investigator, and co-Principal Investigators Drs. Pat Neale and Pat Megonigal at SERC, among other scientists – are integrating field, modeling, and remote sensing approaches to disentangle and quantify key carbon processes taking place along the wetland-estuary boundary (where land meets water). My specific role was to evaluate the hydrology of the main tidal creek flooding and draining the Global Change Research Wetland. Information about flow patterns can be used to complete mass balances of water quality constituents entering and leaving the marsh, as well as to clarify mechanisms related to the release and capture of these constituents within the marsh.

The mouth of the Global Change Research Wetland tidal creek. 

On Transducers
To carry out this analysis, the creek needed to be instrumented with flow and depth measurement devices. The selected flow meter was equipped with acoustic and pressure transducers. Acoustic transducers emit sound pulses that bounce off of particles and debris floating in the water. The instrument measures the amount of time it takes for the sound pulses to return to the acoustic transducer after having bounced off of the particles in the water, and can then calculate the velocity of water moving through the creek. This measurement principle is based on the Doppler effect. The pressure transducer measures the surrounding pressure, which corresponds to the depth of the water column. Flow can then be calculated by knowing the depth and velocity of the water.

Taking flow measurements at the Global Change Research Wetland tidal creek.

The flow meter was situated on the creek bottom about 1.5 meters below the water surface.

Collected data are still being analyzed, but we’re starting to see some interesting patterns using time series analysis approaches. Stay tuned for results in the future!

Growing in Work

This internship experience was wonderful in so many ways. I was able to get involved in SERC research and outreach happenings, gain new colleagues and mentors, work in a cutting-edge environmental research facility, learn about water resources issues in a different part of the country, and make some wonderful friends! 

Unpacking our vessel after taking a flow transect of the Rhode River.

Graduate students often don’t create time for these external opportunities because of the various pressures associated with research and school, but I can think of no better supplement to my scientist-engineer training than to have experienced a different work culture and learned from a group of world-renowned scientists outside of my immediate academic circle.

Until next time: A Chesapeake Bay reminder...

Natalie Nelson is a PhD student in Agricultural and Biological Engineering at UF. Her previous IrriGator contributions covered the Annual International Meetings of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (here and here).