FT-1 Land between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area: Ecology Research and Management of Forest and Animal Communities, Soil, and Lakes (OVERNIGHT)

Departs Friday, August 4 at 7 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 late.

Fee includes: transportation, snacks, and box lunch on day one, overnight accommodations at the Best Western, Grand Rivers. Due to the amount of walking and terrain, no one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: James Fralish, Southern Illinois University

Land between the Lakes is a 40 mile-long, 97,000 acre national recreation area bordered by Kentucky Lake on the west and Lake Barkley on the east. For 40 years the Tennessee Valley Authority managed the land, but in 2001 management became the responsibility of the US Forest Service. Considerable research has been conducted by scientists from Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence (zoological), Southern Illinois University Forestry and Botany Departments (upland forest and soil), and Murray State University Hancock Biological Station (lake research). The field trip will examine these forest communities of western Kentucky, Tennessee, Southern Illinois, and Missouri, ranging from Cypress swamps to post oak barrens. Ecological and management issues will be discussed. Included on the trip will be field stops and indoor presentations of research findings and management. A book and bound report reviewing the research and management at LBL will be given to each participant.

Day 1:

- 7 am —Leave Memphis
- 11 am —Arrive LBL take walk in shortleaf pine restoration/preservation area
- 12:15 pm —Lunch at Brandon Spring Group Camp
- 1 pm —Welcome by Forest Service Supervisor; management of LBL
- 2 pm --Forest communities, geology, and soil/research at LBL (in the field)
- 7 pm —Check into Best Western
- 7:30 pm --Supper at Patties Restaurant (outstanding food); not included in fee

Day 2:

- 7 am —Checkout of hotel; breakfast next door to the hotel at Miss Scarlet's Restaurant (very good) breakfast; not included in fee
- 9 am —Hancock Biological Station, Aurora, KY, review of lake research
- 12 pm —Lunch at Kentucky Lake State Park Restaurant; not included in fee
- 1:30 pm —Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence research review—zoology, synthesis of forest community research data
- 8 pm —return to Memphis

FT-2 Tributaries of the Mississippi

Departs Friday, August 4 at 7:30 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Friday, August 4 at 8 pm . Day 2: Departs Saturday, August 5 at 7:30 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 at 8 pm. You will need to arrange housing for Friday night in Memphis , it is not included in the fee.

Fee includes: transportation, snacks, and box lunches on both days. Day 1 dinner is not included in the fee. Due to the amount of walking, the terrain, and the canoe portion of the trip, no one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizers: Cliff Hupp, USGS; Scott Franklin, University of Memphis

Thousands of kilometers of streams in West Tennessee were channelized in the last century, which had severe and lasting direct and indirect impacts on the fluvial geomorphology and riparian plant ecology of entire river systems. Channelization, through drastic increases in stream gradient creates a cycle of channel incision and widening followed by sediment aggradation on the bed and banks leading to a return to relative stability. Riparian vegetation is at once affected by and influential in this channel evolution. Characteristic fluvial landforms and processes and attendant vegetation successions are represented in the recovery phases of channel evolution, which has been described in a six-stage channel evolution model. The first day of this field trip will consist of driving to several locations to view degraded and pristine riparian zones along channelized and unchannelized river sections, showing examples of natural eco-geomorphic changes through the important phases of recovery from channelization. Participants will return late to Memphis . Day two will be a visit to the Hatchie River, examining The Nature Conservancy's restoration of a channelized tributary (Richland Creek) and canoeing this scenic river.

We suggest you wear clothes that you do not mind getting wet and muddy. Second day will include exploring while in canoes. Mosquitoes can be problem so bring insect spay. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses.

Day 1:

- Nonconnah Creek and discuss urban sprawl
- Wolf River headcut, then boardwalk through cypress-tupelo swamp
- Drive to Dyerburg, TN area to see Tigrett WMA and other channels
- Dinner—please bring $15-20 per person for dinner; dinner not included in the fee.

Day 2:

- Meet with the Nature conservancy to discuss restoration/management of the Hatchie River
- Canoe on the Hatchie River

FT-3 In Search of the Ivorybill

Departs Saturday, August 5 at 7 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5, 6 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, snack, and box lunch.

Organizer: Steven R. Reagan, White River National Wildlife Refuge

On February 11, 2004, kayaker Gene Sparling caught a glimpse of a large and majestic woodpecker in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge of Arkansas. The encounter spurred an extensive scientific search for a species that many feared extinct. Additional sightings and a video from the search have shown that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has cheated extinction. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous partners have launched an ambitious recovery program to bring the Ivory-bill – one of the world's most endangered birds – back from the brink of extinction. Participants will drive approximately 2 hours to the White River NMR Visitor's Center. The first 2 plus hours will be an introduction to the management plan for the Ivory-billed woodpecker, hosted by area biologist Steven Reagan, and time to examine the Reserve's new Visitor's Center. Lunch will be a box lunch, using the back deck of the visitor's center and their facilities. Following lunch, participants will make a 45-minute drive to the Jack's Bay area on the refuge, spend a couple hours hiking around the woods, potential Ivory-billed habitat, and discuss further the ecology and management plan for these birds. Participants will depart for home around 4 pm, thus returning to Memphis around 6 pm.

Field trip participants should wear comfortable walking shoes or boots, and dress appropriately for walking in areas with mosquitoes (bug juice is a good idea).  Bring insect repellant. It will be hot, sunny, and humid in early August, participants should wear hats and visors, and bring sunscreen.

White River National Wildlife Refuge web site: http://www.fws.gov/whiteriver/

General brochure on the Ivory-bill Woodpecker: http://www.fws.gov/ivorybill/IBW-general-brochure.pdf

FT-4 Ghost River Canoe Trip

Departs Saturday, August 5 at 7 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 late.

Fee includes: transportation, snack, box lunch, and canoe rentals. This field trip will require moderate canoe handling skills around sharp turns and obstacles. We, therefore ask that only those with such skill signup for the trip. No one under the age of 13 is allowed to participate in this trip.

Organizer: David Kesler, Rhodes College

While in the Memphis area why not spend a day on one of the most beautiful, varied, and challenging wetland canoe trails in the country. Participants will travel to LaGrange, TN, then jump into canoes for a trip through the Ghost River section (a State Natural Area) of the Wolf River . According to the Wolf River Conservanc http://www.wolfriver.org/html/canoeing_guide.html, the Ghost Section, an hour drive east of Memphis, is Class I. The 8+ mile trip, taking 5-6 hours, will require moderate canoe handling skills around sharp turns and obstacles. Although the trip begins meandering through bottomland hardwood forests, 3 to 4 miles into the area the flora changes as the water table rises.  Closely spaced tupelo gum and bald cypress form dizzying rows. Silver and red leaf maples, ironwood and river birch nearly create a full canopy over the river as they compete for scarce sunlight along the banks. Approximately 4 miles into the 8.5 mile trip small braids of river begin to split off to the left, disappearing into a dense, standing water tupelo gum/bald cypress swamp before the main channel abruptly dead ends. The river section is extremely rare in that it is the only unchannelized headwaters of a river within the entire region. Most, if not every other lowland river's headwaters in the lower Mississippi Valley has been brutally altered by draglines and dredges – at enormous environmental and financial costs. Only a threatened lawsuit by noted environmentalist Chester McConnell in the late 1960s stopped the draglines from moving upstream of Moscow, TN and draining the large swamps of the Ghost River area of the river. Participants will discuss all aspects of river ecology and conservation. This field trip will require moderate canoe handling skills around sharp turns and obstacles.  Participants may also have to pull over or duck under logs and limbs.  The Wolf's turbid waters are always cool, and you can look for prothonatary warblers or mussels while you take a dip. Dress to get wet. Mosquitoes can be problem so bring insect spay. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses. To help offset the cost of this trip, ESA will reimburse participants for half of the canoe rental fee if you share a canoe.

FT-5 The Hernando de Soto Expedition and the Mississippian People of the Lower Mississippi Valley

Depart Saturday, August 5 at 7 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 at 6 pm.

Fee includes: snacks, transportation, river boat tour and lunch, Tunica Museum, Chucalissa Indian Village, and Parkin Archaeological State Park.

Organizer: David H. Dye, University of Memphis

To enhance your enjoyment of this field trip we suggest that you review the websites below:

Hernando de Soto Expedition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hernando_de_Soto_(explorer)

Tunica RiverPark: http://www.tunicariverpark.com/

Chucalissa Indian Museum: http://cas.memphis.edu/chucalissa/

Parkin Archaeological State Park: http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parkinarcheological

Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/southeast/wapanocca/

In May of 1541, Hernando de Soto and a group of almost one thousand Spaniards and their Indian captives stood on the loess bluffs of the Mississippi River and saw the Mississippi alluvial valley before them. In this field trip we will cover Soto's route from the eastern loess bluffs of the Mississippi Valley to Crowley's Ridge and back to the Mississippi River . We will see and visit many of same late prehistoric towns Soto encountered, and lectures will be conducted at various archaeological sites, with museums. The tour will include stops at loess bluffs, Mississippi alluvial valley, Mississippi River, backswamps, natural levees, oxbow lakes, and Crowley's ridge, and finish at Chucalissa (Choo-kah-le-sah) Archeological Museum.

Chucalissa, a Choctaw word meaning abandoned house, has stepped out of the past and into the modern world. Although projectile points dating back some 3000 years have been found at the site, most evidence indicates that the first town was founded around 1000 C.E. The area went through various phases of use until around 1500 C.E. when the last and most powerful settlement of the area occurred. The village constructed during this, the Walls Phase, is the one represented at the site today. During this phase, large mounds were constructed around the central plaza. Society and technology had evolved and produced a rather advanced chiefdom of both stratification and social/civil order.

This trip will involve outdoors walking around at 2 archaeological parks, 2 nature trails, and a federal wildlife management refuge. The Midsouth in August is hot (mid 90s or hotter) and humid (60-85% or more), so bring plenty of water and be prepared for the usual afternoon summer thunderstorms by carrying raingear. Mosquitoes can be problem so bring insect spay. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses.

- 7 am —Leave Memphis
- 8 am — Arrive Tunica River Park; take ecotour and visit museum
- 10:30 am —Board Tunica Queen river boat
- 11 am —Boat river and lunch
- 12:30 pm —Leave Tunica
- 1 pm —Arrive Chucalissa Indian Village
- 3:30 pm —Arrive Parkin Archaeological State Park
- 5 pm —Arrive Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
- 8 pm —Arrive Memphis—for those still standing dinner plans may be planned; not included in the fee.

FT-6 National Wetlands Sedimentary Laboratory

Departs Saturday, August 5 at 7:15 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 at 6 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, snack, and box lunch. Due to the amount of walking and the terrain no one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Marge Holland, University of Mississippi

This tour will visit National Sedimentation Lab and the University of Mississippi Field Station at Oxford, MS . To enhance you trip we suggest you visit the following website: http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm

The National Sedimentation Laboratory is comprised of the Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit and the Water Quality and Ecology Research. The Channel and Watershed Processes Research Unit has been changed to the Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit. This unit integrates data from the Channel and Watershed Processes and the former Upland Erosion Processes Research Unit. They are in the process of merging the Upland Erosion Processes Unit web data with the Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit. This merging will also affect some of the web data with the Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit.

The National Sedimentation Laboratory (NSL) is one of over one hundred locations of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The program of the NSL is part of the national program of the ARS in natural resources, and it is dedicated to study and find solutions to problems associated with soil erosion and sediment delivery from upland areas, erosion and sedimentation in stream channels, the impact of sediment and other agricultural contaminants on the biological well being of streams, and the loss of nutrients and agricultural chemicals from agricultural activities on the landscape.

The mission of the University of Mississippi Field Station is to foster ecosystem stewardship 1) by providing a natural laboratory and infrastructure for research, education and service; and 2) by cultivating scientific information and understanding of upland watersheds in the lower Mississippi River Basin and similar habitats. Learn more by going to http://www.baysprings.olemiss.edu

Field trip participants should wear comfortable walking shoes or boots, and dress appropriately for walking in areas with numerous ticks and fire ants (e.g., bring insect repellant and wear long sleeved-shirts and long pants). It will be hot, sunny, and humid in early August; participants should wear hats with visors, and bring sunscreen.

FT-7 Cedar Glades and Barrens – (OVERNIGHT)

Departs Saturday, August 5 at 7:30 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6, late.

Fee includes: transportation, snacks, and box lunch, overnight accommodations at the Ramada Inn, Manchester, TN with continental breakfast. You will be on your own for dinner of day one and lunch of day two. Due to the amount of walking and the terrain no one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Kevin C. Fitch, Natural Areas Program

To enhance your enjoyment of this field trip please visit:
- http://state.tn.us/environment/nh/natareas/flatrock/
- http://state.tn.us/environment/nh/natareas/may/

Participants will examine cedar barrens and prairies of middle Tennessee, their ecology, and restoration. One stop will be Carroll Cabin Barrens, a 200-acre natural area located near the Tennessee River in Decatur County . It was previously owned by Weyerhaeuser Company and was designated as a natural area in 2002. The State received the property from Weyerhaeuser as a donation. Carroll Cabin Barrens is a series of dramatic Silurian aged limestone glades and barrens. The glades and barrens are well developed and occur in longitudinal bands on the hillsides above the Tennessee River . Little bluestem ( Schizachrium scoparium ) dominates the open, gravelly portions of the glades as well as the margins. Forbs, unique to the glades and barrens complex, grow sporadically in open glades and congregate around the barren periphery. The surrounding woods are a mixture of hardwoods of varied ages with the edges of the glades dominated by stunted eastern red cedars ( Juniperus virginiana ). The most common forest is an oak-hickory with short leaf (Pinus echinata ) and Virginia pine ( Pinus virginiana ). Carroll Cabin Barrens is located in the Western Valley of the Tennessee River, which is recognized by some experts as a separate physiographic region with a unique flora. The Silurian glades and barrens are floristically similar to but lacking the endemism associated with Middle Tennessee glades. There are several state rare plants considered disjunct from the Southern Great Plains and Ozarks found at Carroll Cabin that give an interesting western affinity to the flora. Rare plant species found at Carroll Cabin Barrens include the state threatened barrens silky aster ( Aster pratensis ), hairy fimbristylis ( Fimbristylis puberula ), slender blazing star ( Liatris cylindracea ), and state special concern blue sage ( Salvia azurea var. grandiflora ). The Silurian limestone outcroppings in the Western Valley are considered some of the most extensive in the un-glaciated US. This glade/barrens complex is classified as a Western Valley Limestone Hill Barren community and is considered a globally imperiled community.

Be prepared for ticks and mosquitoes so bring insect spay. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses. Prepare for various weather conditions (i.e., rain gear). Morning dew can drench cloths. Hotel accommodations have been arranged at the Ramada Inn, in Manchester, TN. The room rental includes a continental breakfast. You will be on your own for dinner of day one and lunch on day two, there are restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

FT-8 Ecology and Environmental Injustice in Memphis

Departs Saturday, August 5 at 8:30 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Saturday, August 5 at 3:30 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, snack, and box lunch.

Organizer: Charles Nilon, University. of Missouri, Columbia; Rita Harris, Sierra Club's Memphis Environmental Justice Office

The Environmental Justice (EJ) Working Group promotes research, education, and outreach initiatives to advance the engagement of ecologists in addressing environmental injustice. EJ demands that there be no disproportionate impact on any one group, and that there is full inclusion of all impacted in environmental decision-making. Our goal is that all ESA members should understand the relationship between ecology and EJ and should work to address EJ issues. This field trip starts with a 2 hour tour led by Rita Harris, environmental justice organizer for the Sierra Club's Memphis Environmental Justice Office. We will visit two neighborhoods in Memphis that have been impacted by the placement of toxic facilities and landfills. The Douglas neighborhood is surrounded by five chemical plants and a six-lane interstate highway. Community members have organized a monitoring project that collects air samples and monitors pollution levels. We will also visit a neighborhood on the south side of Memphis where a 10-month campaign has developed around plans for a nuclear waste incinerator in the community. There will be a 1 hour discussion with Ms. Harris following the field trip focusing on the role of ecology in EJ issues in Memphis . This discussion will provide a unique opportunity for participants to learn about EJ issues and the role ecology and ecologists can play in resolving these issues in places where they live, work, teach, and do research.

It will be hot, sunny, and humid in early August; participants should wear hats with visors and bring sunscreen.

FT-9 Migratory Birds in Bottomland Hardwoods

Departs Sunday, August 6 at 6 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6, 12 :30 pm.

Fee includes: transportation and snack. No one under the age of 13 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Paul Hamel, USDA Forest Service, author of Tennessee Wildlife Viewing Guide (Watchable Wildlife Series)

This tour will search for birds in the bottomland hardwoods of the Mississippi River, in Meeman-Shelby State Park . This field trip starts with a short ride from Cook Convention Center to some beautiful bottomland forest of the Mississippi River, including cottonwood over 30 m tall. Participants will discuss neotropical migrants and research focusing on Cerulean warbler for the past 16 years, including forest harvesting and canopy structure. However, with the Mississippi Flyway boasting 60% of North America's bird diversity, several species can be seen.

Mosquitoes can be problem so bring insect spay. Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses. If you have binoculars, bring them.

FT-10A Mississippi River Boat Trip

Departs Sunday, August 6 at 7 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6, 2 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, boat rental fees, and box lunch. No one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Thad Wasklewicz, University of Memphis

Come witness the Mighty Mississippi, the world's fourth longest river in the world, draining 41% of the continental US, carrying an average of 436,000 tons of sediment each day, housing 25% of North America's fish diversity, 60% of North America's bird diversity, 60 species of mussel, and providing the daily water supply to over 50 cities. This field trip will start with an introduction to research on the Mississippi River based out of the Meeman Biological Field Station. Rehabilitation of Lower Mississippi River (LMR) floodplain habitats depend upon identifying realistic target conditions. A wealth of research and case studies are available for the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), but a paucity of target data exist for the LMR. An interdisciplinary team from the E.J. Meeman Biological Field Station explored the possibility of applying UMR target conditions to the LMR. To this end, a summary of the dynamics of river stages, island morphometry, and channel variability for the LMR will be given and we will compare results to published work from the UMR. Participants will then take a boat ride (2.5 hours) on the Mississippi River to view and discuss river engineering, fluvial geomorphology, and ecology. Participants will visit an island to look at the famous willow-cottonwood communities, giving full appreciation to the dynamics of a river that fluctuates in height some 10 m annually. Dress for your feet to get wet. Two half-day trips: 1) 7 am through lunch; and 2) 11 am (including lunch) – 6 pm.

FT-10B Mississippi River Boat Trip

Departs Sunday, August 6 at 11 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6, 6 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, boat rental fees, and box lunch. No one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Thad Wasklewicz, University of Memphis

FT-11 Canoe the Wolf (students only)

Departs Sunday, August 6 at 8:00 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6 at 6 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, snacks, canoe rental, and box lunch.

Organizer: Jack Grubaugh, Meeman Biological Field Station, University of Memphis

Students, escape the heat on the cool waters of the Wolf River. This tour will take you along a 4 km naturally meandering river, with cypress swamps and beautiful bottomland hardwoods. Look for prothonatary warblers, examine lengthy beaver dams, and dodge cypress knees. Participants will discuss all aspects of in-channel and floodplain ecology (several years of study), from decomposition and nutrient dynamics to sedimentation of the channel from channelized tributaries. Enjoy several stories of graduate student difficulties in working on western Tennessee rivers (be sure to ask Dr. Grubaugh about the U-boat captain and Channel 5 helicopter).

Dress to get wet. Mosquitoes can be problem so bring insect spay. Avoid synthetic clothes, wear loose fitting, light colored cotton. Bring a hat and sunglasses.

FT-12 The Memphis Historic Trail

Departs Sunday, August 6 at 8 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Sunday, August 6 at 5 pm.

Fee includes: snacks and box lunch. Due to the amount of walking and the terrain no one under the age of 10 is permitted to participate in this trip.

Organizer: Jack Grubaugh, Meeman Biological Field Station, University of Memphis

The Memphis Historic Trail is an 8-10 mile loop hike through the oldest and most historic part of Memphis . The hiking route includes much of the riverfront, several parks overlooking the Mississippi River, visits to several other city parks (with their historic background explained), several old Memphis homes, and reading historic markers along the way. The trail takes you from the humble beginnings of Memphis, through the slave trade, civil war, yellow fever epidemic that nearly lost Memphis its' charter, to 20 th century industry. The trail begins and ends at the Welcome Center at the corner of Riverside Drive and Front Street, a very short walk from the Cook Convention Center . Water stations will be set up periodically along the hike route and maintained by Boy Scout Troop 341. Allow around 8 hours to complete the hike.

FT-13A Memphis Zoo Conservation

Departs Tuesday, August 8 at 9 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Tuesday, August 8, 12 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, admission fee to zoo, tour, and snacks.

Organizer: Jack Ouellette, Memphis Zoo

Tour the zoo while discussing the various conservation projects the zoo is currently working on. For many years, the Memphis Zoo has played an active and contributing role in the captive breeding of endangered species and has participated in both national and international conservation strategies. In June, 1997 this hard work and dedication was formalized by the Memphis Zoological Society Board of Directors in a "Resolution for Conservation", pledging active support through coordinated programs, support, and facilities to increase scientific knowledge and promotion of an increased awareness of the necessity of species conservation. At the Memphis Zoo, we have dedicated ourselves to "preserving wildlife through conservation, education, and research". Since its formal establishment, the Memphis Zoo's Conservation Action Network Committee (C.A.N.) has funded more than $100,000 in more than 10 field conservation projects. These conservation initiatives have taken place in countries like Kenya, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Philippines, Russia, Brazil, Belize, and the West Indies, and have spanned the realms of species conservation throughout the world. Our new research and conservation department (created in 2001) is in a rapid growth phase racing against the equally rapid destruction of our planet's biodiversity. Participants will tour the zoo, discuss the various in-house conservation projects, including Louisiana pine snake and giant pandas, and discuss how this research is helping conserve individuals in the wild. Dress for the heat and quite a bit of walking.

FT-13B Memphis Zoo Conservation

Departs Thursday, August 10 at 9 am from the Cook Convention Center; Returns Thursday, August 8, 12 pm.

Fee includes: transportation, admission fee to zoo, tour, and snacks.

Organizer: Jack Ouellette, Memphis Zoo