SOME POSSIBLE IDEAS FOR CLASS PROJECTS:

 Each student will be required to select, design, and complete one on-going project for this course. This is to be considered your major piece of work for the Biodiversity class, and it will be graded on an on-going basis throughout the year.  I will provide a list of possible projects, which are described below.  YOU ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO DESIGN A PROJECT OF YOUR OWN, IF THERE IS SOME TOPIC OR ACTIVITY OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO YOU.  You will need to have me check over and approve such a project before you begin.  I will also consider allowing 2-3 students to collaborate on a project, if you can design one of sufficient scope and depth.

Here are some possible project ideas to get you started thinking:

1. Set up and manage the indoor office – Room 029 has been given over to use by the Biodiversity Project and Science Department.  The room needs a good deal of restoration, cleaning, setting up a resources library, and organization. 
2.  Start a hydroponics gardening project – So far, the Biodiversity Project has been limited to outdoor gardening.  But there is a great deal of interest worldwide in hydroponics gardening, especially with the loss of farmland to development, the erosion of soil, and the decline in worldwide soil fertility.  With our new office space, we have room for a small pilot project in this area.
3.  Develop a new plant – Understanding the importance of plant genetics is a key to understanding the vital importance of maintaining biodiversity.  Since Father Bill McCusker (an avid tomato grower) passed away two winters ago, we have considered the possibility of trying to develop a new variety of tomato and naming it in his honor. If you are interested in trying to do this, give it a try (or try some other vegetable or flower variety).
4.   Write a grant for a new greenhouse – A logical next step for the BDP (along with hydroponics) would be to build a greenhouse that would permit us to run experiments year-round.  To do so, we will need to get outside funding.  We need someone to research available grants in this area, write a proposal and (hopefully) get a grant that will allow us to take this next big step.
5.  Compile on-line resources – Part of our new website will be developed as a compendium of internet resources for other groups around the country to consult.  We need someone who will do the legwork of finding out the internet sites of other groups and individuals working in biodiversity, listing on-line resources and news sources on the issue of biodiversity and ecology.
6.  Do an original research paper – If there is any topic or issue in the realm of ecology / biodiversity that particularly interests you, you can research an original paper on the topic and have it published to our website.  This would be a good prep for the kind of research work you may be doing in college or graduate school.  I’ll provide you with some guidelines and pointers once you have selected a topic or issue.
7.  Construct a classroom or gardening resource – Instead of purchasing equipment, some of it can be constructed on the premises here and then used by future groups of students in the Biodiversity Project.  Such resources could be for the classroom, the office, or the garden. If you like to build things, this option could be for you.
8.  Set up a business – It has been said that responsible environmental behavior occurs most quickly when it is also profitable.  There is some potential to create a profitable business within the activities of the Biodiversity Project. For example, you could find out if there is a local market for some of the organic produce we turn out ach year, or see if there is a “gap” in local organic farm production for a niche product (like some type of herb, etc.) that we could grow and actually sell to one or more local outlets at a profit.