Student research out of Vincennes University provides opportunities and plans for conservation
Forty one conservation law enforcement students at Vincennes University spent a semester studying Robeson Hills and have created a list of proposals to enhance the natural resources of the area.
Conservation law enforcement students at Vincennes University have devised a plan with the goal of making an impact on both the local community and the nature all around them.
The project lasted an entire semester in their wildlife management class. The team of students worked together on a test that could change how Robeson Hills is treated by decision makers, potentially making it a paradise for natural resources.
Robeson Hills is in Illinois’ Lawrence county, and runs along a section of the Wabash River which lies between Illinois and Indiana. Comprised of an environmental education site and outdoor laboratory, Robeson Hills contains 545 acres of land including a nature preserve, all managed by Vincennes University. Vincennes’ campus is right across the river from the area, and is a stark feature in the bottomlands of the Wabash River.
VU’s Conservation Law Enforcement Program Chair and Assistant Professor Bill Brown coordinated the natural resource management plan project. Brown previously worked as a conservation officer in Indiana for over three decades.
In an article posted on Vincennes University's website, Brown is quoted on the project as saying, “These students learned a lot and have applied themselves very much, even during the coronavirus, and rose up to the occasion. Some of them went above and beyond what the expectation was. The kids have blown me away.”
In all, 41 students worked to assess Robeson Hills’ natural resources as they currently stand, including soil, wildlife, fisheries, grasslands, wetlands, and timer, and collaborated to make recommendations to make the area better. These improvements focus on accessibility, recreational opportunities, better habitats for the wildlife, wildlife population control, and ways to prolong the health and sustainability of the environment for as long as possible.
The students contacted professionals at a range of organizations such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for guidance and advice on their project. They also reached out to people at a number of businesses and universities, and explored many online resources as well.
The students were also expected to come up with funding resources to pay for their recommendations.
Brock McMorris, who is a Conservation Law major at VU, was also quoted about the project, saying, “This project has been a great thing. This wasn’t just looking at a textbook. It was walking around and being observant as what we could actually do to benefit this property. I’ve hunted and fished my whole life. I’ve never really looked at a piece of ground. The way we had to look at Robeson Hills. That was a great opportunity for us as land managers. It put perspective in my eyes of what I could be doing the rest of my life.”
Conservation Law Enforcement major Briar Meadors of Otwell, Indiana weighed in as well, saying, “Even though conservation officers don’t manage the land, this project did give me a good perspective on how scientists do manage the land and gives me a better understanding of how that all works if I was to be asked in the future.”
Throughout the semester the participants frequently visited the Robeson Hills area. They installed trail cameras to capture images of the wildlife including hawks, songbirds, squirrels, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, gray and red foxes, waterfowl and turkey, and white tailed deer.
Jake Metzler, another Conservation Law major who worked on the projec,t said of Robeson Hills, “Robeson is a really unique area. A lot of Lawrence County is pretty flat, but then there is Robeson Hills, which a lot of it is hills, hollers, and ravines. It’s pretty much contained to itself, so geologically it’s pretty interesting.”
The students had planned on presenting their natural resource plans for the area in person prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the process is now to write up their recommendations and submit them that way.
McMorris spoke on the plans, saying, “This is going to better Robeson Hills. There is a lot of potential. It’s going to help the wildlife at Robeson Hills. I firmly believe if our management plans do happen that this would benefit the school. You have biology majors. You have conservation majors. You wouldn’t have to be in the classroom all the time. You have a big area of people that would benefit for this.”
Browne noted his excitement about how this study may affect the area, saying, “Hopefully future classes are going to be able to actually implement these ideas, so kids will be able to actually watch some of these plans come into fruition.”
Metzler noted how the project has the potential to help improve the area so as to be a boon for future VU students, staff, and programs.
Meadors echoed this sentiment, saying “If we could actually implement any of these plans, it would make me feel great to know that I’ve actually changed that property. I don’t think that’s any kind of opportunity that I’ll have in my entire lifetime to be able to have input on that much property.”
Currently, Vincennes University is the only college in the state of Indiana that has an associate degree in Conservation Law Enforcement on offer. Students graduating this program have gone on to have careers in forensics, criminology, criminal law, criminal justice, and more. More information about the program can be found on the school’s website.
As such, almost half of the candidates who graduate from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Recruit School are alumni of Vincennes University.
More information about Vincennes University can be found on the school’s website.