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Dunn’s Woods Restoration Project
Indiana University Office of Sustainability
Summer 2012
Intern: Hayley Prihoda
Mentor: Heather Reynolds
I. Project Background
Project Description
The Dunn’s Woods Restoration Project aims to promote the cultural and
natural heritage of Dunn’s Woods, an ~10 acre woodland at the heart of Indiana
University Bloomington’s early campus. The project began in the spring of 2010,
uniting individuals from a range of disciplines in the common goal of restoring and
promoting the historic site. Team members include student, faculty, and community
members with backgrounds in history, landscape history, ecology, biology,
restoration, and conservation.
The project has three main objectives:
1) Researching the cultural and natural history of Dunn’s Woods to gain a better
understanding of the forces that have shaped the site
2) Mitigating invasive species and restoring native species through the
application of ecological research and knowledge
3) Developing outreach, volunteer, and course partnership opportunities to
reconnect students and community members with Dunn’s Woods
A defining feature of the Dunn’s Woods Restoration Project is it’s multifaceted approach to education and outreach. The knowledge obtained through
ecological and historical research is not only utilized to restore and preserve the
woods, but to reintegrate the site into the community at large. One of the greatest
threats to the biodiversity of Dunn’s Woods, and urban green spaces in general, is a
lack of human understanding. Education is a powerful tool in combating human
ignorance about the services provided by such spaces and the necessity of their
preservation. Volunteer opportunities and course partnerships serve as a forum to
teach and discuss ecosystem services, biodiversity, and urban green space. The
information distributed through these outreach opportunities can then be
integrated into participants’ daily practices and decisions.
Project Partners
The Dunn’s Woods Restoration Project is a partnership between multiple
organizations in Monroe County, Indiana. Indiana University Bloomington, Monroe
County Identify and Removal Invasive Species (MC-IRIS), Sassasfras Audubon
Society (SAS), and Bloomington Parks and Recreation all play contributing roles in
the success of the project.
Project Members:
Heather Reynolds, Associate Professor of Biology, Indiana University
Roger Hangarter, Professor of Biology, Indiana University
Jim Capshew, Associate Professor of History and Philosophical Science,
Indiana University
Jonathan Bauer, Ph.D. Candidate in Biology, Indiana University
Mia William, Landscape Architect, Indiana University
Anita Bracalente, Landscape Historian, Researcher
Steve Cotter, Natural Resources Manager, Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Ellen Jacquart, MC-IRIS
Spencer Goehl, MC-IRIS
Tony Minich, Environmentalist, Educational Researcher and Web Designer
David Rupp, President, SAS
Dunn’s Woods
Dunn’s Woods formed the center of the second home of Indiana University
Bloomington. Following a fire at the original site, known as Seminary Square, in
1883, the Board of Trustees elected to purchase a 20-acre wooded site, just east of
the original location, from the Dunn family. With a $50,000 grant from Monroe
County, Indiana University was relocated to the new site in 1884 and has remained
ever since.
The decision to preserve ~10 acres of the purchased site as a central wooded
sanctuary offered a unique element in the design of the Indiana University campus.
Dunn’s Woods served as the designated heart of the campus, with early structures
surrounding it in a semi-circular shape known as the Old Crescent. Today, these
original buildings, Maxwell Hall, Owen Hall, Wylie Hall, Kirkwood Hall, and Lindley
Hall, still border the woods and additional structures, Swain Hall, the Law School,
and Bryan Hall, have further encircled the site.
II. Internship Introduction
In the summer of 2012, the Indiana University Office of Sustainability
Environmental Quality and Land Use working group elected to provide the Dunn’s
Woods Restoration Project with a summer intern. The internship position was
created to assist project members in their research and outreach efforts. More
specifically, the internship had four main focuses – History, Ecology, Education, and
Outreach.
III. Internship Progress
History
Background
The project’s Historian, Jim Capshew, and Landscape Historian, Anita
Bracalente, have compiled an extensive number of resources related to the initial
purchase of Dunn’s Woods, the preservation of the site, and Indiana University
campus development. Findings indicate that the designation of Dunn’s Woods as a
wooded sanctuary on the Indiana University campus set a precedent for the future
treatment of green space in campus design. Further development was often
influenced by a desire to retain as much of the original landscape as possible. Jim
Capshew and Anita Bracalente are working on an article discussing how Dunn’s
Woods influenced campus expansion and inspired similar preservation treatments
around the country. Additionally, Anita Bracalente recently published an article
about Dunn’s Woods in the annual publication The View. (Add a link to the article
here)
Internship Progress
Over the course of the summer, I assisted Anita and Jim in their research on
the cultural history of Dunn’s Woods. I specifically focused on identifying campus
and community opinions of the woods and how these feelings have changed over
time. My research included work in the Office of Archives and Records Management
at Indiana University. In the archives, I was able to access the Indiana University
yearbook, The Arbutus, from the years 1894 -1901. These primary documents
provided important insight into students’ opinions of the woods during the late
nineteenth century. The photographs, etchings, poetry, and articles during this
period revealed that the woods and the natural setting of the campus were generally
viewed with a romantic outlook. Looking forward, I also researched Herman B.
Wells and the impact he had on the preservation of the woods. Wells made
important contributions to the woodland setting of Indiana University by
recommending the continued practice of naturalist landscaping as the campus
expanded. The Campus Master Plan, published in 2010, provided additional insight
into the future plans of the campus. This document labels Dunn’s Woods as a
“Memorable Space” and a “One-of-a-kind Place”. My research has suggested that the
preservation of Dunn’s Woods is a continuation of Indiana University’s tradition for
protecting and promoting natural green spaces on campus.
Research Bibliography:
The Arbutus, Indiana University Bloomington (1894 – 1901)
Campus Master Plan, Indiana University Bloomington (March 2010)
Gallman, John, Rose Greene, Jim Weigand, and Doug Wilson, edit. Herman Wells
Stories: As Told by his Friends on his 90th Birthday. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press, 1992.
Mincey, Sarah and Burney Fischer. The Woodland Campus. Indiana University
Bloomington: A Historic Walking Tour. Bloomington: SPEA, 2009 A reissue of
Weatherwax’s guide with updated environmental perspective.
Weatherwax, Paul. The Woodland Campus of Indiana University. Indiana University
Publications, 1974.
Moving Forward
During the academic year, I plan to use my research to publish an article
about green space, on the Indiana University Bloomington campus, specifically
highlighting Dunn’s Woods. I have been in contact with the Indiana Daily Student
and Indiana University Alumni Magazine about submission details. This article will
serve as important documentation on the development of the woods as well as a
useful tool for marketing and distributing information about the project. I need to
conduct additional research in order to write this article. I plan a target submission
date of Month, day, year.
Ecology
Background
Multiple members play an important role in the ecological portion of the
Dunn’s Woods Project. Ellen Jacquart and MC-IRIS worked with project members to
use geographic information system (GIS) technology to map out the most common
invasive species in Dunn’s Woods. The maps revealed that over 50% of the
understory in Dunn’s Woods was covered by the exotic invasive Purple
Wintercreeper (Euonymus). Sixteen additional invasive species were identified,
including Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), Japanese Bush Honeysuckle
(Lonicera macckii), and Muliflora Rose (Rosa mulitflora). In collaboration with
Bloomington Parks and Recreation, the project has been extended to Latimer Woods
as well. Latimer Woods is an apt sister site, because it shares a similar age, history,
and invasive status. For over a year, Reynolds’ lab Ph.D. candidate Jonathan Bauer
has been conducting ecological research in the woods. His work studies the success
of different control treatments (manual removal, mulch, and herbicide treatment)
on Purple Wintercreeper. He is also analyzing native species recruitment dynamics
in conjunction with these treatments. Propagation of native seedlings was
undertaking in the Jordan Hall greenhouse, on IUB’s campus, to provide seedlings
for ecological research and volunteer plantings. Research to date has shown that
manual removal is an effective but slow removal treatment for Purple
Wintercreeper, common native species struggle in drought conditions more than
Purple Wintercreeper, and reintegrating native species is challenging because they
are attractive to native herbivores and generally grow slowly.
Internship Progress
Rather than turning my attention to the invasive species of Dunn’s Woods, I
focused on researching the native woodland species. This focus was directed by a
desire to inform students, community members, and volunteers about some of
Indiana’s native wildlife. I researched twenty-eight native woodland species that
are being used in the Dunn’s Woods project. These species are:
American Bellflower
Blue Flag Iris
Bottlebrush Grass
Bushy Seedbox
Calico Aster
Calico Beardtongue
Cardinal Flower
Cutleaf Coneflower
Downy Wood Mint
False Sunflower
Frank’s Sedge
Fringed Sedge
Golden Ragwort
Gray’s Sedge
Great Blue Lobelia
Hairy Woodland Brome
Hairy Wood Mint
Hop Sedge
Joe-Pye Weed
Mistflower
Orange Jewelweed
Panicled Aster
Spicebush
Stout Wood Reed
Thimbleweed
White Snakeroot
Wild Senna
Wingstem
I primarily used “Illinois Wildflowers” www.illinoiswildflowers.info/index.htm, “Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses” www.kswildflower.org/index.php, and Michael A. Homoya’s Wildflowers and Ferns
of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide as my resources, however other sources were
consulted as well. The information I obtained was then used to construct Native
Species Information Cards. Each card features a picture and lists the species’
common name and Latin name, habitat, preferred conditions, basic description,
flowering period, faunal associations, and a fun fact. These cards were printed and
laminated, and the end product approximately the size of a 4 by 6 notecard. The
Native Species Information Cards were used during volunteer workdays, helping to
inform participants of the visual appearance of the species they were planting and
the best soil conditions in which to plant them.
The information included on the cards was also transferred to a “Meet the
Plants” page under the Ecology heading on the Dunn’s Woods website. Both these
resources, the physical product and the online copy, are intended to spread student
and community awareness about the species native to their area. These tools will
help the Dunn’s Woods Project achieve its aim of educating the community about
the importance of planting natives. In this way, the project can expand beyond the
Dunn’s Woods site and achieve lasting results in home gardens throughout Monroe
County.
Moving Forward
As previously mentioned, a large focus of the Dunn’s Woods Project is to
encourage natural and holistic practices at home. Through the production of
additional resource guides and an increased effort to distribute these materials, this
aim may be achieved. I plan to contact local nurseries to distribute information
about native alternatives to exotic species and the detrimental effects of commonly
sold exotic invasives. I also want to develop more ideas on how to make the Dunn’s
Woods Project applicable to Indiana University students, many of who will not have
home gardens. This could include connections with local food organizations, such as
Bloomingfoods, the Farmer’s Market, or the Big Red Eats Green event to educate
students about the life cycle of a plant, therefore encouraging active participation in
the holistic aims of the Dunn’s Woods project at home. It is also important to
continue to develop relationships with local newspapers or environmental
magazines to spread the message of the project and develop a larger network or
project participants.
Education
Background
Dunn’s Woods is an important piece of Indiana University’s natural and
cultural heritage. As such, the Dunn’s Woods Project hopes to increase student and
faculty interaction with the site. During the late nineteenth century, the close
proximity of Dunn’s Woods to academic and residential buildings meant that it
served as a major crossroads and meeting place. Now that Indiana University has
spread to over 2,000 acres, the attention Dunn’s Woods once attracted has
somewhat dissipated. Education is a crucial element in countering this decrease and
increasing student and faculty awareness of the heritage of the woods. This has been
accomplished by partnering with a variety of courses across the IUB campus.
Previous partnerships have been focused around service learning, research, or
product-based assignments. The courses that the Dunn’s Woods Project has
partnered with in the past are:

HPS X223, Landscapes of Learning: Environmental History of IU
Bloomington (Taught by Jim Capshew)

COLL T200, Living a Sustainable Life (Taught by Christine Barbour)

BIOL L350, Environmental Biology (Taught by Peggy Schultz)

MUS Z120, Music in Multimedia (Taught by Kristen Bellisario)

SPEA E527, Applied Ecology (Taught by Mikala Schmitt-Harsh)

EDUC Q200, (Taught by Nicole Beeman-Cadwallader & Amy Trauth-Nare)
The success of these course partnerships has led to additional courses joining
the project for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Internship Progress
While extremely proud of the partnerships we have formed thus far, the
Dunn’s Woods Project would like to extend partnerships to a wider range of
disciplines in the future. With that aim in mind, I created a survey, entitled
“Teaching and Learning Opportunities in Dunn’s Woods.” The survey was created to
get preliminary feedback from Indiana University Bloomington faculty about their
knowledge of Dunn’s Woods as a site, the Dunn’s Woods project, and their possible
interest in partnering with the project. The online survey designer, SurveyMonkey,
was used to create and send the survey. The survey was sent to two listserves:
1) The Campus Sustainability Advisory Board
a. Number of emails on the listserve: 37
b. Sent by the Office of Sustainability
c. Also sent to Emilie Rex and Bill Brown at the Office of
Sustainability
2) The Biology Department Faculty listserve
a. Number of emails on the listserve: 624
b. Sent by Hayley Prihoda
c. [email protected]
There were ten questions in the survey and respondents were told it would
take less than 5 minutes to complete. The survey was divided into three parts.
Part 1 – Basic Information: Teaching outdoors can offer powerful learning
experiences for students. The Dunn's Woods Project is promoting Dunn's
Woods as an outdoor classroom and living laboratory. Please take a few
moments to answer 10 short questions that will help the Dunn's Woods
Project, in partnership with the Indiana University Office of Sustainability, to
develop teaching and learning resources useful to faculty across a broad
range of disciplines.
Part 2 – Your Familiarity With the Dunn’s Woods Project
Part 3 – Teaching and Learning in Dunn’s Woods: Dunn’s Woods, a 10-acre
woodland, has been the heart of Indiana University’s campus since 1883.
Maxwell Hall, Owen Hall, Wylie Hall, Kirkwood Hall, Swain Hall, and the Law
School now encircle this natural sanctuary.
Question format varied from multiple choice, multiple choice with “other
category,” fill in the box, and yes or no. The survey received 56 responses. Most
responses were within the first 24-hour period of the survey’s distribution.
Moving Forward
The survey revealed some very important ways we could better target new
courses. Results showed that respondents were not familiar with the objectives of
the Dunn’s Woods Project and, at times, were confusing our restoration work with
the construction that has taken part in the woods in recent years. Additionally, many
respondents were unsure how their course could benefit from an outdoor-learning
component. Thus, in the future, it will be exceptionally important to clearly outline
the intentions of the Dunn’s Woods Project. This would include referencing our
desire to turn the woods into a “living laboratory” where courses from all disciplines
could utilize the space. I plan to look further into resources about the benefits of
outdoor-learning and how this component can be integrated into a variety of fields.
This information will be added to the “living laboratory” page under the Education
and Outreach tab on the Dunn’s Woods website. It will then be important to not only
update and add resources, but to also market the page as a knowledge base for
faculty to use when establishing their curriculums. In the future, we would like to
reach out to the Graphic Design department in particular to discuss a servicelearning opportunity to help create a logo or brand for the project.
Outreach
Background
Last year’s intern, Nathan Wells, and Jonathan Bauer had hosted a dozen or
so volunteer workdays prior to my work with the project. Volunteers included
members from Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity on the IUB campus, students
completing service-learning hours for course credit, Volunteers in Sustainability,
and members of the Collins Living-Learning Center E-force. In addition to providing
assistance in the manual removal of Purple Wintercreeper in Dunn’s Woods,
volunteers worked with Jonathan in the Jordan Hall greenhouse to propagate native
seedlings.
Internship Progress
It is the desire of the Dunn’s Woods project to expand our network of
influence by not only targeting student groups and faculty members, but also
members of the Bloomington community. This summer, I worked to spread our
outreach program by increasing advertisement of our pulling and planting
workdays. I did this by writing event summaries for local volunteer networks and
newspapers, contacting organizations with a shared interest in sustainability, and
utilizing social media to promote our events.
Community organizations contacted:
Bloomington Volunteer Network
The City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation
Habitat Stewards
Lawns for Life
Monroe County Identify and Remove Invasive Species
Sassafrass Audubon Society
The Woods at Latimer
Campus organizations contacted:
21st Century Scholars Corps
Alpha Phi Omega
Biology Club
The Biology Department Listserve
Biology Students for a Greener World
Collin’s Living-Learning Center E-Force
Environmental Management and Sustainable Development Association
Greeks Go Green
Hoosier Connection
Office of Sustainability
SPEA Undergraduate Student Association
Student Sustainability Council
Student United Way
Volunteers in Sustainability
In total, I held fourteen volunteer workdays throughout the summer, twelve
at Dunn’s Woods and two at Latimer Woods. Dunn’s Woods workdays were held
every Wednesday from 6-7pm, from May 30th to August 1st. Overall, we had 50 new
participants, many of whom returned on a weekly basis. The majority of volunteers
heard about the opportunity through the Bloomington Volunteer Network database
or had been contacted by email. This summer, two of our largest sources of
volunteers were Biology Students for a Greener World, with seven participants, and
a group of employees from General Motors, with over fifteen participants. Volunteer
workdays resulted in the clearing of about an acre of Purple Wintercreeper and the
planting of 705 native species. In conjunction with an increased number of
participants this summer, the Dunn’s Woods Facebook page has grown to have 44
“likes” and, at its height, has reached 1,046 people. This expansion was largely due
to the distribution of Facebook invitations, continued publicity of the site, and the
addition of new photographs documenting the progress of the project.
Moving Forward
Outreach efforts will continue to be a central focus of my internship during
the academic year. At the beginning of the fall semester, I intend to re-contact the
organizations we have worked with and will continue to look for new outlets as
well. It is my hope that we will have even more success in this area as students begin
to return to school. I want to set volunteer workdays a month or so in advance and
will use the Bloomington Volunteer Network to publicize these events again. I will
also be adding event updates to our Facebook page. I plan to target organizations on
a more individual basis by setting up workdays specifically for their members. I plan
to reach out to Greek houses (as I know they are required to fulfill a certain number
of volunteer hours), residential complexes, and other organizations around campus
and the community. This could include, but is not limited to, members of the
Sassafras Audubon organization, the Bloomington Co-op, and residents of the
Woods at Latimer. In addition to reaching out through email, I plan to create a
poster that will be placed throughout Bloomington. Campus Garden Initiative Intern,
Frannie Einterz, and I also plan to advertise our events communally, using our
contacts and resources to increase volunteer participation in both programs. Lastly,
I will further develop the “Get Involved” page on the Dunn’s Woods website, adding
pictures of previous workdays, a calendar of upcoming events, contact information,
etc.