Archive for December, 2009
What effect does Saint Peter’s urban growth have on the water cycle?
In natural systems, precipitation falling on land make take several paths. It may infiltrate the ground, perhaps eventually recharging groundwater aquifers. It may evaporate. It may enter the soil and be used by plants. And in cases of heavy rainfall or quick snowmelt, it may travel overland as runoff to the nearest lake, stream, river […]
Visitor interest in Red Wing, MN
Red Wing is one of Minnesota’s premier tourist destinations. It is nestled in the bluffs along the Mississippi River and attracts nature enthusiasts who hike the bluffs and bike the trails, history buffs who appreciate the town’s commitment to historic preservation, and everyone in between. The Red Wing Visitor and Convention Bureau receives requests daily […]
Searching for treasure. . .
On a cold December day, the GIS class braved the snow and cold to go geocaching in Seven Mile Creek Park. The students used GPS devices to navigate to hidden “caches.” Navigate is a fancy way to say we bushwacked up and slipped down some very steep slopes. . .sometimes to find the cache right […]
Gustie Geographer works for US Fish and Wildlife
Over the past summer, Gustavus Geography major Whitney Westley worked at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Whitney was a GIS intern working to create spatial databases and maps on invasive plant species in Minnesota like purple loosestrife and common tansy. She also got to work on several other projects. “I got to do a […]
Urban Geography Field Trip
Food and beverages played an important part in the GEG-336 class field trip. The trip focused on the differences between the Southwest, North, and Northeast sectors of Minneapolis. Plus, we walked through new condominium developments along the Downtown Riverfront. Lunch at Emily’s Lebanese Deli in Northeast Minneapolis kept the scholars going strong.