A grant has been awarded to Dr. Thomas W. Steele of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to construct a new dormitory at the university's Kemp Natural Resources Station, Woodruff, WI. Kemp Station is a multi-disciplinary research and teaching facility located in the ecologically diverse Northern Highland Region of north central Wisconsin. During the 1990s, Kemp Station experienced a substantial increase in scientific and educational activity. In 1997, lodging demands began to exceed available space. This unmet demand has grown each year so that the Station now turns away some 700 person-nights of lodging requests annually. The proposed dormitory will address the lodging shortfall, allowing Kemp Station to better fulfill its mission of environmental research, instruction and outreach.
Lodging capacity will be expanded via construction of a modern, 150-m2 (1,600-ft2), all-season dormitory. The new building will consist of 6 3-person suites, bath areas, and large kitchen and living area. The dormitory will be connected to the Station's research laboratory via a fiber optic cable, providing users with convenient computer network and Internet access.
Construction of a new dormitory is fundamental to Kemp Station's comprehensive program of research, instruction and outreach. The Station's research activities are incredibly diverse. For example, the Station has supported microscopic and molecular studies of green algae. This work has enhanced our knowledge about the origins, evolution, and early diversification of land plants. At the other end of the scale, the Station is currently facilitating landscape-level studies examining the exchange of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and temperate forests. This research has already expanded our knowledge of biosphere-atmosphere interactions and will ultimately improve our understanding of ecological responses to climate change. The knowledge gained from these and other scientific endeavors are used directly in the Station's instructional and public outreach programs. The Station hosts approximately 15 undergraduate courses annually, providing today's students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become tomorrow's natural resource managers. In addition, the Station's outreach program puts science to work. It strives to increase public understanding of current environmental issues and promote wise resource stewardship. Thus, expansion of the lodging facilities at the Kemp Natural Resources Station will provide the infrastructure necessary to advance environmental science and education in northern Wisconsin and throughout the Great Lakes Region.
