Here below is a download link for the first short restoration planning assignment.
We will call our first take-home assignment Unit #5. This first, short restoration planning assignment (developing a short restoration plan) will be based on Units 1 - 4 and the additional supporting materials, information, and sources that will be provided there, along with additional information that you may locate in your literature researches and bring to the task.
Download Pollinator Plan Assignment
Formatting Guidelines & Comments:
Some people have asked what format should be used for the first, short restoration plan. Here's a couple of examples along with some comments, as neither example is "perfect."
1) Standard Term Paper Format
It's perfectly fine just to use a standard term paper format, meaning no cover page, but just begin with your name and date, probably in the upper right hand corner. Then, put a title for your paper, centered near the top portion of the page. Put the title in bold lettering and begin each major word with a capital letter (e.g., Restoration of an Abandoned Farm Field for Pollinators in Indiana).
You can double space the paper, or for better legibility, I often prefer using 1 1/2 line spacing to condense the paragraphs a little bit. If you do that, then you can have a shorter paper because the 8-page body of text takes up less space when using the line and a half spacing compared to full double spacing.
Be sure to include:
- Your name.
- Date.
- Title of your paper.
- Page numbers (usually at the bottom, either centered or on right side in the footer.
Here's a simple example, HOWEVER, please note that I blanked out the name and date in the upper right hand corner of the first page. Also, the title of this paper should have been written as (Stream Restoration as an Active Approach). No need for the line below the title. AND ALSO, this person forgot the page numbers at the bottom of each page.
However, if you don't count those issues, this paper represents a common term paper format. PLEASE NOTE the Literature Cited section on page 7.
And then, I just noticed that the Literature Cited section is incorrectly formatted, as writer begins the citations with the author's first name. That's incorrect. For example, authors should be listed as last name first and in alphabetical order:
Sayler, R.D. 2020. The science of everything. J. of Irreproducible Results. 99:455-1200.
Use section headings, often in bold, throughout the paper as needed to break up your paper visually and guide the reader.
Illustrations, such as photos, etc., can either be inserted directly into the body of the text, or they can be put in sequence at the very end of the paper. Reference them in the body as (Fig. 1).
Photo Credits: You should give photo or illustration credits as needed by using a photo caption (do not cite photos in the Literature Cited section). If you use your own photos, you can put a caption (short descriptive title beneath the photo and then credit yourself (or someone else) as the source of the photo. Something like:
Fig. 1. Photo of an abandoned farm field in Indian. Photo by Rod Sayler.
See: Download Stream Restoration Example
2) Term Paper Format with Cover Page
If you want, you can include a cover page before beginning your restoration plan. In this approach, people either use some kind of report template or often have a cover photo and the title of their report, their name, and the date. Again, be sure to use page numbers within the report.
See: Download Magpie Forest Restoration Plan
3) Literature Cited Format
After the body of your text, end your paper with a Literature Cited section that begins at the top of a new page. Your literature cited section should follow the examples given in our Grading Rubric page.
On that page you may download the general grading rubric used to evaluate all writing work. In addition, on that page you may also download the class handout for "Using Citations in Scientific Writing." That handout gives the specific formatting examples you should use.
Examples for In-text Citations:
In general, we use a standard, simple citation format (Sayler 2020).
Shipley and Sayler (2020) noted that many students do not know how to properly cite scientific literature.
Sayler et al. (2019) conclude that the sky is blue.
Then reference the class handout downloadable on the Grading Rubric web page to see how to properly format citations in the literature cited section.
DO NOT: Cite me (or other instructor like M. Swanson. B. Zamora, etc.), a class lecture, or a class web page for information. Class materials are not appropriate to cite in technical papers and reports.
General Recommendations:
1) Most restoration papers will begin with an introduction and overview to a general restoration issue (e.g., pollinator decline).
2) Then, they will usually identify a specific site and describe it, including its current condition and factors that are affecting or degrading the site.
3) This description will normally include an analysis of current site condition and proposed improvements along with justification for why those restoration actions are warranted and the benefits they may have.
4) Then reference the sample restoration outlines/information given in Unit 2, the SER International Primer on Ecological Restoration, in Unit 3, Guidelines for Developing and Managing Ecological Restoration Projects, in Unit 4, Pollinator Ecology & Habitat Restoration, and in Unit 5, Planning Assignment #1 (which gives a sample project report outline as part of the assignment.
5) NO BUDGET PLANNING IS REQUIRED FOR THIS SHORT RESTORATION PLAN: Because of the normal length of time and difficulty of planning out a true restoration budget in a normal restoration plan, we will not worry about including a budget section in our short restoration plans. These would normally be part of bigger and more formal restoration projects.
Let's Begin Our Pollinator Restoration Planning (things to think about):
First, almost everyone will find this initial planning assignment to be somewhat difficult. Why? It's not because of the length, which is extremely short for a restoration plan at a main body of 8 pages.
There's a big difference between studying and remembering all the technical information that's thrown at you in college, but then trying to actually apply it in an open-ended ecological problem where there are relatively few constraints. You will almost assuredly be a bit lost at first. What should I do? Where should this project be done? How do I know how to restore pollinator habitat? I'm not an entomologist!
But once you get into the background information on pollinator ecology and habitat restoration, then you will begin to see possibilities for what you might want to do on a given site.
Let's just use some words, terms, and questions to give you things to think about (we'll keep adding topics to this list periodically):
- Controversy over insect pollinator declines.
- Evidence for pollinator declines.
- What major or common factors are affecting pollinators in most landscapes?
- How would selected factors be eliminated, reduced, or modified on a given site?
- Difference between the non-native honey bee vs. native bees (most of which are solitary nesters).
- Do honey bees compete with native pollinators?
- Do commercial bumble bee hives in greenhouses (e.g. for tomatoes) hurt native bees?
- How does pollination relate to the ecology and conservation of native plants and their restoration?
- How do pollinators affect the population characteristics and genetics of native plants?
- Where are regional pollinator guides?
- What are common habitat restoration practices for pollinators?
- Techniques for seed planting, weed control, monitoring, judging success or failure, need for additional actions?
NOTE: Do not actually answer the above questions. You are not required to post answers for these questions. These are simply sample issues for you to think about as you work on your pollinator restoration plans.
More Resources:
Although there's no accompanying narration, here's a slide show for a relatively recent European Union workshop on pollinator decline:
Download link for the pdf file of the slide show (or click on the graphic above): Download Session 2 Adam Vanbergen
Then you may wish to download a HUGE pollinator report by the IPBES. This report is VERY LONG and I do not recommend trying to read the whole thing! However, you may wish to skip to page 151 on the pdf file and go through the section on "The Status and Trends in Pollinators and Pollination."
This report is avail be for download either by specific sections (e.g. Chapter 3 Trends in Pollinators), or as a whole report, at: IPBES
Infographic: What's behind the decline in bees and other pollinators? (by the European Parliament)
More resources and discussion will be added to this page as we go along in our studies.
And I'll remind you about some formatting details (e.g., citation formats, etc.) before you finish your plan.
Pollinator Restoration Plan Due: Thursday, Oct. 1st - by midnight...