Public invited to annual 'Experience Rice Creek' scholarly symposium

This year's free "Experience Rice Creek" event will feature presentations from geology, biology and art faculty and students. Light refreshments will be served at 1:30 p.m., with presentations starting at 2 p.m. and running until approximately 3:45 p.m.

This year's format will be hybrid: attendees can join in person at Rice Creek Field Station or via Zoom. In-person attendees are asked to RSVP by Nov 9 to rcfs@oswego.edu. In-person attendees should note that masks must be worn except when eating or drinking, and they will need to supply proof of full vaccination status or a recent negative COVID test from a medical provider. Please see the Oswego Forward website, oswego.edu/oswego-forward for full details on the college’s Indoor Spectator Policy.

SUNY Oswego students may inquire about free transportation to the Field Station when they RSVP. Children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.

Virtual attendees will be able to access the Zoom link starting 24 hours in advance on the Field Station’s small grants webpage, in the Research and Academics section of the Rice Creek website, oswego.edu/rice-creek. The Zoom room will open around 1:50 pm.

The 2021 program includes presentations from the following small grants awardees (*denotes student presenter):

1) Paul Agle and Austin Davis*, The impact of beaver dams, spillway regulation and flow variability on sedimentation at Rice Creek. Topic: Geology. Institution: SUNY Oswego.

2) Gabrielle Waters*, Rates of parasitism by Ophryocystis elektroscirrha within two sample populations of eastern Danaus plexippus (monarch butterfly) in New York State. Topic: Biology/Entomology. Institution: SUNY Oswego.

3) Michael Flanagan, Miranda Traudt, and Alberto Rey. Biological Regionalism: Oswego River and Lake Ontario. Topic: Art. Institution: SUNY Oswego/SUNY Fredonia.

Rice Creek Associates small grants are provided annually to community members, SUNY Oswego faculty and students, and outside scholars planning to undertake research and creative projects at Rice Creek Field Station. The small grants program was started by RCA founding member and the late SUNY Oswego biological sciences professor Dr. Peter Rosenbaum, and has funded over 100 projects in just over 25 years.

Located on nearly 400 acres of mixed terrain at 193 Thompson Road in Oswego, Rice Creek Field Station has served as a living and working laboratory and educational facility for more than 50 years. For more information on the facilities, the grant programs or how to donate to them, visit oswego.edu/rice-creek or call 315-312-6677.

PHOTO CAPTION: Colorful topic -- SUNY Oswego student Gabrielle Waters' presentation on rates of parasitism on monarch butterflies is among the presentations scheduled for "Experience Rice Creek" on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 13, at Rice Creek Field Station.