Dec. 1, 2004
Contact: Rita Mitchell, University Editor
UT Martin receives $400,000 federal direct appropriation for Reelfoot Lake Project
Martin, Tennessee - The University of Tennessee at Martin received its first federal direct appropriation as part of a $388 billion spending package for 2005 recently approved by Congress. The $400,000 appropriation will be used to expand and enhance the existing UT Martin Reelfoot Lake Research and Teaching Center at Reelfoot Lake. The site and project will be managed by the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences of UT Martin.
A natural lake located in Northwest Tennessee, Reelfoot Lake comprises 13,000 acres of surface water and includes 38,000 acres of watershed. It is a major wetland, rich in biodiversity, located on a significant flyway for migratory birds and is home to several endangered species.
Reelfoot Lake is jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The UT Martin teaching center is the former headquarters of the Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge and is leased from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Although the facility has served more than 60 different researchers and teachers in various research projects and for fields trips from universities, middle and high schools over the years, physical characteristics and inadequate capacity of the property have hampered its development.
The lake provides a unique "outdoor classroom" for K-12 teachers and students for innovative science learning activities, and for UT Martin faculty and undergraduate students to study the lake's succession and the impact of urbanization and agricultural forces as they interface with the animal and plant species indigenous to the ecosystem. The goal is to have volunteer participation of science teachers and students of Northwest Tennessee's 23 school districts and to generate and maintain interest in the science careers beginning with K-12 students with activities such as Governor's Schools, school field trips, workshops and collaborations with professional scientific and teacher organizations. The appropriation will provide the opportunity for expanded use by the region's public schools for alignment of science curriculum with state and national education standards.
The long-term objective is to create a group of volunteers who will work with the university faculty at the Reelfoot Lake Research and Teaching Center to obtain baseline data that will guide public policy concerning management decisions about the lake and its watershed.
In addition, the appropriation will stimulate the local economy through expanded tourism as the related industries of hotels, restaurants, shops, fishing and hunting are impacted.
"I was delighted to hear that the Reelfoot Lake initiative was funded and I extend my thanks to Sen. Bill Frist, Sen. Lamar Alexander and Congressman John Tanner who supported this project," said Dr. Doug Sterrett, dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences.
"Faculty and staff from the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences have been active in teaching and research activities at Reelfoot Lake for many years. This new financial support will enable them to expand our role in K-16 education along with new research to improve the Reelfoot Lake ecosystem." He added, "I would also like to thank the faculty from the college who worked diligently under the leadership of Dr. David Sammons, chair of biological sciences, to develop these concepts that led to a successful proposal.".
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