麻豆传媒

The 麻豆传媒 Biological Field Station celebrated the grand opening of a new building at its Ninnescah Reserve Friday, Sept. 24. The building provides biology students a place to conduct field research, record results, analyze data and even escape from the nature that surrounds them.

The building is located approximately 35 miles southwest of Wichita State鈥檚 main campus, and includes wet and dry labs, classrooms, a library and a seminar room.

Quick plans on studying winter survival rates of dark-eyed juncos, a member of the sparrow family, with resources from the new field station.

鈥淚t would be hard to work out here,鈥� said Quick. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have a place to come back and take a lunch break, just sit around or keep equipment that you鈥檙e not using at the time.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 really useful,鈥� he said.

Suvidha Samant, a graduate biology student who uses the field station regularly, stressed the convenience of a facility located in the middle of the Kansas prairie.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e not out of touch.鈥�

Samant said she spends a majority of her time at the field station checking traps and plots, and looking at data. Her plots are scattered on both the east and west sides of the field station.

鈥淚 work from 6 (a.m.) probably until 5 in the evening, so it鈥檚 really helpful,鈥� said Samant.

鈥淭his is like a second home, a home away from home,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust have to get out a mattress and bed, that鈥檚 the only thing that鈥檚 missing.鈥�

The advantages of the new building are something both students and faculty will benefit from.

鈥淚t substantially increases the research capacity of our department,鈥� said Greg Houseman, assistant professor of biological sciences. 鈥淣ow we have dedicated phone lines and Internet access.鈥�

Houseman listed the benefits from basic necessities like bathrooms, equipment storage and safety, to increased research capabilities and better communication.

鈥淚nstead of showing a slide or a picture we can go out and experience it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e can go out there and can actually work.鈥�

Houseman compared the new field station building to a campus laboratory.

鈥淓xcept on campus you can鈥檛 go out and find 50 native plants,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to do real field research, then you have to have this.鈥�

Rain or shine, the new biological field research building will provide students and faculty a place to study and learn, while providing shelter from weather and nature.

For more information on the biological field station, or the classroom and laboratory, call the Department of Biological Sciences at (316) 978-3111.