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4/10/17 23:43Iowa State University has a lake - an artificial lake called Lake Laverne - and it has two swans, whose names are Lancelot and Elaine.
It is very proud of its lake and its swans, and they are marketed at alumni who feel nostalgic about the school.
As it happens, I'm in a Restoration Ecology class, and we're split up into three groups: one group is doing a project on prairie restoration, one group is doing a project on woodland restoration (that's my group. We have to figure out how to get the buckthorn and garlic mustard out of a local park), and one group is doing lake restoration. Specifically, Lake Laverne.
Like many lakes, especially in agricultural areas, Lake Laverne has a eutrophication problem. Too many phytoplankton, not enough lake plants, and the lake is cloudy rather than clear.
The lake group thinks they've figured out why Lake Laverne doesn't have plants.
It's because the swans are eating them.
I think it's going to be easier to get the buckthorn out of Emma McCarthy Lee than to ask the university to get rid of Lancelot and Elaine.
(Although, now that I think about it, it might not do much - the massive flock of Canada Geese that wintered on the lake last year might be a bigger problem...)
It is very proud of its lake and its swans, and they are marketed at alumni who feel nostalgic about the school.
As it happens, I'm in a Restoration Ecology class, and we're split up into three groups: one group is doing a project on prairie restoration, one group is doing a project on woodland restoration (that's my group. We have to figure out how to get the buckthorn and garlic mustard out of a local park), and one group is doing lake restoration. Specifically, Lake Laverne.
Like many lakes, especially in agricultural areas, Lake Laverne has a eutrophication problem. Too many phytoplankton, not enough lake plants, and the lake is cloudy rather than clear.
The lake group thinks they've figured out why Lake Laverne doesn't have plants.
It's because the swans are eating them.
I think it's going to be easier to get the buckthorn out of Emma McCarthy Lee than to ask the university to get rid of Lancelot and Elaine.
(Although, now that I think about it, it might not do much - the massive flock of Canada Geese that wintered on the lake last year might be a bigger problem...)