Biosphere 2 Tour
Led by Dr. Nievita Bueno Watts, Director, INRSEP + Diversity in STEM Programs,
CSU – LSAMP, Humboldt State University, CA
Description
Biosphere 2 is a 3.14 acre controlled environment research facility. It includes five natural biomes under glass: ocean with coral reef, mangrove wetlands, tropical rainforest, savanna grassland, and fog desert. It also is home to the Landscape Evolution Observatory (LEO), the world’s largest laboratory experiment in the interdisciplinary Earth sciences, consisting of the three 30-m long and 11-m wide artificial landscapes. Landscapes are densely instrumented to monitor the flow of water, solutes, and gasses allowing exploring interactions between biological, chemical, and physical processes in soil and landscape formation. Tour included a behind-the-scenes look at the biomes, a discussion of LEO science, and a look at the technosphere, sophisticate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems that make Biosphere 2 work.
Heard Museum Tour
Led by Dr. Diana Dalbotten, Director of Diversity and Broader Impacts, St. Anthony Falls
Laboratory, University of Minnesota
The Heard Museum is a private, not-for-profit museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. The museum presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitions of traditional and contemporary art by American Indian artists and artists influenced by American Indian art. The Heard Museum collaborates with American Indian artists and tribal communities on providing visitors with a distinctive perspective about the art of Native people, especially those from the Southwest. Since its founding in 1929, the Heard Museum has grown in size and stature to become recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, world-class exhibitions, educational programming and its unmatched festivals. Dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art, the Heard successfully presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitions that showcase the beauty and vitality of traditional and contemporary art. The Heard Museum sets the standard for collaborating with American Indian artists and tribal communities to provide visitors with a distinctive perspective about the art of Native people, especially those from the Southwest.
Desert Hike in the Superstition Mountains
Led by Dr. Steve Semken, Professor of Geology and Education, Arizona State University
Description
This field trip to conference attendees out into the Sonoran Desert landscape outside of Phoenix for a few hours to explore some Basin and Range geology, desert plants, wildlife, and culture. We hiked in Lost Dutchman State Park on the western side of the beautiful Superstition Mountains, a large volcanic complex that erupted between 20 and 16 million years ago.
Itinerary
The field trip departed from the Radisson Phoenix Airport hotel at 12:00 noon on Saturday by charter bus, and traveled about 45 minutes to Lost Dutchman State Park (see map at https://azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman/explore/maps). We saw and talked some geology and geography along the way. Once in the Park and starting at either the Cholla or Saguaro Day Use Areas, we hiked along the Treasure Loop, Jacob’s Crosscut, and Siphon Draw trails across gently sloping desert terrain to the spectacular edge of the Superstition caldera, talking about rocks, plants, wildlife, culture, and history as we go. The total distance we hiked was about 4.5 miles, all along foot trails.
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