Great Lakes Region Included in New US Ecological Observatory

Great Lakes Region Included in New US Ecological Observatory

Media invited to a science presentation at the University of Michigan and a conference call with the CEO of the National Ecological Observatory Network.

BOULDER, CO, November 17, 2008 – Dr. David Schimel, CEO of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), will describe the science design and deployment strategy of NEON, and explain what the new observatory means for the Great Lakes region, at noon on Monday, November 24, 2008 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

What Is NEON?
The mission of the National Ecological Observatory Network is to enable understanding and forecasting of the impacts of climate change, land-use change, and invasive species on continental-scale ecology. The new observatory, funded by the National Science Foundation, will gather a massive amount of ecological data for at least 30 years and make it easily available through online portals to citizens, scientists, teachers, students, and decision-makers addressing important ecological questions.

Where is NEON in the Great Lakes?
With input from the scientific community, NEON, Inc. staff selected the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center/Trout Lake Biological Station in Boulder Junction, WI, as the NEON candidate core site representing the ecology and climate of the region. A key scientific theme for the Great Lakes area is land use, with a focus on forest management.

ATTEND THE PRESENTATION
Who: Dr. David Schimel. What: A lecture on NEON with Q&A about the new observatory. When & Where: Noon on Monday, November 24, 2008 at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Central Campus, Dana Building, Room 2024. Event contact: Dr. William Currie, 734-647-2453, wcurrie@umich.edu.

JOIN THE CONFERENCE CALL
Who: Dr. David Schimel. What: An overview of NEON and what it means for the Upper Midwest, then Q&A. When: 11 a.m EST, Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

• Call-in Number: 1-866-212-0875
• Participant pass code: 588223#