August 19, 2015

Explore Wisconsin's phosphorus legacy with WSC and the Center for Limnology at Farm Technology Days

Why is phosphorus in the lakes a long-term problem, why do we care and how could we fix it?

The UW-Madison’s Water Sustainability and Climate Project (WSC) and Center for Limnology will address these questions at their exhibit at the upcoming Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, which will take place Tuesday, August 25 through Thursday, August 27th at Statz Brothers, Inc. Farm in Sun Prairie, WI.

Entitled “Wisconsin’s phosphorus legacy and the long road ahead,” the exhibit will be part of the Education Station Tent and will allow attendees to explore the science behind phosphorus pollution, which degrades water quality in many of Wisconsin’s lakes. The exhibit will include participatory elements, such as interactive computer graphics explaining challenges to improving water quality in Wisconsin’s lakes and an opportunity to offer your ideas for how to create a future with clean lakes, vibrant cities and thriving farmland.

Several faculty members from the WSC project and the Center for Limnology will also be on hand for “office hours” to chat with folks about the lakes and how our practices on land affect them. Their schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, August 25th

10:00-1:00pm – Chris Kucharik, a professor of agronomy and environmental studies, will be available to chat about the impacts of climate change, weather variability and land management decision-making.

1:00pm-2:00pm – Monica Turner, a professor of ecology, will be available to chat about the ecological effects of land-use change, nature’s benefits and land-water interactions.

Wednesday, August 26th

10:00am-12:00pm – Paul Hanson, a professor from the Center for Limnology, will be available to chat about water quality, lake modeling and sensor networks.

12:00pm-2:00pm – Stephen Carpenter, the director of the Center for Limnology, will be available to chat about phosphorus and lakes.

Thursday, August 27th

12:00pm-1:00pm – Steven Loheide, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will be available to chat about groundwater effects on corn yields.

1:00pm-2:00pm – Adena Rissman, an associate professor of environmental policy and management, will be available to chat about natural resource policy, land management and land conservation.

Visit us at the Education Station Tent to learn the science behind this important issue affecting the health of our lakes and communities.