Facilities and Programs

-NAU and Partners-

The Applied Research and Development Facility: A state-of-the-art facility to be built on the NAU campus, incorporating sustainable technologies that minimize resource consumption. Building design will include reduced energy consumption, on-site wastewater treatment, and natural light and ventilation strategies. The building will house university, corporate, governmental and community associates working on solutions to protect the environment and it will offer hands-on learning experiences for students. www.ardf.nau.edu

 The Arboretum at Flagstaff: The Arboretum is home to one of the largest collections of high country wildflowers in America.  They provide guided tours, workshops, special events and miles of trails that connect with the Centennial Forest. http://www.thearb.org/ (see Merriam-Powell Research Station)

 Beaver Creek Environmental Programs: A number of educational and research programs are in development or ongoing in this major riparian area of the upper Verde River Watershed. The Beaver Creek watershed is both a designated experimental watershed and a United Nations “Man and the Biosphere” site. http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/beavercreek/

Bilby Research Center: The research arm of the Center for Sustainable Environments, facilitating original field and lab studies of environmental change. As an interdisciplinary unit, it provides a wide range of analytical tools and support for researchers and students as well as sophisticated editing, imaging and illustration services. www.nau.edu/bilby

 Biological Sciences Teaching Greenhouse: The teaching greenhouse provides living plant material for a number of lab courses in Biological Sciences. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/%7Eayers/Greenhouse/ (See NAU Research Greenhouse)

Campus Sustainability Program: The mission of the program is “to conserve natural resources and reduce expenses while enhancing the university’s educational goals and workplace values. http://www.sustain.nau.edu/ (see Center for Sustainable Environments)

Center for Data Insight: A n applied Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery research center partnered with KPMG Consulting, and the latest vendors of Data Mining products covering the entire spectrum of the Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery process. The CDI lab has an extensive suite of world class data mining tools; as well as an experienced academic and business staff trained in the latest Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery technologies. http://insight.cse.nau.edu/

Centennial Forest: An “outdoor laboratory,” managed through a cooperative model which includes NAU’s School of Forestry, ADLD, and other agencies and community groups. Showcases sound management practices and benefits and provides an interdisciplinary training laboratory for research and education programs. http://www.for.nau.edu/CentennialForest/

The Center for Environmental Sciences and Education at Northern Arizona University : NAU’s home for environmental sciences and studies degrees offers an interdisciplinary B.S. degree in Environmental Sciences, a M.S. degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy, and a Graduate Certificate program in Conservation Biology. A new BS/BA degree in environmental studies is slated to come on line in fall, 2006. The B.S. degree is an interdisciplinary program providing a technically rigorous foundation and a broad exposure to the environmental sciences, including internship experience in research. The graduate program emphasizes the environmental sciences-policy interface, land and water resources, atmosphere and climate, and environmental law and policy. www.envsci.nau.edu/

 Center for Sustainable Environments: Founded in recognition of the complex and interdisciplinary characteristics of contemporary environmental issues, CSE engages in practical, cross-cultural research and conservation projects across the Colorado Plateau and beyond. Brings together the talents and expertise of scientists, educators, independent scholars, business leaders, government agencies, non-profits, students, and community members to seek creative solutions to environmental problems. These challenges are addressed through initiatives that safeguard natural and cultural values and resources. www.environment.nau.edu/aboutcse

Colorado Plateau Ecosystem Studies Unit: A cooperative network between 5 federal agencies and 18 universities and non-governmental organizations throughout the West, CPCESU provides research, education, and technical assistance in support of management and stewardship of the Colorado Plateau’s natural, cultural, and social resources. CPCESU works to solve resource problems at multiple scales using interdisciplinary ecosystem studies. http://www.cpcesu.nau.edu

Colorado Plateau Museum of Arthropod Biodiversity: The museum is located in the Department of Biological Sciences and houses an arthropod collection primarily from the western United States. A major goal of the museum is to make the collection more relevant to ecologists, especially those working on projects related to issues of conservation and biodiversity. http://bugs.bio.nau.edu/

 Colorado Plateau Stable Isotope Lab: the Colorado Plateau Stable Isotope Laboratory (CPSIL) is designed to serve undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty at NAU who require carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and/or hydrogen stable-isotope analyses for their research. http://www4.nau.edu/cpsil/

 Conservation Biology and Landscape Ecology Lab: Addresses conservation challenges that involve multiple species and multiple driving forces, manifest at landscape scales. Includes basic and applied research in ecology, synthesis and application of research results in policy and management, and education and public outreach. www.nau.edu/~envsci/sisklab

Earthnotes on KNAU – Arizona Public Radio: Rooted in science and wrapped in human interest, Earthnotes is a regular radio feature, focusing on the Four Corners region of the Southwest. Segments explore this home by telling fascinating stories of the intricate relationships between environmental issues and our daily lives. Earthnotes is authored by freelance writers in Flagstaff and the Southwest and co-produced by KNAU Arizona Public Radio and NAU’s Center for Sustainable Environments. www.knauradiio.org/news

 The Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Foundation: Provides science-based, ecological information and assistance to land owners and managers of the Colorado Plateau Natural Reserve Lands. Supports research, monitors resources, and provides an ecological information infrastructure to aid in the study of eco-sociology.

The Ecological Restoration Institute at Northern Arizona University: Conducts and disseminates research about restoration strategies and techniques. Seeks to provide the best available knowledge about restoration to a wide variety of audiences, from academic researchers to professional land managers to members of the public. Focusing on both ecological and sociopolitical issues, ERI and its partners have established a wide variety of research projects around the Southwest. Program work is guided by the explicit assumption that ecological restoration and ecological sustainability are intricately linked to human community, society, and democratic processes. Students can incorporate a restoration emphasis into their undergraduate and graduate programs with research or fieldwork opportunities that enable them to apply restoration principles on the ground. www.eri.nau.edu/

The Environmental Communication Resource Center: A resource center for information, research and discussion about environmental communication. ECRC is housed in the School of Communication and works to promote scholarship, pedagogy and public service in all aspects of environmental communication. http://www.nau.edu/~soc-p/ecrc/

 The Deaver Herbarium: A public facility housed in the Biological Sciences Department at NAU. The primary resource at the herbarium is the collection of dried plants from the southern Colorado Plateau and adjacent deserts. This reference collection is analogous to a reference section in a library. It functions as a teaching and research facility. http://www4.nau.edu/deaver/

ForestERA: This new project will develop integrated spatial databases pertinent to forest and wildlife management efforts in northern Arizona. The two-year effort will also develop the analytical tools needed to make practical use of this information in planning and implementing forest restoration throughout this geographic region. The project will produce a comprehensive landscape assessment addressing forest, fire, and wildlife issues, and it will make available to all collaborators the databases and analytical tools developed in conducting this assessment. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~fera-p/index.htm

Forest Health Program: Compares and characterizes thinned, thinned and broadcast burned, catastrophic fire, and no treatment stands in terms of overstory and understory vegetation richness, diversity (among and within species), composition, physical arrangement and impact on ecological systems. Uses experimental treatments to asses ecosystem functioning (based on ecological indicators) under various management strategies. http://www.for.nau.edu/forestry/forhlth/

 Geospatial Research and Information Lab: GRAIL is the result of collaborations among the Department of Geology, ForestERA, and Merriam-Powell. It will be a centralized NAU support facility for spatial technology applications in GIS and remote sensing. GRAIL will be located in the Applied Research and Development building currently under construction. www.mpcer.nau.edu/grail/

 Imaging and Histology Core Facility : Located within the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences, the facility is open to all University (and community) personnel given proper training. It houses a scanning electron microscope (LEO 435VP) with variable vacuum, cryo-preparation system (Oxford CT1500C), X-ray microanalyzer (Kevex Sigma II with Quantum detector) and image processing and storage capabilities. http://www4.nau.edu/electron/

 Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals: Assists Indian Tribes in the management of their environmental resources through effective training and education programs. Provides technical and administrative training for tribal environmental staff throughout the U.S. In partnership with the EPA, established the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center to provide instrument training and filter weighing services to all interested tribes. www.nau.edu/itep

Land Use History of the Colorado Plateau (CP-LUHNA): 300 interlinked web pages, synthesizing a vast body of research on the environmental history of this North American eco-region. Includes an extensive searchable bibliography. http://cpluhna.nau.edu/

Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research: Promotes collaborative interdisciplinary research on the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions. Fosters cooperation among scientists, land-managers, and educators from the public sectors in order to develop strategies for maintaining intact ecosystems and restore degraded and altered environments. www.mpcer.nau.edu/

 Merriam-Powell Research Station: The station will be located on The Arboretum at Flagstaff and will house researchers and students, as well as host meetings and workshops, in an intimate rural setting adjacent to NAU’s Centennial Forest. http://www.mpcer.nau.edu/mprs/

 Museum of Northern Arizona: Located five miles north of Flagstaff, the Museum of Northern Arizona mission is to inspire a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the Colorado Plateau through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage. http://www.musnaz.org/

 National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Network for the Colorado Plateau. A staff of National Park Service scientists, housed on the NAU campus is responsibility for scientific networks monitoring the conditions of national parks, monuments and recreation areas across the Colorado Plateau region. http://www.cpcesu.nau.edu/new/pmis/index.htm

Northern Arizona Environmental Education Resource Center: A resource library of over 1,000 materials, serving environmental educators and the public of Northern Arizona. The Center serves as a clearinghouse for resource materials and helps to connect educators with NAU experts on environmental issues. www.nau.edu/~envsci

 NAU/Hopi Program, Department of Anthropology: Provides cooperative training, education, research, and recruitment for Hopi and other NAU students interested in archaeology, anthropology, ethnology and other disciplines related to Hopi cultural preservation. Current projects include sustainable agricultural practices and orchard restoration. www.nau.edu/~hcopo-p/htm

NAU Research Greenhouse: The facility has six full greenhouses, lath houses, environmentally controlled rooms, and a laboratory facility. http://www4.nau.edu/arboretum/index.htm

On-Site Wastewater Demonstration Program, College of Engineering and Technology: Provides a training, demonstration, and research facility to encourage the best use of available technologies for the treatment and disposal of residential wastewater. Its goal is to foster improved surface and groundwater quality as well as overall public and environmental health. http://www.cet.nau.edu/Academic/CENE/

Park Ranger Training Program, School of Forestry: Prepares students for professional careers with stae and federal land management agencies. Utilizes a national network to provide extensive professional expertise and skill development. www.prm.nau.edu/rangers

Program in Community, Culture, and Environment: Promotes scientifically informed, ethically leavened, culturally diverse and aesthetically rich discussion on issues affecting the lives of those who live on the Southern Colorado Plateau. In addition to collaborative forums, workshops, and symposia, the Program offers a B.A. degree in Public Humanities for those who wish to improve society through work in the nonprofit sector. http://www2.nau.edu/community/

NAU Recycling Services: Integrates environmental awareness and responsibility into the daily life of the campus community (faculty, staff, and students) through recycling and other waste management measures. This unit works with Dr. Gary Deason and his students in ENV 485 to develop student projects promoting sustainability initiatives on the NAU campus. www.nau.edu/~recycle-p/

Sustainable Energy Solutions: Researches and develops state-of-the-art engineering design of renewable and clean energy systems especially as applied in the American Southwest and on native American lands; enhances engineering education with renewable energies curricula; collaborates with industry and government on technology transfer of sustainable energy solutions. www.cba.nau.edu/ses

Southwest Biological Science Center: The newest of the 17 science centers that are a part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Resources Discipline. http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/

U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff Field Center: NAU and USGS scientists collaborate on numerous studies of the ecology of the Colorado Plateau, sharing resources and expertise. www.flag.wr.usgs.gov/

The Verde Watershed Research and Education Program: Encompassing over 6200 square miles in Central Arizona, the Verde Watershed is one of the state's major perennial streams. This program supports undergraduate and graduate research on water issues (supply, policy, etc.) and provides an active NAU presence in the Verde Watershed. http://verde.nau.edu/

Walnut Creek Center for Education and Research: The center is located north of Prescott, nestled between two major wilderness areas. The center is jointly administered by Prescott Collage, Yavapai Collage, Sharlot Hall Museum, and NAU. http://www.yc.edu/htmlsites/walnutcreek/