Investigate prairie, wetland, and stream systems within the Hawkeye Campus Area, focusing on species composition, habitat connectivity, and seasonal dynamics. 

Assess ecological restoration strategies such as goat grazing, prairie management, and potential wetland reconstruction. Research how these practices influence biodiversity, invasive species control, and ecosystem function.  

Conduct water and soil sampling along Clear Creek and adjacent landscapes to examine nutrient runoff, sediment transport, and soil health. Use collected data to evaluate watershed processes and land-use impacts on water quality.  

Explore the area’s wetland potential by analyzing soil characteristics, hydrology, and historical land use, and consider how wetland restoration could contribute to flood mitigation and ecological resilience.  

Use the Miscanthus Field as a case study in renewable energy systems, examining biomass production, carbon cycling, and emissions reductions compared to fossil fuels.  

Analyze how renewable energy initiatives intersect with land-use planning, agricultural economics, and climate action goals. 

Use the Mormon Handcart Trail to explore Iowa City’s role in 19th-century westward migration and how historical memory is maintained through land conservation and interpretation.  

Analyze how landscapes evolve over time, considering shifts from historical migration routes to recreational trails, research spaces, and living laboratories.  

Analyze campus decision-making related to land preservation, recreation fields, and ecological restoration, considering how policy, funding, and stakeholder interests influence landscape outcomes.  

Explore how living lab sites like the Hawkeye Campus Area function as shared spaces for education, recreation, research, and public interpretation. 

In what ways do management strategies such as prairie restoration, goat grazing along the Lower Finkbine Trail, and perennial energy crops challenge conventional approaches to land use on university campuses? 

How can trails like the Mormon Handcart, Lower Finkbine, and Clear Creek function as both recreational infrastructure and interpretive tools for environmental and cultural learning? 

Walk a section of one of the trails in the area and document how vegetation, topography, and land management change along the path. What evidence do you see of restoration, disturbance, or historical preservation? 

Spend time near Clear Creek or adjacent low-lying areas identified as having wetland potential. Observe soil conditions, plant species, and water movement, then sketch or write a brief reflection on how this landscape might function if restored as a wetland. 

Analyze one management practice in the Hawkeye Campus Area—such as goat grazing along the Lower Finkbine Trail, prairie restoration near Ashton Prairie, or miscanthus cultivation—using ecological, economic, and social criteria. What tradeoffs are involved? 

Use GIS, mapping, or field data to examine how trails, waterways, and land cover intersect across the site. How do these relationships influence erosion, habitat connectivity, or human movement through the landscape? 

Research the historical uses of the Hawkeye Campus Area and assess how past land use continues to shape present-day ecological conditions and management decisions.