HBS FACILITIES

     The Station grounds contain over 70 acres of relatively little disturbed woodlands bounded by State and Federal lands. Scientists and students also have access to 172,500 acres of mixed mesophytic woodlands, old fields, and grasslands in the US Forest Service's Land-Between-the-Lakes Natural Recreation Area including several experimental watersheds. Additional opportunities exist nearby for the study of environmental impacts of agriculture, strip mining, petrochemical processing, shipping and electricity generation.

     There are ample opportunities for recreation at or near the Station including swimming, sailing, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, hiking and camping.

     The Biological Station and the Land-Between-the-Lakes (LBL) have been designated as an Experimental Ecological Reserve by the National Science Foundation and the Institute of Ecology. As an Experimental Ecological Reserve, the Station and LBL have been identified as an important natural system for long-term ecological research. Interaction among scientists is intended to develop collaborative and integrated research on the terrestrial and aquatic systems of Station and LBL sites.

     LBL has been designated as a US Man and the Biosphere reserve by UNESCO, further enhancing the region's teaching and research resources.

     A newly renovated 13,000 sq. ft. main building contains research laboratories, classrooms, office space, kitchen/dining area, computer room, and library. Construction of a research glasshouse/mesocosm facility was completed in 2002 through funds provided by the National Science Foundation. The new Resource Building was completed in 2003 with NSF support and provides additional research and classroom space, a fabrication shop, dive support, and herbarium facilities.

     The Station provides an excellent base for year-round research in aquatic and terrestrial biology. Visiting scientists and graduate student investigators are encouraged to utilize the Station. Laboratory space, offices and a wide variety of equipment are available for research at the Station. There is a large covered dock on Kentucky Lake equipped with specimen holding and processing rooms. The Station also maintains three pontoon boats, nine workboats with motors and trailers, canoes, and the Surveyor I, a 23-foot SeaArk research vessel.

     Each summer the Station provides a research seminar series bringing in well-known guest speakers from around the country. Speakers not only keep faculty abreast of the latest developments in ecological and reservoir sciences but also interact with students, classes, and researchers from throughout the region. The series is sponsored by the Station, the Center for Reservoir Research, and the Ecological Consortium of Mid-America (ecoma).