In a report to the City of Mason City and North Iowa Farmers’ Market Board of Directors, a student in the Geographical & Sustainability Studies: Senior Project Seminar class completed an independent project that evaluated two Mason City farmers market site locations based on mobility and accessibility indicators. 

Students in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences course GIS for Environmental Studies course conducted a flooding risk assessment for the Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management Agency using HAZUS modeling software. 

Students in a geography class completed two separate projects for Iowa City. The first project focused on the ecological functions of roadside vegetation in Iowa City, including identification of roadside land area in the city that can be prioritized for re-planting and re-design as native vegetation areas. The second project focused on urban raptors.

A student in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences assisted the Siouxland District Health Department with this goal by researching and mapping information about radon concentrations at zip code level throughout Woodbury County.

Students from the Geographical and Sustainability Sciences department used GIS to map the sources of the farmers’ market products and locations of their vendors, giving consumers, and market managers - it is a visual understanding of the area over which the local products are sourced. In addition, students researched how the locations of these vendors and the market correspond to food recovery institutions to assist the Farmers’ Market in forming future collaborations.

To help the City of Iowa City continue to foster the benefits of its natural areas, students from the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences conducted two research projects on the ecological services provided by the parks and open spaces in the city. The first project used hedonic pricing to research how the valuation of different kinds of open spaces contribute to the values of detached single-family homes.

Consistent with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS), Winneshiek sought to reduce phosphorus and nitrogen pollution from nonpoint sources. To achieve this goal, the County was interested in gaining information about land use and conservation practices in the area.

Students in the Geographical and Sustainability Sciences program develop a methodology for mapping blufflands using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology.

Students in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences assisted the City of Iowa City with their Leadership STAR Community Program application by gathering information about City policies, practices and actions in the areas assessed by STAR.

Students researched bee diversity in Iowa City, compared it to bee diversity in prairie and agricultural settings, and related it to floral diversity in each setting. They used pan trapping and sweep netting methods to collect bees during their research. They offered recommendations to the City of Iowa City to help the area maintain and increase urban bee diversity.

Students conducted research on Iowa City’s ash trees to help prepare for the emerald ash borer (EAB) and develop a response plan. Students used various survey methodologies to assess current ash tree condition and coverage in Iowa City, including counting the trees, recording their GPS coordinates, and measuring their characteristics. Using this data, students created a map of ash tree coverage and identified priority sites in which they recommend that the city implement monitoring and management strategies.