The Story

Graduate Students Get Environmental Research Grants

Nov. 14, 2007 | By Alden McCray, DSJ Staff Reporter

Ryan Burdge and Jonathan Holley have received a total of $42,900 for their research projects in the College's graduate biology program. Burdge will continue his research into the effect of golf course pesticides on bluebirds with the help of $27,500 from the U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service. Holley was awarded $15,400 by the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) to continue his research into storm water retention ponds.

Burdge’s research into the effects of golf course pesticides on bluebirds continues work started by his advisor Prof. Dan Cristol and Assistant Prof. of biology John Swaddle. Burdge will be checking pesticide levels in the blood of birds from heavily-treated golf courses. He will be comparing that data to the pesticide levels in birds living in untreated areas. Thus far they have found that birds on golf courses are in generally worse health than those in untreated areas.

The U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service, which is supporting Burdge’s study, says that pesticides threaten American resources, including fisheries, migratory birds and already endangered species. Pesticides are included in products like insect repellants, weed killers, disinfectants and swimming pool chemicals and are used in nearly every home in the U.S.

According to their website, the Fish and Wildlife Service says that legal pesticide use has caused major incidents of fish and bird deaths. In 1991, for example, more than one million fish in Louisiana were killed by pesticides.

Holley was first intrigued by water retention when he worked for a local government in North Carolina. Assigned to inspect construction sites that wanted to use retention ponds as their runoff control method, he began to wonder how effective the ponds really were.

“I asked the question if anyone knew how well these ponds worked and no one could give me a definite answer because no one was monitoring them to find out,” he said.

For a phenomenon that is poorly understood, Holley admits the ponds are widely used. “In James City County alone, almost 500 retention ponds have been created for storm water management.” While all ponds are used for the same purpose, “there seems to be a lot of variability between different sites and for different size storm events.”

Retention ponds are a standard technique to deal with water runoff across Virginia. Holley will examine the effectiveness of the technique and its effects on aquatic invertebrate communities.

When Holley arrived at the College’s graduate program, he found two professors interested in storm water retention ponds. Dr. Randy Chambers of the biology department and Dr. Greg Hancock of geology both helped Holley establish a research project to study runoff ponds.

Dr. Chambers told Holley about the VEE grant, and, after a long application process, he was awarded the funds to continue his research. While the researchers can’t predict the outcome of the study, one primary goal for the project is to evaluate whether the ponds are a “best management practice” (BMP). His research will provide important information to government officials, contractors and the general public about the ponds as a control technique.

Granting Holley the funds, the Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) is focused on water quality research, land and space conservation, preserving the Chesapeake Bay and environmental education. It is a nonprofit, independent corporation that began in 1977. In FY 2007, the VEE awarded 31 grants, totaling $793,854.

George W. Gilchrist, director of graduate studies for the biology department, said, “Students in our M.S. program provide an invaluable boost to the productivity of the faculty.”

“Many masters students work as research assistants to professors, mentor undergraduate research and aid as teaching assistants. Their independent work, however, regularly contributes quality research on a variety of projects ranging from cells to ecosystems,” Gilchrist said.

Both Burdge and Holley expect to receive their degrees during 2008.