Conservation Through Research and Education

At Purdue Fort Wayne, environmental protection and sustainability aren’t just buzzwords. Conservation efforts aren’t just preached, they’re practiced. Biology professor Dr. Bruce Kingsbury believes so strongly in taking steps now to preserve our future, that in 2000, he founded PFW’s Environmental Resources Center (ERC), which is one of the university’s 15 Centers of Excellence. 

“The mission of the ERC is to promote the understanding and conservation of the natural resources of the region through scientific research, educational opportunities and outreach,” he explains. “The original Center was actually focused on the conservation of reptiles and amphibians. In 2012, we changed our mission to acknowledge the larger umbrella under which we operate, which includes studying a wide variety of wildlife, water quality issues and aquatic habitats, and environmental sustainability.”

Located on Purdue Fort Wayne’s campus, the ERC is a hub for research and education. Students have opportunities to become involved in scientific studies and internships that provide real-world experience. Kingsbury observes that while there’s not much for the casual visitor to see inside the building unless there is a program happening, it is home to important work that’s being done by students, faculty, community partners and volunteers. 

“Outside, we also have begun to develop native landscaping that’s designed to be sustainable and requires less day-to-day maintenance. The idea is to showcase how people could, in fact, do landscaping using native plants. There are pollinator gardens, shrubs that bear fruit that birds come and eat, and even a small pond where many animals come for a drink,” Kingsbury says. “The other thing that’s pretty prominent in the landscaping is a dry creek bed, which captures runoff rather than just delivering it directly into the St. Joe River. What we showcase is that you can capture the water from something like a roof or a parking lot and then have it percolate into the ground to be purified instead of running straight out to the river.”

The ERC also serves as a space where student clubs and community groups like the Saint Joe Watershed Initiative can meet. All year long, both on and off campus, the ERC hosts a variety of outreach events. The largest is “The Conservation Conversation,” which features expert speakers and interactive displays relating to a particular theme. This year, that was wetlands. Another example is “Naturally Inspired,” which celebrates the connection between art and nature. 

Kingsbury is proud of Purdue Fort Wayne’s commitment to the environment and its impact on generations to come. 

“My genuine observation for those not concerned about sustainability is that we’re basically taking resources away from our children and our children’s children. I think all of us could live more sustainably. I also believe universities should lead by example. That’s a very important role for Purdue Fort Wayne. We need to talk the talk and walk the walk.” 

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