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Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Facilities |
The Department's on-campus facilities are in the Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory (NPBL), which was constructed in 1993. The Department has approximately 19,000 square feet of assigned space in the building. Included are 14 faculty/staff office spaces; a main office with two support rooms; two teaching laboratories with support rooms; a large graduate student office area with adjoining computer laboratory; a reading room/library; a publications room; 13 research labs of various sizes with different functions; a necropsy-dissection laboratory; a walk in freezer/refrigerator; bird, fish, and invertebrate/herbarium collection rooms with support rooms; a GIS laboratory; a wetlands inventory room; and other assorted support and storage areas. In addition, the Department will receive additional space in the NPBL basement when that project is completed.
The atrium entryway to the NPBL is glass enclosed and contains exhibits of biostress activities on both the 1st and 2nd floors. It is a popular area that attracts students between classes. Other activities are also conducted in the atrium because of its attractiveness.
The NPBL has three classrooms in which most Department lectures are given. These rooms seat between 30 and 136 students. Advanced audio-visual equipment is provided in two of these classrooms. These lecture rooms are available to any class on campus and are not a part of the Department's assigned space. Additional lecture rooms are planned for the NPBL basement when it is completed.
The Department has two, state-of-the-art laboratory classrooms. One is used for aquatic courses and the other for terrestrial courses. Each has a separate preparation area and the laboratories are located in close proximity to the Department's vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant collections.
Department research laboratories are an important part of our space in the NPBL. There are 13 different research laboratories, each with its own function. They range in size from 1,200 square feet to 200 square feet. Included are a large fish holding laboratory, a wildlife management laboratory, a limnology laboratory, a fisheries management laboratory, a wildlife forage laboratory, an avian research laboratory, and others.
In addition to the research laboratories the Department also has a necropsy-dissection room and a GIS laboratory.
Most graduate students are housed in a large, graduate student space. This room adjoins a graduate student computer area. This graduate student space is located in close proximity to the Department's main office and faculty offices.
The Department's main office (NPBL Room 138) and faculty/staff offices are attractive and in close proximity to one another. They are also in close proximity to the graduate student office space.
The Department also has a functional and well used reading room/library area. This space is used for a variety of faculty and student activities.
The Department also has a Wildlife Research Farm and a Wetlab just north of campus. These are used as staging areas for field research, animal holding, equipment storage, and other activities. There are numerous buildings, pens, storage structures, and parking areas. The areas are maintained by a groundskeeper.