Now through the end of the year, a series of events and activities will be held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Thomas More College Ohio River Biology Field station.
The golden anniversary celebration is intended to raise public awareness for the work that takes place at the Field Station and offer visitors access to the facilities & programs, as well as raise capital for a much needed expansion of the site.
On March 10, 1967 Thomas More College, then Villa Madonna College, acquired the 25-acre site of the former Lock and Dam #35 on the Ohio River from the federal government. Today, this one-of-a-kind facility for applied biological research is the only working field station on the banks of the entire stretch of the 981 mile Ohio River.
Located near California, Kentucky, just 30 minutes from Thomas More’s main campus, the Field Station supports research studies for private and public corporations, institutions and agencies. As an example of this research, the Field Station works with the US Fish and Wild Life Service, Greater Cincinnati Water Works, and the Northern Kentucky Water District in various projects aimed at monitoring the water quality of the Ohio River.
Headed by Chris Lorentz, PhD, the mission of the Field Station is to educate and engage visitors about the ecology of the Ohio River watershed and empower them to make a positive impact on the environment.
In addition to the research, K-12 education and STEM outreach round-out the mission of the Field Station. Thomas More College students are offered real-world experiences in the fields of microbiology, water chemistry, fish surveys, biological assessments, and toxicology. Each summer, Dr. Lorentz selects up to 10 of the brightest college students in the country through a highly competitive paid internship program.
For its STEM outreach, the Field Station hosts over 1,000 visitors each year, including 500 children from grade school through high school for field trips and hands-on learning.
A giving society, called the Friends of the Field Station is being launched on the occasion of the 50th anniversary to support the research, education and STEM outreach taking place at the Field Station. Several levels of support are available from the individual membership for as little as $50 a year to donation levels up to $5,000.
From Thomas More College