29th Annual ABLE Conference
University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
June 5 - 9, 2007

Host Institution
Lodging
Weather
Travel
Summary of events
Tuesday fieldtrips
Wednesday workshops
Thursday workshops
Friday Banquet
Saturday fieldtrips

Click here to access the Conference Registration Form
Click here to access the Dorm Reservation Form [inactive]

Department of Biological Sciences

The 2007 ABLE Conference will be hosted by the Department of Biology, which is located in the T. H. Morgan Building, the major building for the workshops. With more than 1100 students, the Department of Biology is home to the largest undergraduate major on the University of Kentucky campus. Department faculty also make substantial contributions to undergraduate instruction of non-majors in related fields from other Colleges and Departments, as well as to the University Studies Program, Discovery Seminars, and Distance Learning. The Department offers extensive opportunities for Independent Study, providing students with valuable research experience in many areas of Biology.

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky is located in Lexington (population 235,000), the center of the internationally famous Bluegrass area of Kentucky. UK's 11 colleges, 5 professional schools, and the graduate school support more than 30,900 students on the Lexington campus and the Chandler Medical Center.

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Conference Lodging

Dorm Rooms:

A block of on-campus air-conditioned dormitory rooms is being held in the Smith/ Baldwin/ Ingels complex. (new dorms, opened Fall 2005). Each 2-room suite shares a bathroom.   Each guest is provided with two towels, one wash cloth, linens, pillow, and blanket. You may want to consider bringing an alarm clock, radio, clothes hangers, reading light and a calling card.  Single rooms $27.00. Double rooms $43.00. Effective April 2, 2007 – a $5.00/night linens fee has been added to the dorm rates.

As of January 1, complimentary parking provided.

To reserve a dorm room: Click on this link [inactive]

Hotel Rooms:

A block of off-campus air-conditioned rooms is being held at the Holiday Inn Express at 1000 Export Street.  Make your reservations no later than May 4, 2007 to be assured a room by calling 859-389-6800. MUST mention ABLE to receive the special rate of $75.00 plus tax per day PER ROOM. This includes a complimentary continental breakfast each morning. The motel is approximately three blocks from the Morgan Building (approximately 5 minutes walk depending on the traffic lights).  Complimentary parking provided.

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Weather

The June temperature in Lexington can vary from the low 80s (day) to the high 50s (night). Come prepared for warm days and cool evenings. Bring insect repellant, sun-screen, and rain gear for outdoor activities. Pop-up thunderstorms (some quite severe) are commonplace during the month of June.

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Travel

By air:

The Bluegrass Airport in Lexington is the closest commercial airport and is located 5 miles south west of the university. This airport is served by the following airlines:

• AMERICAN EAGLE: Reservations: 1-800-433-7300, Daily non-stop flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago
• CONTINENTAL EXPRESS:  Reservations: 1-800-525-0280, Continental Express provides daily non-stop flights connecting the Lexington to Continental's hubs in Cleveland, OH, Newark/New York and Houston, TX.
• DELTA AIR LINES: Reservations: 1-800-221-1212,  Delta Air Lines provides daily non-stop jet flights between Lexington and Atlanta, GA, Cincinnati, OH, New York, NY, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, FL.
• NORTHWEST AIRLINK: Reservations: 1-800-225-2525, Northwest  provides daily non-stop flights to its hubs in Detroit. MI, Memphis, TN and Minneapolis, MN.
• UNITED EXPRESS: Reservations: 1-800-241-6522, United Express provides daily non-stop jet flights to United Airlines' hub in Chicago, IL and connecting service to destinations worldwide.
• US AIRWAYS EXPRESS: Reservations: 1-800-428-4322, US Airways provides daily non-stop jet flights from Blue Grass Airport to its hub in Charlotte, NC

A number of car rental and taxi/limousine companies service the Bluegrass Airport. Cab fare to campus averages $18.00. It is recommended, when claiming baggage, that attendees scout out the area for other ABLE attendees and share a cab. Cab rides from the dorm to the airport on Saturday and Sunday will be coordinated. 

• AVIS (800) 230-4898
• BUDGET (800) 527-0700
• HERTZ (800) 654-3131
• NATIONAL (800) 227-7368
• 24/7 TAXI (859) 233-2227
• AMERICAN TAXI (859) 381-8294
• WILDCAT TAXI (859) 225-2227
• YELLOW CAB (859) 231-8294

By bus:

The nearest Greyhound bus station is located at 477 W NEW CIRCLE RD NW
Lexington,  telephone: 859-299-0428

By car:

SOUTH ON I-64 OR I-75
(I-64 and I-75 merge just south of Georgetown, Ky.).
Follow I-64 or I-75 South to Exit 113 (marked Paris/Lexington). 

SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST ON BLUEGRASS PARKWAY:
Follow the Bluegrass Parkway to Lexington. Turn right off the ramp onto Route 60 (Versailles Road).  

NORTH ON I-75:
Follow I-75 North to Exit 104 (marked Athens/Lexington). 

More specific driving directions will be provided on registration.

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Summary of Events

Monday, June 4th

• Early registration for Board Members (6pm): Morgan Building; Room 305 
• ABLE Board Meeting: Morgan Building; Room 305;  6:00-9:00pm (dinner provided)

Tuesday, June 5th

• Conference Registration: Morgan Building; Room 201;  10:00am-4.30pm
• ABLE Board Meeting: Morgan Building; Room 305; 8:00-12:00 noon
• Tuesday Afternoon Field Trips; 12:45-5:00pm
• Welcome reception and sit-down dinner: Round Barn at the Red Mile.   6:00pm -  9:00pm.
  The opening reception and dinner will be held in the Round Barn at The Red Mile , the second oldest harness track in the world, known for its fast, red clay and one-mile track. For over 130 years, harness racing's elite has converged on The Red Mile to stage some of the greatest equine battles in history. In 2004, the Red Mile hosted its inaugural Quarter Horse meet, which marked the first time that breed has raced in the Bluegrass in more than a decade. In addition to each year's showcase horse racing, The Red Mile simulcasts 365 days a year and hosts numerous horse sales.  The shuttle will begin leaving the residence hall at 6pm. (This is a barn so bring a jacket or sweater as it may get cool as the evening wears on.). Cash bar.

Tuesday Afternoon Field Trips:

1. Horses, Hooch and History Tour 12.45pm - 5pm ( Bus leaves PROMPTLY at 1pm)
The first stop will be a driving tour of scenic Donamire Farm, where some of the scenes for Seabiscuit and Dreamer were filmed.  Next will be the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center (KESMARC), where you will be given a tour of the facilities and learn more about a side of horse racing that most don't get to see.  After that the group will depart for Buffalo Trace Bourbon Distillery , for a tour and tasting of their award winning bourbon.

Cost:  $25.00 includes transportation on a motor coach equipped with restroom, tour of Donamire, tour at KESMARC, tour and tasting at Buffalo Trace, and all gratuities. Registration is limited, Tour is on a first come first serve basis.

2. Self-guided tour of the Arboretum

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Wednesday, June 6th

• New Members Breakfast: 7:00-8:00am   OVID'S (W. T. Young Library)
• Conference Registration: Morgan Building; Room 201; 7.30am 
• Major Workshops: 8:30-11:30am
• Box Lunch: 11:30 am Morgan Building; Room 201, eating area Room 107/ 
• Lunch Time Presentation: Morgan Building; Room 107:  12:00 -1:00pm
• Major Workshops: 1.30- 4.30pm  
• Hayden-McNeil Mixer

Wednesday Workshops

1. An inquiry based enzyme laboratory.
Norris Armstrong, Biology Division, University of Georgia

A laboratory commonly used in introductory biology classes is the breakdown of starch by the enzyme amylase. These labs tend use a "cookbook" format in which students are given explicit, step-by-step instructions that make it possible to easily complete the exercise without developing a good understanding of many of the concepts being taught.

This workshop will present part of a three week laboratory series that uses a guided-inquiry approach and collaborative teams to help students understand basic concepts in biochemistry and enzyme function as well as experimental design, the collection and analysis of data, and communication of results. The workshop will include a discussion of strategies designed to support the inquiry format and to help insure that students are well prepared for the lab. Participants will have the opportunity to work through some of the same assignments that the students are asked to complete.

This laboratory series was designed for non-science majors but would also be suitable for science majors and could be adapted for use in more advanced classes as well.

2. Oviposition Substrate Choice by Bean Beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus
Lawrence S. Blumer, Department of Biology, Morehouse College and Christopher W. Beck, Department of Biology, Emory University

Bean beetles, Callosobruchus maculatus, are agricultural pest insects of Africa and Asia. Females lay their eggs on the surface of beans (Family Fabaceae). The choice of prey bean is the most important choice a female makes for her offspring, as it will influence their growth, survival, and future reproduction. In this study, students will design and conduct experiments to evaluate the substrate choices of female bean beetles. The experiments will address three questions: Do bean beetles discriminate between bean species? Does the bean species from which a female emerged influence her subsequent choice of oviposition substrate? What are the consequences of a femaleoeôòùs choice of substrate on offspring survival and offspring characteristics?

3. a. Morning Workshop Title: Teaching the Teacher: Introducing and Training TAs in Inquiry-Based Learning Methods

3. b. Afternoon Workshop Title: Breakout: Identifying effective and innovative solutions to common TA issues
Kelly Bohrer, Department of Biology, University of Dayton

In this pair of workshops, participants will learn specific methods, tools, and resources they can use to train graduate student and junior faculty to be more effective teaching professionals. Participants may choose to attend one or both of these workshops. After the two workshops, the presentations and ancillary materials will be compiled by the presenters and copies sent to all participants.

4. Using the Scientific Method: Fruit Fly Studies
Joseph P. Chinnici, Department of Biology Virginia Commonwealth University, and Robert Ketcham, Department of Biology, University of Delaware

This exercise employs the scientific method, active student learning, and discovery science, as students identify mutant phenotypes and determine their modes of inheritance, then test their data statistically. Flightless fruit flies are used.

The workshop is a condensed version of three 2-hour sessions. Each participant is given sets of vials containing, in sequence, (1) flies to set up the parental generation, (2) vials containing F1 flies to set up F1 x F1 matings, and finally (3) vials containing F2 flies. Typically, each of the three exercises takes place 14 days after the previous session, but all will occur within the 3-hour workshop format.

During part 1 (parental generation), participants learn to anaesthetize flies, distinguish males and females, collect virgin females, compare normal and mutant flies and determine which mutant phenotype is in their "unknown" stock. They set up the parental cross (normal virgin females x mutant males.) They will view an introductory Powerpoint presentation about Drosophila melanogaster.

During part 2 (F1 generation), participants observe F1 flies to determine whether the mutant trait appears in males and/or females. Participants will set up an F1 x F1 cross. Participants will discuss the four major modes of inheritance.

During part 3 (F2 generation), participants examine F2 flies, collecting numerical data on their sexes and mutant status. They perform chi-square analysis of the data, using the most probable mode of inheritance as the expected model. Based on the statistical results, participants discuss factors which may have contributed to their statistical conclusions. Participants test male-female numbers, mutant-normal numbers, and mutant male-normal male-mutant female-normal female numbers. The instructor gives a short tutorial on how to use the chi-square analysis.

In the classroom setting, students write a detailed scientific report so that others are able to read the report and repeat the experiments.

5. CANCELLED Bioinformatic Analysis and Exploration of Biological Databases with the Fibroblast Growth Factor Family
Kari L. Clase, Department of Industrial Technology, Purdue University CANCELLED

The evolution of the computer as an essential tool for the acquisition and storing of information has literally revolutionized the field of biotechnology with the acquisition of vast amounts of information generated by the decoding of the sequence of the human genome, as well as multiple other eukaryotes, prokaryotes and viruses. Immense amounts of data have been produced by genome sequencing projects and multiple biological databases have been generated for public use. These data have provided abundant opportunities for investigators to create predictions and hypotheses based upon in silico data to elucidate biomolecular interactions and facilitate functional annotation of genomic information. This student laboratory project will explore the protein interactions within a model protein family, Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), using online biological databases. Since their initial discovery, FGF family members have been identified in species ranging from fruit fly to human. Across species, FGF proteins are highly conserved and share greater than 90% amino-acid sequence homology. The twenty-three members of the FGF family of proteins have been directly implicated in a strikingly diverse set of biological activities and the interactions of the Fibroblast Growth Factor family with proteins and extracellular matrix molecules include both high affinity and low affinity interactions, both of which are necessary for biological function. An organism can modulate the function of a protein family by controlling the splicing patterns and expressing specific isoforms of its members. Many of the members within the FGF family are alternatively spliced to generate different protein isoforms. Students will explore the publicly available information for this model protein family and select an individual protein member for further study. The laboratory exercise and the biological databases that will be presented, could be adapted as a model to explore other proteins of interest within other laboratory courses.

6. Extraction, Sequencing, and Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA
Robert J. Kosinski and Brad Robinson, department of biological Sciences, Clemson University

In this laboratory, students extract mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from eyelash hair follicles. The instructor then uses polymerase chain reaction to amplify a 440 bp segment of the control region. After the students perform electrophoresis to verify that the segment has amplified successfully, the samples are sent to the Dolan DNA Learning Center (DNALC) at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for free sequencing. The sequence results are posted on a Dolan Web site. Finally, students use bioinformatic tools such as BLAST and ClustalW to determine if their mtDNA sequence is most similar to those of their own ethnic group, or to a completely different ethnic group. The results can be used to lead a discussion of the relatively small genetic differences between different human groups, and are a personally-relevant use of bioinformatics skills. In this workshop, the participants will extract their own mtDNA and partially process it. The presenter will finish the processing and send the samples to the DNALC for sequencing. Therefore, every participant whose mtDNA processes successfully will be informed of his/her own mtDNA sequence. This laboratory has been used since 2005 in the introductory biology course for majors at Clemson University.

7. The Two-Hybrid Assay
John Mordacq and Roberta Ellington, Department of biological Sciences, Northwestern University

This laboratory exercise investigates the yeast two-hybrid assay as it is used to identify protein-protein interactions. The two proteins being tested are called the bait and the prey. The cDNA that codes for the bait protein has been subcloned into a plasmid vector containing the coding sequences for the DNA-binding domain for the yeast GAL4 transcription factor. The cDNA that codes for the prey protein has been subcloned into a separate vector containing the coding sequences for the activation domain of GAL4. If these chimeric proteins interact, they result in the reconstitution of the GAL4 transcription factor %G�â€"%@ the DNA-binding domain and activation domain are held together by the protein-protein interaction between the bait and the prey proteins. Interactions are observed in a strain of yeast that is auxotrophic for histidine and adenine biosynthesis. This yeast strain contains histidine and adenine reporter genes found downstream from the yeast UAS sequence (UAS is the binding site for GAL4). This selection allows for the screening of protein interactions on media lacking histidine and/or adenine.

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Thursday, June 7th

• Major Workshops: 8:30am-11:30am  
• Box Lunch: 11:30 am Morgan Building; Room 201, eating area Room 107
• ABLE in the Galapagos and Ecuador :  Morgan Building; Room 10:  12:00 -1:00pm
• Major Workshops: 1.30- 4.30pm  
• Evening: Supper on your own. Suggestions and directions will be provided in your         packet.

Thursday Workshops

1. Using Vernier equipment to convert didactically taught human respiration lab to inquiry based human respiration lab.
Tim Bradshaw, Sam Carmichael, Debasish Ghosh, and Jason Collett,  Dept of Biology, University of Kentucky

Participants will learn about an effort at the University of Kentucky to use Vernier equipment to convert a didactically taught human respiration lab into an inquiry based human respiration lab. The didactically taught lab consisted of a step-by step cookbook lab constructed by Vernier. We redesigned this lab with the 5 E framework, creating an inquiry based lab with more emphasis on student led investigations. We will demonstrate both labs, identify key areas that were changed, discuss teaching assistant training on the new lab, and examine the effects of the new lab on student achievement and attitudes. We will also provide training on Vernier equipment. An understanding of inquiry based education and 5E framework will be beneficial.

2. Conversion Immersion, Version 2.0: Working Together to Create Investigative Labs
Marielle Hoefnagels and Mark Walvoord

In this workshop, participants will work together to generate ideas for modifying specific, traditional ("cookbook") labs to a more investigative format. We will divide the participants into small groups and assign each group a lab or set of related labs. Participants will spend about half of the workshop working in their groups, brainstorming and summarizing their ideas for making the labs more investigative. For the remainder of the workshop, each group will report its ideas to the rest of the workshop participants.

We will compile the ideas generated in the workshop and publish the results in the Proceedings and in Labstracts.

3. The Genetics of Beta-galactosidase-Encoded by the lacZ gene in E. coli Laboratory Exercises to Illustrate Gene Regulation
Sue Karcher, Tina Henne, and Debbie Anderson, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University

Beta-galactosidase is an enzyme that splits lactose into glucose and galactose; it is encoded by the lacZ gene in the lac operon of the bacterium Escherichia coli. An operon is a set of structural genes transcribed as a single messenger RNA and adjacent regulatory regions that control the expression of these genes. Because beta-galactosidase is a relatively stable enzyme that is easily assayable using the substrate ONPG (o-nitrophenyl-beta-galactopyranoside), it is used in laboratory exercises.

The beta-galactosidase system of E. coli was studied by scientists Fran�çois Jacob and Jacques Monod. From their analysis of mutations within the lac operon, they developed a model of transcriptional regulation of the lac operon by the lac repressor. They formulated a model of genetic regulatory mechanisms, showing how, on a molecular level, certain genes are activated and repressed. They received a Nobel Prize in 1965 for this work.

In this workshop participants will perform a laboratory exercise using E.coli strains with different mutations in the lac operon to demonstrate the regulation of beta-galactosidase production in E. coli. This exercise is used in a sophomore level genetics and molecular biology laboratory at Purdue University for biology majors. Students identify the nature of the mutations in each strain based on their determination of the beta-galactosidase activity of each strain. This laboratory enhances the studentsoeôòù understanding of gene regulation.

In addition, we will focus on the historical background and practical applications of the lac operon. We will examine the use of the lacZ gene as a reporter gene to study gene expression and as a part of cloning vectors such as pUC13. Participants will investigate the use of a blue/white screening for recombinant DNA cloning with vectors containing a part of the lacZ gene.

4. Whodunit? A Murder Mystery for Teaching Biology
Joann M. Lau and David Robinson Department of Biology, Bellarmine University

From Sherlock Holmes to modern-days sleuths, the tremendous explosion of interest in the science of forensics is all around us.  Turn on the television and one can see popular shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation , Cold Case , Crossing Jordan , The New Detectives , and Forensic Files all bolstering interest in forensics.  This represents a pedagogical opportunity for science educators.  The National Science Teachers Association recommends incorporation of forensics into courses as a tool for getting students intrigued.  This laboratory exercise incorporates a variety of techniques and takes a multi-faceted approach in solving a mock crime scenario which gives students hands-on experiences in both current molecular techniques and data-analysis.  It was designed to introduce students to a multitude of molecular, biochemical and microscopic techniques using a mock crime-scene, involving faculty participation in a murder scenario.  Students gain hands-on experience in a breadth of fields, including analysis of latent fingerprints, ABO/Rh typing, urine analysis, paper chromatography, as well as analysis of hair and fiber evidence.  Students also execute molecular techniques such as setting up a restriction enzyme digest, preparing an agarose gel, gel loading, gel electrophoresis, and staining to visualize the 'DNA profile' of suspects.  This exercise was used at the beginning of the semester in a junior-level Molecular Biology course and with some modification was used in two different non-majors courses:  Introduction to Life Sciences and Modern Genetics .  T his exercise would also be appropriate for the laboratory portion of undergraduate courses in Cell Biology , Biochemistry , Biotechnology , Recombinant DNA Techniques , or Genetics .  It could even be tailored to a Criminal Justice course.  Due to recent advances in DNA technology the laboratory procedures are routine, safe and relatively inexpensive.  The laboratory exercise can be completed in one 3-hour lab session with minimal molecular-biology equipment.

5. For Puppies or Children? Using Case Studies in the Biology Classroom
Joy Perry, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin and Kathy Schwab, Department of Natural Sciences, Juston-Tillotson University

This workshop will introduce participants to the use of case studies in biology courses. Case studies, "stories with educational messages", have been used as teaching and learning tools in law and business schools for many years. There are many benefits to incorporating cases into biology lectures and labs, and significant resources are available to support that practice. The case to be presented here, "For Puppies or Children? A Case Study about Global Food Security", is a progressive disclosure case concerning a real famine situation that arose in Kenya in 2006 after rains failed for several years. Students learn about famine conditions that stimulated an offer of international aid and identify key issues and stakeholders. They work in groups to discuss the concerns and responses of several stakeholders, both before and after receiving additional information about the aid offer. An extension activity asks student groups to briefly research and compare basic factors relating to food security in Kenya with those in their home state or country. The results are communicated in a brief report to the entire class. The progressive disclosure format allows the instructor to tailor this case to fit classes varying in length from 50 minutes to 3 hours. Workshop participants will also learn about case studies and other resources provided by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science and other sources.

6. Determining human blood type by non-invasive methods
Michael P. Martin and Stephen M. Detzel, Department of Biology, John Carroll University

When teaching co-dominance in my genetics course as a new professor, I discovered only 1 in 3 students knew their ABO blood type. In addition, many did not understand the relationship between the ABO phenotype and Rh factor. I searched for a new lab to incorporate into my Introduction to Biotechnology Lab and found one that used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the Rh phenotype (Imperial and Boronat 2005). I decided to expand on this theme and developed protocols to determine ABO blood type without drawing blood. Students isolate their own DNA from cells present in saliva and use this DNA as a template for PCR. Subsequently, the PCR products are digested to test for the identity of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that indicate the presence of a particular allele. This method can differentiate among the five most common alleles: A1, A2, B, O1, and O2. Students tend to look forward to performing this exercise as they learn something about themselves.

7. Exploring Interactions of Fluorescent Pseudomonad Bacteria and Associated Microflora with Select Plants and Fungi
Norm Strobel and Larry Porter, Natural Sciences Division, Bluegrass Community and Technical College

The unpleasant experience of finding a decayed cucumber in your refrigerator can be exploited for biological inquiry and learning. The activities we have developed engage students in hands-on detection and measurement of the activity of pectolytic enzymes associated with the decay of cucumber fruits; of total and fluorescent Pseudomonad bacterial populations in soil and on plant materials; and of factors influencing production of fluorescent siderophores and their contribution to the antifungal activity of selected Pseudomonads. Pectolytic enzyme activity is detected by examination of cucumber slices and a pectin-containing medium exposed to raw and heat-inactivated extracts of decaying cucumber fruit. Pectolytic enzyme activity is measured with a simple viscometric procedure (flow rates of fluids through 10-ml pipettes) and comparison to a pectin concentration standard curve. The viscometric procedure is employed to investigate the temporary and permanent effects of temperature on pectolytic enzyme activity and pectin viscosity. Total and fluorescent Pseudomonad bacteria are detected by plating soil and lettuce leaves ("leaf prints") on a medium that supports fluorescent pigment production, which is visualized under UV illiumination. Bacterial populations are quantified with dilution plating utilizing the same materials and methods. Green fluorescent pigment production is quantified via spectrophotometry, which is applied to evaluate enhancement of siderophore production by exogenous salicylate (a biosynthetic intermediate) Regulation of siderophore production by iron, and its effect on inhibition of fungal growth by a fluorescent Pseudomonad, are readily seen and quantified when bacterium and fungus are co-cultured on a defined medium low or high in iron.

8. Adaptation and Variation in Four Classes of Mollusks
Barbara D. Stegenga, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In an effort to help explain evolution in the laboratory, this lab exercise introduces the phylum mollusca and the adaptations of four classes of molluscs to the environment. Students study how molluscs diversified in terms of natural selection by observing "key" characteristics (radula, foot, mantle and shell) among gastropods, cephalopods, bivalves and polyplacophora, and then hypothesize how these organisms descended from a common ancestor. By examining the external anatomy of these organisms, students are asked to explain how modifications from a simple ancestral body plan represent adaptations to new habitats. This is done using worksheets that guide the students through concepts such as variations within a species and adaptive radiation. The worksheets include questions that help students think about the process of natural selection. Students are then asked to write an essay speculating on how variations from the hypothetical ancestral mollusc came about in each animal.

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Friday, June 8th

• Mini Workshops: 8:30-10:30am  
• Poster Session: 10:45-11:45am; second floor corridor Morgan Building (abstracts)
• Box lunch: 11:45am - 12:30pm; Rm 201 Morgan Building; eating area Room 107
• Business meeting: Morgan Building. Auditorium Rm. 107: 12:15-1:15pm 
• Mini Workshops: 1.30pm - 4.00pm.
• Banquet: Kentucky Horse Park : Buses leave from residence hall parking lot - 6.00 pm, returning 10.00pm

Friday Banquet:
Friday evening we will travel via buses to the Kentucky Horse Park for dinner. Located in the heart of the Bluegrass, the Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm with 1,200 acres surrounded by 30 miles of white plank fencing. The park is like none other in the world. Dedicated to man's relationship with the horse, the park features two outstanding museums, twin theaters and nearly 50 different breeds of horses. Tales of home cooked meals "Down on the Farm" come to life in an Old Kentucky Night at the   Kentucky Horse Park. We will enjoy a casual evening of dinner, bluegrass clogging and a hayride tour of the grounds of this beautiful park. Southern hospitality Kentucky style...the way it was meant to be. Cash bar.  Cost: $42.00

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Saturday, June 9th

Field Trips:

1. Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill  (9.00am - 5.00pm)
The restored Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a living history museum where the tangible reminders of an extraordinary life are preserved. Shaker Village not only presents America's finest, largest, and most completely restored Shaker community and living museum set in the rolling hills above the Kentucky River, but also offers one of the most extraordinary dining experiences in the country. Shaker Village is a premier living history museum where costumed interpreters chronicle Shaker life. The self-guided walking tour includes 14 restored buildings. The Centre Family Dwelling houses an extensive collection of original Shaker furniture and household items from the nineteenth century. Within the restored community, skilled artisans work at 19th-century trades and historic farming brings the past to life. The Shaker Life Exhibit in the East Family Dwelling has changing exhibits, a video viewing area, and hands-on room.  Daily demonstrations include broom making, spinning, weaving, coopering, domestic work, woodworking, farm work and gardening.  Shaker music is performed by a solo music interpreter four times daily from April through October in the 1820   Meeting House at Pleasant Hill. A number of special music events are also scheduled throughout the year. Performing at several of these event are the Pleasant Hill Singers, a group of dedicated and talented volunteers. The Shakers wrote more than 20,000 hymns, including the popular Simple Gifts.

Participants will have time to explore the village, travel by river boat on the Kentucky River (river conditions permitting), hike some of the trails around the village, attend a musical presentation and partake of a very tasty shaker meal in the Trustees Office . Cost: $50.00 includes transportation, river boat ride, three course lunch at the Trustees Office and admission to the Village.

2. Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park  (8am - 7pm-ish)
Located in eastern Kentucky in the Daniel Boone National Forest is the Red River Gorge Geological Area. Carved over millions of years by wind and water, this area is truly unique and wonderful. Within the area there are over 80 natural arches, historical sites, and miles and miles of trails made for cross-country backpacking or just day hikes. There are magnificent views, unusual vegetation and the largest concentration of arches and rock   shelters east of the Rocky Mountains. Many arches in the Red River Gorge Geological Area can be found or viewed from the trails. One the best known and most accessible arches is Sky Bridge. From here, visitors are treated to a magnificent view of Clifty Wilderness. This portion of the Gorge has been set aside for the preservation of wilderness values and experiences. Clifty, named for its towering cliff lines, was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System by Congress in 1985. The section of the Red River that runs through Clifty Wilderness is a Kentucky Wild River, and is now a National Wild and Scenic River, the first and only one in Kentucky.

The Red River Gorge supports an unusual array of plant and animal life. The diversity may be attributed to geographic location, topography, and glacial history. A significant number of endangered, threatened, sensitive or rare species of plants and animals exist in the area. The U.S Forest Service, along with other interested agencies and individuals, is working to protect these species and their habitat. A rare opportunity also exists here for the protection and scientific study of cultural resources. Archaeological studies are providing insight into the lives of the prehistoric people who lived in the Gorge. In later times, the Shawnee and other tribes and frontiersmen like Simon Kenton, Daniel Boone preceded settlement by colonial Europeans moving west.

Participants will hike some of the trails within the gorge, view several of the natural bridges in the area and will end the day with dinner at The Natural Bridge State Park Lodge before heading back to Lexington. Cost: $50.00 includes transportation, box lunch and dinner.

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For further information contact:
Ruth E. Beattie, 2007 ABLE host.
Dept. of Biology,
University of Kentucky,
Lexington, KY 40506
E-mail: rebeat1@uky.edu ,
Telephone: 859-257-7647