May 11, 2011, Wednesday - A SIP OF SCIENCE: Disappearing Lake Pepin: Agriculture and Geology in the Minnesota River Basin at the Aster Cafe

Time: 5:30pm

Location: The Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main Street, St. Anthony Main

Civilization, by its very nature, has involved reshaping the natural environment to fit human needs. Agriculture, in the Minnesota River Basin, has been a major agent of that restructuring.

The story of the Minnesota River Basin is one of a landscape reshaped by its geology and its history of human settlement. It is a story of agricultural intensification and human perturbations that have accelerated soil loss, changed precipitation, and amplified erosional processes. The futures of the river basin and of Lake Pepin, the iconic body of water it impacts, depend upon understanding how human actions are coupling with geological history to threaten these waters.

Carrie Jennings (science), Matt Poppleton (finger picking guitar)

A SIP OF SCIENCE bridges the gap between science and culture in a setting that bridges the gap between brain and belly. Food, beer, and learning are on the menu in a happy hour forum that offers the opportunity to talk with researchers about their current work, its implications, and its fascinations.