Talk discussing "Using tree rings to date the construction of historic buildings in the Mid-Ohio River Valley" will be presented at Ivy Tech in Madison
Feb. 22—MADISON — On Monday, March 4, the Big Oaks Conservation Society will host a meeting at Ivy Tech in Madison, Indiana starting at 6:30 PM. Dr. Darrin Rubino from Hanover College will present "Using tree rings to date the construction of historic buildings in the Mid-Ohio River Valley." Darrin's presentation will be broken into two parts: the basics of tree-ring science and the findings he and his collaborators have made in over two decades of research.
In the first part of the talk, he will explain how samples are taken from buildings, how the samples are prepared for analysis, and how analyzing tree-ring growth patterns enables structures to be precisely dated.
The second portion of the talk will focus on some of the interesting tree-ring dating results he has obtained in the region. Darrin will discuss how tree-ring dating has been used to solve local historic mysteries. Dates of structures including historically important and common buildings (barns, houses, etc.) will be discussed. The use of various timber species will also be explored. Darrin will also explain how your historic house or barn can be dated.
Dr. Darrin Rubino is a Professor of Biology at Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana). Darrin's research focuses on determining the construction date of historic structures by analyzing the tree-ring growth patterns found in their timbers. Along with his colleagues and student researchers, Darrin has been able to date timbers from over 200 buildings (including barns, churches, houses, mills, and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and to create a vast database of accurately measured and dated tree rings that reaches back to the mid-15th century. He has authored a textbook and many scientific articles on tree-ring analysis. Darrin is also interested in the ecology of invasive species and the disturbance ecology of forests.
The Big Oaks Conservation Society is the non-profit support group of the Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). Society members work closely with refuge staff to enhance public awareness, use, and appreciation for the natural and cultural assets unique to Big Oaks NWR. Meetings are held the first Monday of selected months at 6:30 p.m. Big Oaks NWR consists of approximately 50,000 acres on the former Jefferson Proving Ground (JPG) located in Jennings, Ripley, and Jefferson Counties in southeastern Indiana. The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and provides public use opportunities such as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, interpretation, and environmental education. The refuge has one of the largest contiguous forest blocks in the southeastern part of the state as well as one of the largest grassland complexes in the state, both of which provide wonderful wildlife viewing opportunities to refuge visitors.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses more than 550 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices, and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. — Information provided
