Field Work

Five questions with Keith Summerville, Drake Environmental Science and Sustainability professor.

By COURTNEy JACKSON

Iowans are taking notice of the environmental changes affecting not only the livability of the state, but the globe.

Keith Summerville, a professor and the chair of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Drake University, started at Drake in 2002 and has been working in the field for over 26 years, He’s published dozens of peer review papers, including 12 with undergraduate students, and has secured over $250,000 in grants to support student research.

Summerville is currently working on a sustainable forestry project in southern Indiana, trying to forest corridors for biodiversity in western Rwanda, and is researching grazing management of tallgrass prairies here in Iowa.

“I really want my students to appreciate that environmental issues are complex, that there is no ‘magic’ single solution that solves everything,” he said. “Experiencing an ecosystem is the only way you can understand it, and I love being a guide in that process.”

Little Village asked Summerville the questions a new student might have for the professor, in hopes of better understanding his work.

What got you interested within the field of environmental science? Was there a specific moment that you knew you wanted to do this work? It’s easy for me to figure out what got me into this field because I was an outdoor rural kid. I mean I grew up on 50 acres of land, hunting, fishing and running around in the woods. I think that those formative youth experiences, being outside significantly more than inside, really catalyzed my love for doing this kind of work.

Are there any specific environmental issues that we should know more about in our state? I think that what tends to be said a lot when this question is asked, is issues such as global climate change or water quality. These two issues are known as “Iowa’s biggest problems,” [however] I don’t really see that while I am out doing research. I don’t think that there is any [one] large issue that takes over, but there is something we refer to as stacking within this field. I mean, imagine you are literally stacking cups on top of one another— those [stacks of problems] are some of the biggest issues that we are facing. Let’s look at habitat—this is a very large issue and isn’t by itself when you think of loss of habitat or conservation. All of these issues just stack upon one another.

Are there any Des Moines specific issues that we should make sure to focus on? I think that the Des Moines metro has done a very good job of getting people out into the environment and getting them connected. Just getting a good look of nature on our paved trail systems that we have. There is one thing that the people of the metro need to think of, and that is [asking], how big are we going to get? I’m not saying that like it’s good or bad, but we need to constantly be asking that question.

What do you feel are the biggest challenges with trying to fix these issues? I think that there is a combination of challenges that make trying to fix these issues interesting. It feels like playing a game of whack-a-mole at times—the minute you solve one thing, some new challenge springs up and you’ve got to turn your attention to that.

Why should Iowans even care about these issues? Because everything that we do or touch is tied back to the natural world. I mean, most of our economy here in Iowa is based back to the natural world. Let’s take the example of rare earth metals—if those become in short supply, that means no more phones, since our phone battery uses those rare earth metals to function. Even electrical cars that have nickel, cadmium and lithium will cease to exist. So, everyone should try to be more mindful of taking care of our world and trying to steward the best that we can.

Courtney Jackson is a senior at Drake University, majoring in Magazine and Brand Media. She has been writing ever since high school, writing for various online websites, newspapers and magazines, recently being the Features Editor for The Times-Delphic, Drake University’s newspaper.