About REFS: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

NKU Research and Education Field Station (REFS)

99 Harrison Court

Melbourne, KY 41059

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Inside the NKU REFS house features a laboratory with lots of microscopes.

NKU REFS visitors sit a tables in an activity space to learn about environmental biology.

NKU REFS visitors emerge from the woods to view the banks of the Ohio River.

NKU REFS is located next to the 155-acre St. Anne Woods and Wetlands Natural Area, a conservation easement along the Ohio River. Situated within the Outer Bluegrass Ecoregion, the site features open and closed canopy wetlands, upland grasslands, mixed mesophytic forests, and areas of old-growth beech forest.

REFS supports a wide range of research and educational activities. The facility offers indoor laboratory and field processing space, teaching and meeting areas, and accessible restrooms - providing everything needed for both field and classroom learning.

Review REFS Policies

Fees

In addition to supporting basic and applied research, REFS provides equipment and facilities for teaching and outreach activities. Because university funding is limited, operational fees are necessary to sustain the station. The following list reflects actual costs and has been approved by NKU administration. All fees may be adjusted or waived at the discretion of the Station Director.

For general information or to inquire about items not listed, contact Dr. Richard Durtsche or Dr. Richard Boyce.

Facilities	Cost
2nd Floor Lab Space (desk and adjacent bench)	$20.00 / day
1st Floor Classroom Space	$20.00 / day
2nd Floor Conference Space	$20.00 / day
Photocopying	$0.10 / page
Laser and other computer printers	$0.10 / page
FAX	$0.20 / page
Expendible Supplies	Cost

Group Visits	Cost
2 to 20 people	$25.00 / day
21 or more people	$35.00 / day

Reservations and Availability

Reservations are approved on a first-come-first-served basis.
Educational and outreach groups are also welcome to use the REFS.
To qualify for facility use, all groups must be educational- or nature-oriented.
Priority is given to sponsored University research and University curriculum.
Researchers planning to submit proposals with REFS facilities should consult with the Station Director as to the availability of facilities prior to submission.
Social meetings do not qualify.
Non-university groups are charged a nominal fee for usage.
Normal field station use is Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (once reservation is confirmed).

Contact the Department of Biological Sciences at (859) 572-5110 to reserve REFS.

The following calendar shows when REFS has been reserved.

Camp participants sit along the banks of the Ohio River documenting their observations in a CINSAM summer camp hosted by NKY REFS.

Visitors of NKU REFS hold box turtles at Nature Day.

Visitors of NKU REFS hold butterly nets in the woods while listening to the guide's instructions.

Camp participants search for birds through binoculars and bird blinds in the woods.

The proximity of REFS to the NKU campus expands the opportunity for ecological undergraduate instruction while providing unique interdisciplinary teaching opportunities over a range of other disciplines. This facility enhances community outreach programs for K-12 education, summer camps, and teacher continuing education.

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Two NKU undergraduate students do research with a faculty member in the woodlands of NKU REFS.

A field researcher walks through REFS woodlands after a flood.

NKU Biology faculty and student collect samples in the woodlands of REFS.

Student researchers evaluate samples collected in buckets at REFS.

NKU REFS supports a wide range of research and scholarly activities at our facilities, in the St. Anne Woods and Wetlands Natural Area, and in local streams. Projects span from measuring photosynthetic rates in shrubs and monitoring natural controls of Amur honeysuckle, to evaluating invasive species impacts on amphibians, collecting baseline data on native longhorn beetles, and assessing the potential effects of climate change on stream fishes. All of this work is united by four central themes:

Invasion and Disease Ecologies
Long-term Monitoring
Ecosystem Processes
Climate Change

A Cope's Gray Tree Frog hangs out at REFS

Vision

To inspire an understanding and appreciation of Northern Kentucky’s natural areas from riparian wetlands and the Ohio River, to upland forests and grasslands through time.

Mission

In support of NKU’s mission and core values, REFS serves students, scholars, and the broader community. As a data-driven learning center, REFS fosters regional environmental and ecological research, and is an operations hub for field studies, multidisciplinary nature and outdoor-oriented courses, and interactions between professionals, students, and local citizens.

5-Year Strategic Plan: 2018 - 2023

Biennial Reports: FY 2016 - FY 2018 | FY 2018 - FY 2020

REFS Steering Committee: Richard Durtsche (REFS Director | NKU), Richard Boyce (REFS Assistant Director | NKU), Josh Cooper (NKU), Allison Parker (NKU), Yingying Xi (NKU), Patti Discher (District Manager | Campbell County Conservation District)

ABOUT REFS

Vision

Mission