Gathering Information: The investigation of localized case studies is the overlying method that will provide an in depth look at conservation and restoration in the Cannon River Watershed. This study is both exploratory and educational. Localized knowledge of specific habitats is provided by published literature, accredited web pages, and personal interviews. Published literature gives conservation and restoration guidelines specific to habitat, local information about Nerstrand State Park, and individual species characteristics. Accredited web pages give the same type of information as published literature, and varies with specialization and locality. Personal interviews are a key component to local knowledge and give first hand knowledge of what makes up the habitats of the Cannon River Watershed.

Project Focus: Initially I thought restoration was going to be the only emphasis, but upon further digging I incorporated conservation. The existence of wild places is due to both forces, often working together. I knew there were many examples of restoration and conservation in the Cannon River Watershed and wasn't sure where to start. I also knew that I wanted to represent a wide variety of places, not only in terms of habitat and their conservation and/or restoration qualities, but in terms of ownership and public accessibility. In this sense, I hoped I would be able to find environmental stewardship on personal, regional, as well as state-wide levels that were centered in this region. I ruled out the possibility of looking at the investigation in from an entire country viewpoint in efforts to retain focus and detail on the region and promote sense of place. Although I discovered that there are national government programs influencing state and regional behavior. For example, the Wetlands Reserve Program that assisted Straight River Marsh restoration is administered nationally by the USDA but run locally by state and regional efforts (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service).

Choosing the Specific Habitats: The method by which I chose the four case studies was unique for each place. Right off the bat, I called Bob Huffman from Prairie Restorations, Inc. and asked if he had knowledge of a regional restored prairie for my project. He not only informed me of a restored prairie, Valley Grove, but of a conserved piece of land that also included wetland and forest in addition to prairie. Next, I found the Straight River Marsh by searching online through environmental web sites, and immediately thought that it fit my project intentions. I decided to investigate Nerstrand Big Woods State Park because it would be a great example of a forest that is not only conserved, but is accessible to the public as well.

Visiting the Sites: I had the chance to visit each of the places at least once during April 2004 and the first half of March. The two properties that were privately owned I only visited one time as to not inconvenience the owners, that of the Straight River Marsh and the Donker Homestead. Nerstrand Big Woods State Park and Valley Grove, however, are accessible to the public, which allowed me to come and go as I pleased.

Creating Field Notes: As I began visiting these places I realized how many species went into their existence, and the importance of each one as a part of a whole. I realized that those species familiar to me were those that I had learned intimately on a closer level. This connection was created by a detailed interaction with the particular species. Over the years, I have found that drawing allows me to connect with a subject on a deeper more detailed level. This in addition to my love for botany drove me to create species profiles, facilitating an interaction that was more than a simple observation or information recitation. I chose the species either because I thought it is representative of a given habitat(s) or one that myself or others would not be familiar with. The knowledge of what species exist in a given region or habitat is relatively useless if one does not know what these species really are and can only recite them by name. I chose to learn by methods that not only make sense to me, but in a way that facilitates a closer connection with the object of study.