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Feb 27, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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Discovery, Exploration, and Preservation of Coldwater Cave
Feb 27, 2025 5:30 PM
DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan Cheryl Johnson, President of Iowa Grotto, member of the Cave Research Foundation - Eastern Operations, and member of the National Speleological Society will present on the discovery, exploration and preservation of Winneshiek County's Coldwater Cave, the largest cave in the Upper Midwest. Ms. Johnson's interest in the science of speleology began as a child. She could hear water running through the ground near sinkholes on her family farm and was fascinated about what might lay underneath. A grade school field trip to Niagara Cave in Harmony, MN opened her eyes to the world below the karst topography of the Driftless. Due to a lack of available scholarships in the field she was unable to pursue a career in Geology; however, now that her children are grown she has the opportunity to pursue her passion for caves as a leisure interest. Her interest has grown into her involvement in cartography projects at both the local and national level. Born and raised in rural Decorah, Ms. Johnson graduated from Decorah High School in 1999 and studied accounting at Luther College. For the past 10 years she has served as the office manager for the Chiropractic Offices of fellow Rotarian Kelly Reagan. For more about the Iowa Grotto and the National Speleological Society please visit https://caves.org/grotto/iowa-grotto/. --- |
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Mar 04, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Mar 11, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Mar 13, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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Reflecting on Space and Time with Stories of Astronomy and Hunting
Mar 13, 2025 5:30 PM
DRC After Hours Sponsor: Shannon Duncan Jeff Wilkerson is a Professor of Physics at Luther College. In addition to his extensive research and teaching, he is an accomplished author and plans to present excerpts from his book 23 Woodcock in 22 Years: Reflections on Hunting, the Night Sky and Our Place in the Universe, highlighting the passage of time as both birds and the stars overhead come and go season after season. He will lead our members in discussing the behavior of birds, stars as the origin of the material around us, the nature of our Milky Way galaxy, the history of the universe, and what can be observed in the night sky right now. Dr. Wilkerson earned a B.S. in physics from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He has previously worked on projects searching antimatter heavy nuclei in cosmic rays and developing detector technology for studying X-rays from neutron stars and black holes. For the past 28 years he has served on the faculty at Luther where he has taught a wide range of astronomy and physics courses, supervised more than 60 undergraduate research projects involving the monitoring of stellar brightness, and has served in a variety of administrative positions. In addition to numerous research publications and presentations, he has authored two books and presents a weekly, public YouTube (<- link) video on night sky observing. --- |
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Mar 18, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Mar 25, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Mar 27, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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Apr 01, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Nepal: A One Health Perspective
Apr 01, 2025 12:00 PM
DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow Luther College Professor of Biology Scott Carlson and selected Luther College students participating in the 2025 Luther January Term study abroad course offered by the Center for Global Learning entitled "Nepal: A One Health Perspective" will visit our club to share the highlights of their trip to Nepal and selected results from their investigation. The World Health Organization defines One Health as "an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals and ecosystems." This course focused on Nepal to study the dynamic relationship between people, animals, plants, and the environment, and how they are interconnected in contributing to the wellness of a population. This course emphasized the work of the Center for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (CMDN), which is the leading public health and wildlife research organization in the country. Students participated in ongoing projects at CMDN involving disease surveillance, biomedical research, wildlife conservation, and environmental health. The itinerary also included travel to Kathmandu, Pokhara, and the Chitwan National Park. --- **Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email. |
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Apr 03, 2025 4:15 PM - 7:00 PM
Decorah Rotary is proud to once again partner with local groups in support of the Decorah Community Meal. Our assigned day is April 3, 2025. The event takes place in the Fellowship Hall (lower level) at Decorah Lutheran Church, 309 Winnebago Street. The sign up includes spots for salads, desserts and workers. Food items can be dropped off as early as 4:15 in the church kitchen the day of the event. If you have a container that you need returned, please make sure it is marked with your name. The event coordinators have requested that children under the age of 14 be accompanied by an adult. For those of you signing up to work, you may be assigned to any of the following jobs: Cut and serve desserts, refill dessert table
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Apr 08, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Forging Paths to Peace in Northern Ireland
Apr 08, 2025 12:00 PM
DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow Luther College Professor of Social Work Britt Rhodes and selected Luther College students participating in the Luther Paideia 450 study abroad course offered by the Center for Global Learning entitled "Forging Paths to Peace (Northern Ireland)" will visit our club to share highlights of their experiences and report on selected results of their investigation. This course examined the difficult yet inspiring Northern Ireland peace process through the lives of its participants. The participants explored the challenges and potential of political and grassroots peace building, with special attention to issues of identity, culture, and memory as challenges and the principles of compromise, forgiveness, mercy, justice, and peace as potential. An integral part of this course was the conduct of meetings with representatives of the main political parties of Northern Ireland, former members of paramilitary organizations, academic experts, police officers, members of inter-community organizations, and victims of past violence. The itinerary included trips to Derry, Belfast, and Ballycastle within Northern Ireland and Dublin in Ireland. --- **Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email. |
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Apr 10, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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Apr 12, 2025 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Our annual Spring Roadside Cleanup event is scheduled for Saturday, April 12. Please meet at Putnam Law Office at 8AM to pick up safety vests and bags. We will also take a photo of volunteer present at that time. If you would like to assist with the project but are unable to participate on the 13th, please sign up for the section of your choice. You may then pick up bags and safety vests at 702 East Broadway (Ward's house). Bags and vests will be in the tote by the garage door. If you plan to do clean up on a different day than April 13th, please let me know either via email or at a meeting so that we don't wait for you the day of the event.
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Apr 15, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Seed Savers Exchange 50th Anniversary Celebration
Apr 15, 2025 12:00 PM
DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow Mike Bollinger, fellow Decorah Rotarian and Executive Director of Seed Savers Exchange (SSE), has offered to speak to our club about the SSE 50th Anniversary Celebration planned for August 8-9, 2025 at the SSE Heritage Farm site north of Decorah. The event will feature a variety of activities including speakers, farm and facilities tours, workshops, a seed swap, and live music. SSE conserves biodiversity by maintaining a collection of over 20,000 different varieties of heirloom and open-pollinated plants, varieties with the ability to regenerate themselves year after year. These seeds (and tissue cultures or other plant materials, depending on how a plant reproduces) have the power to withstand unforeseen pestilence and plant disease, climate change, and limited habitat, and to stop dinnertime boredom forever. The SSE Heritage Farm serves as the headquarters of SSE and includes the Lillian Goldman Visitors Center and Gift and Garden Store, miles of hiking trails, a trout stream, display gardens and a historic orchard. The Heritage Farm serves as the principal location for housing the extensive seed collection and for hosting special events. The entire SSE team (including preservation and education staff, donor and member services, the garden crew, and order fulfillment team) is also based at the Decorah location. Mike has a long and fruitful connection with SSE. He originally served as a member of their garden crew and contracted as a seed producer. For more than a decade, he has collaborated as the primary producer of transplants for the SSE plant sales with his wife, Katie, through their certified organic farm, River Root Farm. As co-founder of an agricultural solutions company, Mike has also provided support to SSE on greenhouse design and organic production practices. Mike has not only gained a practical understanding of organic and sustainable growing practices but also dedicated years of service as an active member on the board of directors for organizations focusing on farmer education services and local and regional food systems. For more information on SSE and to register for the 50th Anniversary Celebration visit https://www.seedsavers.org/. --- **Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email. |
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An Update from the Decorah City Manager
Apr 22, 2025 12:00 PM
DRC Sponsor: Jim Morrow Decorah City Manager Travis Goedken will be visiting our club to share information on the various projects and plans in store for the city of Decorah during the 2025 calendar year. Mr. Goedken assumed the duties as Decorah City Manager on September 9, 2021. He previously served as City Administrator of Humboldt, where he served for nearly six years. Prior to that, he served in diverse roles as a Deputy City Clerk, underground utilities heavy equipment operator, and firefighter/EMT. He is a two-time graduate of the University of Iowa in Political Science and Economics and obtained his master’s degree in Public Administration from Drake University. He was born and raised in the Dyersville area. While in Humboldt, he oversaw several major projects including a five block downtown streetscape project, construction of a community daycare facility (of which he served as President), and the construction and donation of a 71,000 square foot recreation center. Travis and his spouse Tara have four children. In his limited spare time he enjoys fly fishing or ice fishing depending on the season. --- **Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email. |
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Apr 22, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Apr 24, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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Apr 28, 2025
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Satellite-Based Tornado Damage Assessements
Apr 29, 2025
DRC Sponsor: Gary Mineart Kevin Skow is a Lead Meteorologist on the staff of the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office in La Crosse, WI. Their forecast and public safety area of responsibility includes Decorah and northeast Iowa. For over 10 years he has contributed to the NWS forensic studies through the conduct of tornado damage surveys using high-resolution satellite-based Earth observation data. These data include visual and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to remotely detect tornado damage signatures. Satellite-based surveys provide critical contributions to accurate estimates of damage over large and rural areas. He will be providing a brief overview of the technology and will focus on a number of survey examples from the local area. Mr. Skow grew up in the Twin Cities and graduated from the University of North Dakota (B.S., Atmospheric Sciences) prior to starting work in the NWS in 2009. He began his career at the Anchorage, AK office before moving to Des Moines in 2011. He later worked at the Topeka, KS office from 2016-2021 before transitioning to La Crosse. His main areas of expertise involve severe weather warnings, radar interrogation, and post-event storm surveying. For your local weather, climate, and hydrologic needs see the NWS La Crosse home page at https://www.weather.gov/arx/. --- **Please complete your meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcment, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email. |
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Apr 29, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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May 06, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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May 08, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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May 13, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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May 20, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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May 22, 2025 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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May 27, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jun 03, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jun 10, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jun 17, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jun 24, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jul 01, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jul 08, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jul 15, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jul 22, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Jul 29, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Aug 05, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Aug 12, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Aug 19, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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Aug 26, 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
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