❖ Nutritional Supplement Photobioreactor for High-Mountain Environments

• Spirulina (Arthrospira) is a high-value nutritional supplement that can be very effective for alleviating malnutrition. In tropical and subtropical regions, the climate allows for year-round cultivation using simple techniques. For high elevations in the temperate zones, the climate does not allow these simple growth techniques to be used year round.
– The goal of this project is to design, develop and demonstrate an affordable photobioreactor that can provide year-round nutritional supplements in mountain climates.
– Work so far has produced a preliminary design for a small (family size) photobioreactor. That design is nearly mature enough to enable the construction of a functioning prototype for operation and testing.

• Status
– A partnership to build and test an operational prototype is being sought.

❖ Forest Health Monitoring Wireless Sensor Network

• Sensor Development
– Soil Moisture; Weather; Microclimate; Tree Transpiration, Water Uptake, and Transport
• Trunk Dendrometers, Dielectric Permittivity, Electrical Conductivity, …
• Wireless Sensor Network Development
– Solar PV Energy Harvesting, Data Logging, Wireless Data Transport, Wireless Data Ex ltration
• Status
– Work on this project has been stopped until a suitable partnership and funding can be identified.

❖ Electrical Activity of Fungi

• Recent research has shown that a form of “spiking” electrical activity is present in fungal mycelial networks.
– Analogous to the spiking activity observed in mammalian neural networks and simulated in some types of arti cial neural networks for machine leaning and artificial intelligence
– Electrical activity of fungi is currently a hot research area in mycology.
– TESEL capabilities and resources (pages 7–9) make this an obvious area for a TESEL research project.

• Status
– The current focus is on instrumentation development and laboratory data collection to assess the viability of measurements in the eld.
• Initial instrumentation was developed and tested with mixed results on Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus pulmonarius) grown from culture.
– The purchase of some additional laboratory equipment is required to continue work on this project.

❖ Sensitive Wetlands Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP)

• Goal
– Provide baseline characterization and regular monitoring of sensitive wetland ecosystems to help assess stress and impacts of climate change and other factors

• Focus
– Prospect Basin Fens, the Vance Creek / Beaver Pond Lane stream/wetland areas, other regional wetlands, …

• TESEL SWAMP is a multidisciplinary R&D effort to collect and analyze georeferenced environmental data using autonomous field instrumentation and other modern techniques.
– Perform Biodiversity, Biocomplexity and Abundance Assessments of Aquatic and Soil Organisms
• Protists, Fungi, Plants (primarily Bryophytes), Meiofauna and other Invertebrates
• Also, perform targeted assessments of some speci c indicator and/or keystone species
– Develop, Deploy and Operate Wireless Sensor Networks for Environmental Monitoring
• Unattended, in situ spatiotemporal monitoring (data logging) of temperature, humidity, solar ux, soil moisture, soil redox potential, water levels, wind, temperature pro les, …
– Collect and Archive Photographs and Photogrammetric Spectral Imagery
• Georeferenced high-resolution photographs and aerial multispectral imagery
– Paleoecology, Water Chemistry, and other analyses can be performed as warranted

• TESEL SWAMP has now grown to include a portfolio of four complementary projects. These project are described below.

❖ SWAMP Project 1: Vegetation Phenology

• Phenology is a branch of science dealing with relationships between climate and cyclic biological phenomena. Phenology focused on vegetation in sensitive
ecosystems has emerged as an important tool to characterize and monitor impacts due to climate change.
– Phenology data collection is very labor intensive. Therefore, R&D is underway in several laboratories to automate phenology data collection using time-lapse photography throughout the growing season.
– Based on TESEL autonomous eld instrumentation, a phenology camera (“phenocam”) system is currently under development to provide a new capability for automated vegetation phenology data collection.
– If support is provided for this work, Telluride-area phenocams could become part a new international effort to establish a Global Phenocam Network.

• Status
– Preliminary design completed Spring 2024
– Some initial development work started in June 2024
– Major focus for development during the winter and spring

❖ SWAMP Project 2: Biodiversity

• Perform biodiversity inventories with a focus on all ve fens in Prospect Basin
– Establish baseline inventories to enable monitoring changes due to climate and other factors
– To date, the only biodiversity work in these fens has focused on vascular plans in very small study areas near the center of the fens.

• This biodiversity inventory focuses on
– Aquatic Animals (meiofauna and other invertebrates)
– Protists
– Fungi
– Insects, …
– Nonvascular Plants (Bryophytes)
– Vascular Plants

• Status
– Work started in the summer of 2022.
– Protocols have been established and some sample collection has been performed.
– Work on vascular plants was supported by two HS interns in 2023 and 2024.
– Critical need for support by a eld biologist(s) during the eldwork season

❖ SWAMP Project 3: Paleoecology

• Paleoecological microfossil analysis of peat core samples
– Testate amoeba, …
• Infer climatic and hydrological conditions over the past
~12,000 years based on species paleoecological biodiversity
– A secondary goal is to establish a new research opportunity to attract funding and graduate students to continue work in the fens.

• Status
– Peat core samples (shallow) were collected in 2022 and 2023.
– The development of a TESEL capability for microfossil extraction and analysis is underway.
– The purchase of additional laboratory equipment is required to continue work on this project.

❖ SWAMP Project 4: Aerial Vegetation Mapping

• Perform high-resolution spectral imaging — initial focus on the ve fens in Prospect Basin
– Multispectral imagery collection from a multirotor aerial platform (sUAS)
• Spectral bands in the Visible+Near-Infrared and possibly Short-Wave-Infrared (VNIR and SWIR) regions of the spectrum
– Raw imagery collected at a ~10-cm or better resolution (GSD)
– Real-Time Kinematics (RTK) navigation to enable photogrammetric mapping products
• Perform photogrammetric processing and othorecti cation of the imagery and generate high-quality multispectral orthomosaics
• Generate vegetation maps and other map products
– These baseline map products will enable detailed assessment and monitoring

• Status
– Requirements and plans were drafted in fall 2023.
– A Photogrammetric Multispectral Mapping System (PMMS) was purchased in June 2024 using community grant funding. (DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral sUAS with RTK)
– Extensive initial data collections were performed during July and August 2024. These collections covered all ve fens (~10 acres each) multiple times at a resolution (GSD) of about 1 inch. Imagery has 7 bands {RGB + Green, Red, NIR and Red-Edge}.

❖ Telluride Wireless IoT Gateway (TWIG)

• Investigate adapting Smart City Concepts to a small mountain community by providing an Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure for climate resilience and many other uses
– TWIG was a project initiative undertaking in response to a request from the Telluride Foundation for projects to help address Climate Resilience.

• Project Plan
– Install and operate a LoRaWAN IoT Gateway in downtown Telluride
• To enable demonstrations, application exploration, and free wireless IoT access for Telluride
• Staff the TWIG project with several motivated high-school students (PBL Interns)
– TWIG Phase I — Design, develop and test a basic TWIG implementation
– TWIG Phase II — Build and install a robust LoRaWAN Gateway in downtown Telluride, Develop applications software, Perform community outreach, Provide application support, …

• Status
– A TWIG white paper was written and circulated (15 April 2023)
• Statements of Work and Cost Estimates for Phase I and Phase II were generated
– After a ~6-month fundraising campaign, TWIG Phase I began in November 2023.
• TWIG Phase I was completed in June 2024.
– TWIG Phase II was cancelled due to lack of funding.

An R&D laboratory with the capabilities and resources required to execute regional environmental and energy projects.

• Establish stronger science and engineering credentials for the Telluride Institute
  • Help secure funding for new environmental and renewable energy projects
• Provide new capabilities to enhance existing Telluride Institute projects
  • Fens, Valley Floor, MEM, WEP, SCAPE, Mushroom Festival, Mountain Infozone, …
• Promote collaborations with other institutes, schools, colleges and universities
  • San Miguel Watershed Coalition, Sheep Mountain Alliance, EcoAction Partners, Pinhead Institute, regional high schools, Western Colorado University, CSU, UC-Boulder, …
• Provide a regional educational resource for adults and students interested in environmental science and renewable energy / A model for project-based learning
• Promote citizen science activities within the community and region
• Conduct research and educational outreach in soil science, mycology, wetland studies, environmental monitoring, small-scale renewable energy, …

❖ Environmental Science

• Soil Science / Soil Food Web
  • Biodiversity and Ecology
  • First through Fourth Trophic Levels
  • Soil Restoration and Bioremediation
• Mycology / Forest Ecology
  • Saprobic Fungi, Cordyceps, …
  • Mycorrhizae
• Wetland and Pond/Stream/River Science
  • Biodiversity and Biocomplexity
  • Plant, Protist and Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology
• Complex-Systems Biology

❖ Engineering

• Unattended in situ Environmental Monitoring
  • Sensors / Wireless SensorNetworks / Sensor-Data Logging
  • Energy Harvesting and Storage
  • Near-Real-Time Data Transport
• Small-Scale Renewable Energy
  • Solar PV, Wind, Geothermal, and Hydroelectric
  • Home-Scale and Neighborhood-Scale Energy Storage Technologies
  • Sustainable Energy Strategies

❖ Biological Microscopy – Identification and Analysis

• Bright eld, Dark eld, and Phase Contrast with high-quality Image and Video Capture
• Stereo Microscopy for larger organisms, specimen preparation, etc.

❖ Physical and Chemical Analysis

• Soil Morphology, Soil Nutrients, Soil and Water Impurities, etc.
  • To be developed as needed to offset the cost and latency of fee-for-service laboratory work

❖ Specimen Culture and Growth

• Bacteria (limited), Protists, Algae, Fungi, Bryophytes, Aquatic Invertebrates, …

❖ Preservation/Repository of Local Samples and Specimens

• Soil Samples, Fungarium, Herbarium, Prepared Microscope Slides, etc.
  • Archival specimens to enable comparative analysis and future study/monitoring

❖ Electronics Design, Development and Testing

• Development of sensor modules for unattended in situ environmental monitoring
• Development of project-speci c unattended data collection and logging devices
  • Wireless Sensor Networks, Real-Time Data Ex ltration, IoT Devices, Energy Harvesting, …
• Evaluation and characterization of small-scale renewable energy devices and strategies relevant to our community and region

❖ Laboratory Microscopy

• Olympus CX43 Biological Microscope with U-TR30-2 Trinocular Head, WHN10X/22 UIS Eyepieces, U-TV0.5XC-3 Camera Adapter, and EP50 Digital Color Camera
  • Bright eld, Dark eld and Phase Contrast at 40X, 100X, 200X, 400X and 600X
• Zeiss Stemi 508 Stereozoom Microscope with Axiocam Color Camera

❖ Field Research and Specimen Collection

• Nikon 20x Stereoscopic Field Microscope
• Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera (macro photography)

❖ Laboratory Chemical Analysis

• Keithley 2450 Graphical SourceMeter/Potentiostat (electrochemical analysis, energy-storage R&D, etc.)

❖ Electronics Design, Development and Testing

• Unattended Environmental Sensor Data Logging, Instrumentation for in situ Field Measurement, Small-Scale Renewable Energy Concepts, STEM Education, etc.
  • Keithley DMM6500 6.5-Digit Graphical Touchscreen Digital Sampling Multimeter
  • Keithley 2280S-32-6 Precision Measurement DC Power Supply
  • Siglent SDS1204X-E 4-Channel, 200-MHz Super Phosphor Oscilloscope
  • Siglent SDG2042X 2-Channel, 40-MHz Function/Arbitrary Waveform Generator
  • Siglent SDL1020X 200-W Programmable DC Electronic Load
  • Siglent SPD3303X 3-Channel Programmable DC Laboratory Power Supply
  • Riden RD6006 DC Power Supply
  • SDRPlay RSP-DX Wideband RF Software-De ned Receiver

❖ Field Collection of Specimens and Samples

• Collection tools, magni ers, specimen/sample containers, …

❖ Laboratory Microscopy

• Microscope slides, cover slips, stains, containers, tools, video monitor, …

❖ Specimen Growth and Culture

Laboratory specimen containers, petri dishes, lighting and temperature control, …

❖ Chemical Analysis

Laboratory glassware, assorted chemistry supplies, …

❖ Specimen Repository (Fungarium and Herbarium)

• Archival sample containers, permanent slide xatives, storage units, …

❖ Development of Sensor Data Loggers for Unattended Environmental Monitoring

• Electronic Components: e.g., sensors, passive devices, active analog devices, mixed-signal (analog + digital) components, microcontrollers, memory devices, energy harvesting components, energy storage components, data communication modules, …
• Tools and supplies for electronics development, fabrication, packaging and testing

A Resource for Researchers, Educators and the Community

Currently working to incorporate this library into an AI LLM to enable natural-language query and synopsis generation

Initial projects (2017-2018) used to establish TESEL and demonstrate capabilities

❖ Soil Studies and Analyses / Soil Food Web Biology

• What: Collected samples from local forest and wetland areas — Performed physical and biological microscopy analyses
• Why: The soil food web and soil health are foundational to the health of our local ecosystems.

❖ Wetland Studies and Analyses / Freshwater Biology

• What: Collected and identi ed aquatic life (protists, fungi, bryophytes, invertebrates) in local wetlands
• Why: Changes/differences in wetland aquatic biodiversity are key indicators of ecosystem health.

❖ Forest Studies and Analyses / Mycology and Protistology

• What: Found, documented, collected and identi ed voucher specimens for the Colorado Fungi Biodiversity Survey Collected, identi ed and preserved specimens to establish a TESEL Fungarium (>150 specimens)
• Why: Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi (AMF) are keystone species for forest health. The biodiversity, biocomplexity and abundance of saprobic fungi and protists is also of great importance.

❖ Environmental Monitoring using Unattended in situ Sensors

• What: Built and deployed several unattended (autonomous) environmental sensor data loggers
• Why: Begin the process of developing custom, low-cost sensor networks for high-spatiotemporal-resolution data collection (e.g., air temperature and humidity, soil temperature and moisture, solar ux, etc.)

❖ Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for Unattended in situ Environmental Monitoring

• What: Developed a central data logger and remote sensor nodes using LoRa-based data transport Built and deployed a Solar-Powered Sensor Data Logger with LoRaWAN data transport
• Why: WSNs can improve the quantity and value of environmental data while reducing cost.

❖ Temperate Forests and the Colorado Rockies Forest Ecoregion
• Forest Floor and Soil Ecosystems / River, Stream and Pond Ecosystems
– Bacteria (limited), Protists (e.g., Myxomycetes), Fungi, Flora, Microfauna, Meiofauna
• E.g., Protist and Fungal Community Composition and Functional Activity in Forest Soils

❖ High-Elevation Wetlands
• Marsh and Fen Ecosystems
– Bacteria (limited), Protists, Fungi, Flora, Microfauna, Meiofauna (e.g., Meiobenthos)

❖ Environmental Biology
• Protistology, Mycology, Bioremediation (Myco and Phyto), Environmental Microbiology, Microbial Ecology, Field Biology, Sample Collection

❖ Laboratory Methods and Protocols
• Specimen Preparation, Culturing, Microscopy, Identi cation, Specimen Preservation

❖ Unattended, in situ Environmental Monitoring for Sensitive Ecosystems
• Data-Collection Strategies, “Microclimate” Data Collection, Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensor Networks

❖ Small-Scale Renewable Energy Generation and Storage / Sustainable Energy Strategies
• Solar Photovoltaic, Wind and Geothermal