Welcome to the Plant and Earth Science Department

...where students LIVE education.

Message from the Department Chair

Don TaylorGreetings, Prospective Students!

Welcome to a department where teaching is our top priority. From the moment you arrive on campus, our faculty take a personal interest in your educational progress. We strive to bring interactive and engaging experiences to the classroom and beyond.  

With six different majors and various minors, we provide unique interdisciplinary opportunities and collaborations across unusual boundaries. From Geology to Environmental Science, Conservation to Horticulture, and Community planning to Crop and Soil Science... we hope you will find the career path that is right for you. 

We welcome you to campus, and encourage you to meet with us and tour our facilities. Should you have questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Regards,

Donavon Taylor
Chair, Department of Plant and Earth Science
donavon.h.taylor@uwrf.edu

 

View our Program Highlights

Here are just a few things our program offers:

  • Engaged, student-centered faculty - Five of our faculty members have received the Outstanding Teacher in the College Award and one that has received the University's Wertz Award for innovative teaching.
  • Opportunities for individualized research projects - Numerous students have presented research results at local, regional and national meetings.
  • Access to excellent facilities - Our facilities provide an environment for rich, hands-on learning experiences. We have two laboratory farms, greenhouse, specialized teaching and research labs, the South Fork of the Kinnickinnic River and bordering wetlands and natural areas flowing through campus. 
  • Active student organizations - Seven student clubs are associated with majors in our department with numerous other related clubs of interest.
  • Extensive internship opportunities - A well-established internship program allows student to choose from a variety of available internships related to their major.
  • A field-oriented teaching philosophy - Laboratories and field experiences are central to the education of students in all of our majors.

Click the "Majors" links below to learn more about our programs.
Full degree requirements can be found in the University Catalog.

Majors Minors

Community Planning
(Formerly Land Use Planning)

Community Planning
(Formerly Land Use Planning)

Conservation

Conservation

Crop and Soil Science

• Crop Science Option
• Soil Science Option
• Sustainable Agriculture Option

Crop Science

Soil Science

Environmental Science

Sustainability Studies

Geology

• Environmental/ Engineering Emphasis
• Environmental/ Hydrogeology Emphasis
• Graduate School Emphasis
• Mineral Exploration Emphasis
• Ocean Sciences Emphasis
• Paleontology Emphasis
• Petroleum Geology Emphasis

Earth Science

Geology

Hydrogeology

Horticulture

• Professional Horticulture Option
• Landscape Design & Contracting Option

Horticulture

 

PES News

Students Haily Henderson, Abby Johnson, Mitch Salszwedel, Bayli Maliszewski, Nate Hankes, Anne Struffert, Rob Wayne, Caleb Riedeman, Austin Haag, and Nicky Broeske competed in the NACTA Soil Judging Competition in Lubbock, Texas, April 1-6. The team placed 4th overall! Great job!

Congrats to seven students in the horticulture studies program who all received scholarships co-sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Foundation! Read more herelink

Congrats to the student members, faculty, and alumni of SALSA (Student Alliance for Local and Sustainable Agriculture) who attended the 24th Annual MOSES Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse!

Brooke Gasteyer, senior horticulture major, was awarded the Markham-Colegrave International Scholarship by the American Floral Endowment and the David Colegrave Foundation to study horticulture in Germany. She is interning at Gärtnerei Umbach, wholesale nursery in Heilbronn, Germany. Congratulations! Read full storylink

David Zlesak, assistant professor of Horticulture, along with 8 students went to the 40th annual Mid-American Collegiate Horticultural Society meeting in Brookings, SD. The team of students came in third overall. Jesse Read won second for overall knowledge and herbaceous plant identification. Lindsay Heggemeyer won third for woody plant identification. Scott Dzimian won third for herbaceous plant identification. Read more herelink

View Bill Cordua's Rock Talk video's on Channel 16 RFC-TV, Tuesday mornings at 9 a.m. or view all episodeslink online.

University of Wisconsin-River Falls
410 S. 3rd Street, River Falls WI 54022 USA
Campus Information 715-425-3911