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Phil Druker/ Department of English/ UI English317 |
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Proposal Sample Phil Druker/Dept. of English/UI Here is a sample proposal that a student wrote for the Environmental Writing course wrote in 2001. It's a good sample. Notes are in green. Also
check the proposal outline, which this sample
follows. Proposal
for an Article on Yellow Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) entitled Stars
with Spines: The War on Yellow Starthistle I. INTRODUCTIONA. Background -- she used her "place piece" + some new information for this sectionThe tough spines of yet another yellow starthistle blossom work through the seams of my leather gloves, biting into my hand. With a yelp, I cringe and yank my hand away, freeing it from the bite of the snake in weed’s clothing. I glare murderously at the plant, its silver-green stems, with their little shriveled flanges and minute leaves, fried to a crispy gray by the summer sun. Even now, in mid-October, the sun’s rays are bright and warm, spilling out of a hazy sky and teasing beads of sweat to my skin after only a half-an-hour of bending an pulling. Hardly eager to dare the sting of star thistle again, I straighten my spine and glance over my shoulder, taking a moment’s respite to gaze at my surroundings. Behind me the visitor’s center and museum wavers in the heat waves rising from the parking lot. The brown entrance sign stands between the lot and the well-used highway, welcoming visitors to the Spalding Site. One of over 20 sites within the Nez Perce National Historic Park, the Spalding site lies only a few miles west of Lapwai, Idaho, on a terrace above the Clearwater River. Shifting my gaze away from the visitor’s center, I catch a glimpse of the emerald-green canopy of trees just beyond the low, gray building, the only hint of the lush, regularly watered park I would get. The Clearwater River is a ribbon of glitter, beckoning to me and my crewmates without remorse. The north Idaho hills cradle the field where we work on the floodplain above the river, their eroded slopes rising gently with the occasional craggy outcropping of dark basalt. The hillsides, like the yellow star thistle at my feet, were scorched yellow, brown and gray by mid-July of this year. Now there isn’t a sprig of green to be seen, save for a few ponderosa pines. There is only the golds and russets of dried grass and teasel, and the brown and red of the occasional gnarled hawthorn grove. The Clearwater Valley, for all its stark aridity, contains its own beauty. It has seen the Nez Perce migrations, the passage of Lewis and Clark and the settlement of pioneers, miners, and loggers. But now it is under attack. Heaving a sigh, I turn my attention away from the hillsides in their cloth of gold and the river in its gown of gilt sunlight. Around me, the fifteen members of my crew are taking a similar moment to rest before slogging back into the endless plantation of yellow starthistle the Park has hired us to eradicate. As members of the Nez Perce Salmon Corps, our mission is the restoration of salmon and riparian areas by planting trees, building fences, and monitoring stream and water quality. Many of us have only been with the Corps for a couple of weeks, myself included. I have tackled this task with the same enthusiasm as I did our last contract, which was building fence for the Asotin County Conservation District. Proudly wielding my new leather gloves and a heavy-duty garbage bag, I waded barely an hour ago into this field of yellow starthistle, intent on single-handedly wiping out the entire patch. I remembered clearly what I had learned in my noxious weed classes: yellow starthistle and all of its invasive brethren had escaped from gardens or ships bringing them from far-off lands. Having escaped, they found they liked their new freedom from natural predators and natural deterrants. They became weeds, smothering millions of acres. They drove out native vegetation, native wildlife, and threatened even the other immigrants, humans and domestic livestock. Just the thought of how much ground had been lost to these invaders made me pull my gloves on again and turn to survey the area, proud of the large swath I had picked by my own hand. Yet, in looking at it, I realize it is not nearly so large as I thought. Hardly the dozen foot-wide patch I had imagined…the clear space was more like three feet. There is still so much more to accomplish, not only in the field stretching out around me…but all over Idaho and the United States. Momentarily, my determination is replaced by a sense of helplessness. Shaking my head, I bend down again, reaching with more care for the yellow star-thistle closest to me, its tuft of seeds crowned with more of the inch-long yellow spines that gave it its name. Weed by weed, I enlarge the space around me, making sure that every last fluff of seed makes it into the garbage bag. With practice the process becomes repetitive and the beginning of an ache flares in my lower back. Bend over, grab the weed near the roots, pluck it carefully, shove it into the garbage bag before any seeds escape. The black plastic bags are nearly smoldering under the sun’s glare. Between the heat that softens and the spines that shred, it isn’t long before several long tears materialize in the bags. Frustration and irritation increase as I march back to our pick-up to get another bag. Hopefully one bag inside the other will prove adequate protection, otherwise the seeds will simply escape through the holes. Pausing beside the truck to take a drink of water, I glance back to survey the expanse of starthistle again. The field will be burned later, my crewleader informed me that morning as we began work. It may even be treated with chemicals, if necessary. One might wonder if all this back-breaking work is worth it. But the approach my crew and I are taking is one of the most thorough ways of eradicating this nasty weed. Only by removing each little seed will we prove victorious. And like any seasoned soldiers, my crew and I have learned the quickest, most efficient way to dispatch of the enemy. This is, after all, war. And I intend to win the battle and the war. B. Problem Statement --
keep this section short and just state a problem that your final article will
solve (the first ideas here are a little general). Yellow starthistle has spread across millions of acres of American soil, and it continues to multiply at a frightening rate. The general public is in the best position to recognize, prevent and combat this noxious weed. As such, this article targets them, specifically residents of the North Central region of Idaho. It is intended to offer a basic background of the weed’s history, the threats it poses and to answer this question: What local solutions are available to the impacts yellow starthistle is having in the Clearwater Valley and its surrounding region? II. SOLUTIONA. ObjectivesThesis: Awareness and prevention are the best remedies to the yellow starthistle epidemic. There are measures that everyone can take to stop this weed in its tracks. Objectives: The purpose of this article is to increase public awareness of the threat posed by yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), an invasive plant designated as a noxious weed in Idaho. By educating the public, prevention will be easier and more efficient. With careful vigilance, eradication is made possible by the available solutions. Since this article is directed at residents of Idaho, specifically the North Central region, an Idaho-based magazine would be the best choice when seeking publication. High Country News, Talking River Review or another similar periodical may be among the best choices. A shorter version might even be of interest to the Lewiston Morning Tribune, especially if it was printed in sections. OUTLINE: -- list specific topics you plan to cover in the final article I.
Introduction
II. History of yellow starthistle A. Its origin B. First arrival in U.S. C. History of its spread, especially in Idaho III.
Threats posed by yellow
starthistle
A.
To people B.
To animals, domestic and wild C.
To the land and natural vegetation IV.
Solutions
A.
Manual B.
Fire C.
Chemical D.
Biological V.
What
Everyone Can/Should Do
VI.
Conclusion
B. Scope This
article has a special focus on Idaho’s Clearwater Valley and the surrounding
region. C. Methods--list sources you plan to use I hope to interview Dr. Lawrence W. Lass, a research scientist at the University of Idaho in the Dept. of Plant, Soil and Entomological Sciences. Other interviews may be conducted. I will also refer to the following journal articles: 1)
Sun, Mei. 1997. Population genetic structure of yellow starthistle (Centaurea
solstitialis), a colonizing weed in the western United States. Canadian
Journal of Botany, 75, 1470-78. --use
correct bibliographic form This article summarizes a study that was conducted to determine the genetic variability between different populations of yellow starthistle. An understanding of the genetic structure of the weed populations may enable us to understand this species’ ability to colonize such diverse environments so quickly. This understanding may help promote effective biological controls. --summarize the article (main point, main ideas, conclusions) <see information on writing this summary> This article provides me with a basic background on how and when yellow starthistle first invaded North America and how it has spread since then. This complements the section on history and also the effects colonization has on the solutions available.--evaluate the article in terms of your objectives 2)
Benefield, C. B., DiTomaso, J. M. and Kyser, G. B. 2001. Reproductive biology of
yellow starthistle: maximizing late-season control. Weed Science, 49(1),
83-90. This article summarizes some of the threats that yellow starthistle poses, along with some of the ways we are attempting to combat it. It provides basic background for my article. 3)
Sterling, T. M., Lownds, N. K. and Murray, L. W. 2001. Picloram-resistant and
–susceptible yellow starthistle accessions have similar competitive ability. Weed
Science, 49, 42-47. This article provides background on the history of yellow starthistle and the use and effectiveness of herbicides in controlling noxious weeds. Herbicides and chemical controls are a hefty, but controversial part of fighting yellow starthistle. This provides good background for that section under solutions. 4)
Roché, C. T. and Thill, D. C. 2001. Biology of common crupina and yellow
starthistle, two Mediterranean winter annual invaders in western North America. Weed
Science, 49, 439-447. This article is a valuable resource to draw on for general background on history, biology and ecology of yellow starthistle. One of the authors and much of the information is very locally oriented, which makes it even more relevant. 5) Enserink, M. 1999. Biological invaders sweep in. Science, 285(5435), 1834-1838. This article covers not only the invasion of yellow starthistle, but countless other biological invaders, from mites to weeds. It provides some basic background for the history section, but also a larger overall picture for me of the critical pace of invasion by invasive species. 6) Lowry, J. L. (1999). Plants out of place. Earth Island Journal, 41(2), 26. This article provides a personal narrative on one woman’s experience dealing with noxious weeds and a conference she attended on their impacts. Includes how gardening practices affect noxious weed spread. 7)
Wood, M. (1993). Weed-eating insects take the starthistle challenge. Agricultural
Research, 41(7), 10-12. III. CREDENTIALS--list experience and courses taken that qualify you to write the article.I worked for the Nez Perce Salmon Corps from October 1998 until August 1999, during which I attended a class on the different types of noxious weeds prevalent in Idaho. Beyond individual species awareness, I also learned the different methods being used to fight them, including biological controls. I took part in a short field trip in which we captured and identified several of the weevils recently released to combat yellow starthistle. I also gained experience with yellow starthistle working for the Nez Perce National Historical Park and the Nez Perce Tribe in removing noxious weeds. As a junior in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, I have taken Biology and Ecology. IV. CONCLUSION--justify
the need for writing the article I urge you to accept my proposal for this article on yellow starthistle because I believe it to be one of the most effective ways of reaching a large number of people. Written to inform, yet also entertain, it will provide all the background one will need to understand the threat yellow starthistle poses to us and our lands. This is a silent scourge moving in with alarming speed. Only by educating the public and providing actively for prevention efforts will we be able to stop the invasion of yellow starthistle. This article will provide both the background and the solutions at hand. Having read it, the reader will be able to go out immediately and begin applying what s/he has learned on his own property, or share it with his/her friends. V. REFERENCES--cite sources you used to write the proposalBenefield, C. B., DiTomaso, J.
M. and Kyser, G. B. 2001. Reproductive biology of yellow
starthistle: maximizing late-season control. Weed Science, 49(1), 83-90. Stelljes, K. B. (1999). Weevil
gets upper hand with unruly weed. Agricultural Research, 47(2), 22. Sun, Mei. 1997. Population
genetic structure of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis),a colonizing
weed in the western United States. Canadian Journal of Botany, 75,
1470-78. Wood, M. (1993). Weed-eating insects take the starthistle challenge. Agricultural Research, 41(7), 10-12. |