MNR Proposal & Capstone Project
The MNR Capstone project is intended to showcase the student's interdisciplinary knowledge of the MNR's core learning objectives. Click on the links below to view guidelines, and some examples of past students' projects.
Proposal Guidelines
Your capstone proposal should be a well-written document that provides your committee members with sufficient information to understand and evaluate your plans for your capstone project. The proposal is an avenue for you to clearly define your project, receive feedback from your committee members, negotiate expectations for what the final capstone report will include, and establish a work plan. A well-written proposal can usually be adapted to become the introduction and methods section of your final capstone report.
We encourage you to review the MNR Capstone Report Guidance as you develop this proposal. The guidance document will provide you with a better understanding of our expectations for your capstone project and final report. Proposal Guidance
Capstone Guidelines
The MNR capstone report is the formal documentation of your capstone project. It focuses on your capstone topic, describing the work you have undertaken. There are two primary purposes for your capstone report. The first is to present the findings of your study to your graduate committee, your agency or organization, and the scientific community if appropriate. The second is to demonstrate your interdisciplinary knowledge of the MNR’s core learning objectives, and your ability to synthesize and apply them to a specific problem.
We encourage you to review the MNR Capstone Guidance as you develop your capstone. The guidance document will provide you with a better understanding of our expectations for your capstone project and final report. Capstone Report Guidance
Proposal Examples
Capstone Examples
- Erin Anzalone - "Community Supported Agriculture at Indian Creek Nature Center's Sugar Grove Farm: Sustainable Farming for Iowa"
- Chris Binder - "Mountain Bike Use on the Tahoe Rim Trail: An Analysis of Management Practices in Restricted Use Areas"
- George Broyles - "Wildland Firefighter Smoke Exposure Study"
- Clint Brunson - "Evaluating the Effect of the Removal of Non-Native Trout in Two High Elevation Tributary Streams in the Intermountain West"
- Wyatt Bubak - "The Perception of Utah Division of Wildlife Resource's Law Enforcement by Loca, County and Municipal Law Enforcement Agencies"
- Angelique Curtis - "Efficacy of Travel Management Areas for Reducing Disturbance to Mule Deer During Hunting Seasons"
- Jason Cox - "The Relationship of Bulbous Bluegrass and Big Sagebrush in Utah"
- Alex Hansen - "A Pre-Paving Baseline Inventory of Vehicle-Related Mortality on Mule Deer along, Seep Ridge Road, Book Cliffs, Utah"
- Ashly Herrera -"Interactions between Rocky Mtn Bighorn Sheep and Domestic Sheep and Implications on USDA Forest Service Lands in Evanston/Mt. View Ranger District"
- Daniel Keller - "Effects of Flooding and Tamarisk Removal on Habitat for Sensitive Fish Species in the San Rafael River, UT: Implications for Future Restoration Efforts"
- Ryan Leary - "Landscape and Habitat Attributes Influencing Beaver Distribution"
- Jeran Farley - "Street Tree Diversification and Location Considerations"
- Karen Mendenhall - "Assessing Variation in Air Quality Perception: A Case Study in Utah"
- Kevin Turnblom - "Private Forests in the Wildland-Urban Interface: Using GIS to Identify Management Challenges in Eastern Washington"
- Lindsey Washkoviak - Understanding Wetlands and Irrigation in the Little Snake River Basin, Wyoming
- Matthew Richards - "From Disaster to Sustainability: The Story of Pacific Groundfish Fishery"