Senior Thesis Time

At Hartwick College we have a one month term in January called J Term. During this time, senior chemistry majors work on their senior thesis in the lab all day, everyday. I have started posting updates (with photos) on my chemistry geek Tumblr. Check out posts about me thesis here. And if you want to learn more about me in the context of my school work and chemistry, check out these postshttp://chem-geek-love.tumblr.com/tagged/about-me.

Have a wonderful day!

Losing Passion but Finding it Elsewhere

By the end of the fall semester last year, I was starting to lose interest in my schoolwork. My chemistry classes weren’t making enough of a connection to the environment for me and I wasn’t able to find that connection for myself.

I was glad I chose to go on the J Term trip Sustainable Public Policy in Arizona. Not only was the climate and landscape new and exciting, my education was focusing on the environment again. We traveled around Northern Arizona looking at sustainability through the lens of public policy and economics. As I mentioned in my previous post, we looked at sustainability through the lenses of water, immigration, National Parks, and Native Americans. We did a lot of hiking, for which the weather was perfect, and had the opportunity to explore a lot of the natural world in Arizona and see much of it from a great perspective. As a environmental science student, I had taken Environmental Geology and enjoyed relating what I learned in that course to the sustainability of Arizona’s geology, especially in Jerome, a mining town built into the mountainside where they have had a history of buildings sliding down the hill. I absolutely loved traveling to the National Parks and am keeping the National Park Service (NPS) on my list of potential employers for when I am ready to enter the workforce. Check out my photo blog for more stories about and photos from Arizona!

I also learned about the GeoCorps program between the NPS and Geological Society of America (GSA), while attending the GSA North East Regional conference in March with Z (Dr. Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad), my academic advisor. The conference was at the Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire and the snow cover was beautiful. Attending the conference with Z was very exciting for me because I had the opportunity to learn much about the environment from another perspective. I learned that geology is very interesting to me, but even more so I learned that the interface between geology and chemistry interests me. This interest was reinforced by my spring semester classes as well. I took Environmental Chemistry but the lab did not fit into my schedule so I took the geochemistry lab class.

I greatly enjoyed both. Environmental Chemistry took our fundamental chemistry knowledge and showed us how it applied to understanding and protecting the environment. The geochemistry lab was great because it showed me the environment from another perspective and also gave me a chance to share some of my chemistry knowledge with others since geology students don’t get as much of a chemistry background. My geochemical research of the Ouleout Creek also showed me that I enjoy the interface between geology and chemistry. This research also reinforces my idea that I really like to work with water since I enjoy this research and as I have mentioned before, I was excited to sign up for the water presentation when we were in Arizona.

This past spring I also started to move away from my traditional chemistry classes in another direction. I took two more political sciences classes with possible applications to the environment. Dr. Sara Rinfret was the Political Science professor who taught the Arizona class and she was my advisor for my summer internship with Roots & Wisdom last year. I decided to take two of her classes this spring, Regulatory Politics and Policy and Public Policy. If you had asked me in high school if I would ever take a political science class willingly I would have said no. I have learned, though, if you put the right spin on something you can find how to make it interesting to you. If there is a way to look at something with an environmental focus, I can develop a passion for it and find motivation through that passion. By the end of the semester, I enjoyed learning about policies and regulations. I now plan to graduate with a minor in political science. I think it is important for people in the science field to understand the public policy process so they can understand how their research can make a difference; it is also important for policy makers to understand the science relevant to the decisions they will be making. With all this knowledge, I went into my summer internship unsure about where I wanted my future to take me but excited to meet professionals in the environmental field and to learn more about working with a federal agency where environmental policies and regulations are very important.

Sustainable Public Policy in Arizona

Hartwick has a one month term during January called J Term. J Term gives students who may not otherwise have the opportunity the chance to study abroad. As much as I would like to travel somewhere abroad for the experience, I chose to study in Arizona this J Term. The class focuses on Sustainable Public Policy in Arizona. Even though I won't be going abroad, I will still get to experience different cultures and climates. The most interesting aspect of experiencing these difference is that they are still part of the country I live in. Other than a trip to Niagara Fall, Canada, and a trip to Puerto Rico, I have not left the East coast of the Continental U.S.

We fly to Phoenix on Saturday. While in Arizona, we will be learning through the lens of sustainability. Three key approaches to sustainability that we will use are water, immigration (cross boarder migration as Dr. Malone calls it), National Parks, and Native Americans. We had a mini prep class this week on campus. While completing the first reading assignment, which was about sustainability, I already started to get excited about this course. Prepping for this class has reminded me how much sustainability and environmental policy applies to me. I was able to link some of what we are learning in this class to the Environmental Politics and Policy course I took as well as Environmental Geology.

During our time in Arizona, we will travel from Phoenix to Jerome, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Camp Verde, and back to Scottsdale. We will hike much and meet many different experts. Our assignments for this trip include an outline for our presentation about a specific topic or issue in Arizona, a photo story presentation that represent the meaning a sustainability to us, and a reflective journal. I choice to present on "Contemporary Water Policy Issues and Concerns in the Grand Canyon." My partner, Sam, and I will decide how to approach sustainability in our photo story, but she mentioned focusing on water there as well. For our journals, we need to reflect upon what we learn each day and link it to sustainability and our readings. Some days, we will have free time to explore our interests on our own but Dr. Rinfret and Dr. Malone may give us a topic to think about while we are out and to reflect upon in our journals for the day.

I think this course will be very exciting, educational, and beneficial to all who are participating in it. I am waiting until next week to make my final decision for which EPA projects to interview. I choose three projects and will conduct phone interviews and eventually choose where I will be this summer. The environmental justice programs appeal most to me, but some of the projects with a research experiment component also appeal to me too. I think some experience with public policy in Arizona may influence my choice.

Happy New Year everyone! Look out for more posts about Arizona and sustainability soon.

Preliminary Fieldwork

Last Thursday, Dr. Z. and I conducted preliminary fieldwork for my Geochemistry study of the Ouleout Creek. We drove along the whole creek and made some initial observations. Dr. Z. also taught me how to use the multiprobe and how to collect water samples. We collected five samples total and collected data from the probe at four of the sites; the water velocity was too fast at one site to keep the probe safe and take an accurate reading. At each site we also recorded our geographic coordinates and elevation.

I really enjoyed going out into the field and collecting samples even though the weather was cold and rainy. We observed that the creek contains much reddish colored suspended sediment just above the Sydney reservoir and below it down to the mouth of the creek. We sampled in three locations above the reservoir; one sample came from the Ouleout Creek and two came from its main tributaries, the East Handsome and Treadwell Creek. The water was much clearer at these three sites. I will most likely research what could be causing the difference in sediment load and what effect the sediment load could be having on the water chemistry. We won't be going into the field again until the spring.

On Monday, I filtered my samples. I stored the filter paper in petri dishes. The filtered water from each site was separated into three smaller bottles. One bottle was simply refrigerated, one was frozen to preserve the anions, and the last was acidified and stored at room temperature to preserve the cations. The two samples taken below the reservoir took a very long time to filter. Other than the long wait for those samples, I really enjoyed filtering and preserving the samples, especially since the lab work was done independently for a personal research project. I was also proud of myself for realizing the first sample that took a while to filter was taking so much longer than the first two because it had much more sediment in it.

My next steps will be to start researching the geological background of the area. I will analyze my preliminary water samples after conducting some background research and constructing some hypotheses from that research. In the spring, I will develop a more complex sampling site map and hopefully start an investigation with a focused goal.

Daily Star Newspaper Story - Fellowship

Hartwick junior earns EPA fellowship
The local Oneonta Newspaper, the Daily Star posted a shortened version of the story of my fellowship today. This is very exciting! I will have to pick up a copy of the paper today so I can cut out the story and keep it. Again, I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity to work with the EPA!

Hartwick-Hartwick Student Receives Prestigious EPA Fellowship

Hartwick-Hartwick Student Receives Prestigious EPA Fellowship

The above link will bring you to the page on the Hartwick website that contains a news piece about me. The news piece discusses the EPA GRO Fellowship I have been awarded, what it entails, and accomplishments I have so far. The Fellowship is awarded to a maximum of 40 college juniors nationwide each year, provides support for academics and research and requires the student to perform research for their junior and senior year and to complete a summer fellowship with an EPA facility.

My research will be based around the geochemistry of a small creek that is part of the Susquehanna River Shed. My advisor, Dr. Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad informed me yesterday that the U.S. Geological Survey has not done any studies in this creek so my research will be all original research! I am very excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity!

It Has Been A While - Internship Reflection

Hello, everyone!

Wow, it has been a while since I have posted a blog entry. I apologize. As soon as my summer internship ended, I went camping for a week end then had about a week to pack and get ready to come back to school. I had training for my position as  a Blue Key Tour Guide, then I volunteered for Welcome Weekend and then classes started. This semester is going well so far. I am taking Environmental Geology, Ecology, and Instrumental Analysis which is a 400 level Chemistry course. I love how I can find connections and overlap between my classes, especially Ecology and Environmental Geology, I won't talk about that overlap now, but maybe I will at another time.

So I didn't end up posting as much about my internship I thought I would. The day-to-day activities were not  very interesting and I had to write a journal every day in order to receive academic credit. The journal entries were too long to post here and focused on my daily tasks which wouldn't be too interesting for you to read. I have decided to post my final reflection however so you can know more about how my internship was. I had a really great experience this summer! I always enjoy my time with Roots & Wisdom.

            This summer internship was a great opportunity for me. I was able to try my hand in many different aspects of the Roots & Wisdom program. I really enjoyed working behind the scenes and being more involved in outreach. Debbie and I both agree I did much more than I thought I would be doing this summer, but I did more in a good way. I was exposed to many things and learned much about the program, non-profits in general, and about myself.            During the first week of my internship, I wasn’t really sure what I would be doing this summer other than helping organize and host events in the garden. I was just getting the feel of the office and the internship position. I started to learn slowly from the fundraising book, Fundraising for Dummies, and by going through Chris’s old documents. It was good to be familiarized with the program again and to have the garden party event to think about right away. During the second week, I learned more about fundraising, how to plan an event, and how to work on the presentation of a gift. I also learned that my networking background from the PSGE Center Link Programs is very useful and that I can mingle well. The biggest lesson I learned that week was that I could increase my attention to detail since I spelled some names incorrectly on the envelopes I was addressing.            I was very busy in the office during the third and fourth weeks of my internship, too. I learned how to navigate online newsletter templates and improved my design/presentations skills further. I also worked on advertisements for certain events and programs. One of the greatest experiences during those weeks was to take part in the Strategic Alliance for Health Coalition meetings. I learned more about my county and more importantly about other possible career opportunities related to the topics I loved learning about through the Roots & Wisdom program as a youth worker. I also practiced my attention to detail more with the start of donor list, and I was re-familiarized with the program through the crew leader training sessions I attended.            After the first four weeks of my internship, the youth program started. At first, I was still working in the office most of the time. However, as the summer went on, I was in the garden much more often for events and the planning processes for events and programs. We had many types of visitors and performed many types of activities this summer.            Through working with the youth, I learned to have patience. I also learned that I will always love working with people. I am a social person and I love talking about what I do and what matters to me. I enjoyed welcoming guests to the garden and also going out and giving flyers to people and telling them why they should shop at a farmers market. I now know that I can work well in an office setting but would prefer a mix of office work and some sort of field work/promotional work with the public. I also feel that working in a laboratory would be the wrong setting for me, but I enjoy knowing the scientific facts that support the arguments for certain environmental causes.
            Sustainable agriculture, food justice, and personal and environmental health through agriculture have always interested me. I know I want to do work along the lines of promoting sustainable food options or supporting, creating, and/or publicizing policies that can make a positive difference in our world. This internship has helped me narrow down my passions for a career. This internship has also taught me what workplace values are important to me. I like to keep busy, I like to work on the computer, I like to design outreach materials, I like to work with social media, I enjoy working in an office, but I also really enjoy talking to people. One-on-one, in-person communication can make a huge impact on someone especially when coming from young people.            I have many great foundations for skills including communication and networking skills. I can be adaptable in my day-to-day work. I also am very organized and get things done in a timely manner. The most important thing I have learned from this internship is something I have been slowly learning at school. What you learn in the classroom is just the beginning of your education. Being able to apply the knowledge you learn is the most important aspect of learning. I believe the most important aspect of college is to learn outside the classroom. I am glad I took advantage of this internship opportunity and the link program opportunities I have participated in so far. I believe the most important part of college is discovering who you are and taking advantage of every opportunity you have to do just that. Whether you are discovering what to major in, what career path to follow, or just what type of work environment is best for you, college is where you can discover who you are.
            I have loved all of my experiences with Roots & Wisdom and I am so grateful for them. I don’t think I want to work with a program like that again. Not right away, anyway. I wouldn't mind volunteering in a community garden, but I want to expand my knowledge and expand the experiences I have. I want to try new things within the environmental field and find the specific area that fits me. After interning with Roots & Wisdom, I believe the sustainability and policy areas are what will call to me and I now know what type of work environment would be ideal. This internship was an amazing opportunity for me and I hope that I do receive the EPA award and have another positive learning experience next summer.

Greenhorn Radio Interview

To anyone who has been following my posts, sorry it has been such a long time since I have posted. I have been busy with my internship and enjoying time with friends. As I have been working, I feel posting few larger posts about my internship may be a better choice. I don;t want to bore anyone with all the little details. In the meantime, I have a radio broadcast to share.

Back in February, I was interviewed for a radio broadcast for Greenhorn Radio.

Greenhorn Radio is radio for young farmers, by young farmers. Helmed by acclaimed activist, farmer, and documentarian Severine Fleming, Greenhorn Radio is a weekly phone interview session, surveying America's cutting edge, under-forty farmers." The interview was set up through Roots & Wisdom. I described the program, my experience with it, my recycling internship and pilot study, youth in agriculture in general, and my future plans to work with the environment.

You can listen to the approximately 25 minute interview here.

An Orchard in Schenectady?

Roots & Wisdom is looking to change the face of its Vale Cemetery garden site!

Summer 2011 Special Events Crew weeding at the 

garden site in Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, New York.

The Vale Cemetery site is listed on the National Historic Register and contains lakes, wildflowers, and a wildlife habitat in addition to our Roots & Wisdom garden. Vale is a wonderful green space that runs along 15 blocks in the middle of the city of Schenectady. The public uses it for running, cycling, family picnics, and other outdoor activities.

Edy’s Fruit Bars is sponsoring the Communities Take Root site (http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/). They want to bring fresh fruit to neighborhoods across the country. Five winners have already been chosen and they will be giving out the awards to 17 lucky organizations. Roots & Wisdom is trying to procure the resources to start an orchard in Vale Cemetery, but we need your help.

  

Please go to the site above and vote for Roots & Wisdom! You must register your email address to vote, but those of us who have already voted have not received any junk mail from the site or company. You could even receive a one-dollar coupon for Edy’s Fruit Bars. Anyone can vote multiple times just not more than once a day. Please help by voting when you have some free time. As always, Roots & Wisdom really appreciates any support!

Annual Roots & Wisdom Garden Party

The green roof pavilion recently construct with much help from GE 

employees who support the Roots & Wisdom program. The pavilion 

replaced the large white tent used during the summer to keep 

the youth and guests dry and out of the sun.

            The Annual Garden Party was last night. We were celebrating the seventh growing season of the Roots & Wisdom program and the construction of the new green roof pavilion. I worked during the afternoon and evening to set up for the party. On my way to the garden I picked up the balloon order and a bag of ice from Price Chopper. Debbie and I set up the tables, drinks, and decorations together. And I display for the thank you gifts. The gifts were for the six people who played the most important roles in funding and building the new green roof pavilion, which replaced the big white tent we used for shade and to keep the rain off during the summer program.

For most of the party, I worked the sign-in/registration table. I checked people off the guest list and asked them to make nametags. I also collected any donations people wanted to make. I mingled with people as they came in. Many asked why I was working with the program and how it had impacted me. It was great to see how excited they were to hear from a program participant.

When there was no one checking in, I passed the time talking to Sarah. Sarah was a youth participant with me during 2008 and 2009, she volunteered with us last summer, and she is currently the assistant grower and will be the Children’s Garden Director during this year’s summer program. She and I are examples of how the program just keeps bringing people back because of its great impact on the youth. Sarah is one of the life-long friends I have made as a result of participating in Roots & Wisdom. We both chose our career paths based on our experiences in the garden and were talking about different career plans and job opportunities we knew about. We can be great resources for each other.

Halfway through the night, we had the speech portion of the program. Debbie welcomed everyone and thanked them for coming. She introduced Jenny who said a few words about the program and what it means to her and she discussed the importance of the college-aged leadership team. Then Jenny introduced Sarah who gave a great speech about listening to one of her ninth grade teachers talking about his perfect day. His perfect day would be spent in the garden, walking among his plants, and being able to eat an apricot off the tree. Sarah said she thought what he said was crazy when she first heard the story but, after working with Roots & Wisdom, she understood exactly what he meant and agreed with his idea of a perfect day. Then, Debbie talked about the new green roof pavilion and thanked those people who had a key role in funding and building the pavilion. While she spoke about each person, I handed out their gifts. We wrapped up the speech portion with a few quick words from Terresa Bakner, the Director of the Board of Trustees of Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Debbie gave a few closing words of thanks. Form the audience, Chris also had us recognize Debbie and all her great work.

The party was a great success. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we raised a decent amount of money. I enjoyed greeting the guests and talking to them. I love sharing how important the program has been to me. Roots & Wisdom helped break me out of my shell, exposed me to diversity, introduced me to some amazing life-long friends, one of them is my college roommate, and influenced my career path in a way I never could have imagined. If I had not worked at Roots & Wisdom, I really do not know what I would be doing with my life. I wouldn’t possess the same passion and ambition I have to work with the environment and to share my knowledge with everyone.

The gifts I designed for the key people in making the 

green roof pavilion a possibility whether it was 

through funding, organizing, designing, or building. 

Thank you so much to everyone for supporting Roots & Wisdom!