3/21/2018 0 Comments Wednesday: Science is Cool! Volunteering at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest.We visited the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest today! On the way there we got to explore the beautiful Kancamagus Highway, stopping to take a few photos along (and during!) the drive. Established by the US Forest Service within the White Mountain National Forest, this Experimental Forest is an area where scientists can test the effects of logging on water quality. Data from the these experiments has influenced US Forest Service policies that regulate logging in the White Mountains National Forest. We toured the facility and the grounds, checking out the cool devices that scientists use to catch water in the forest as well as the labs where they analyze water quality, and some of the equipment they have to simulate various forest conditions in the outdoors. While we didn't get to see the watersheds in person due to snow conditions, we got to see a model of the control and experimental sites used to test the effect of different logging conditions on a large scale. At Hubbard Brook, the forest doubles as a huge laboratory for all types of interesting and important environmental projects to take place. After eating lunch, we headed out to the archives, where staff has been storing water samples weekly since 1969! The water samples have been used for both long and short-term studies, and the samples were all labeled with information about their chemical compositions and their dates of collection. For our volunteer work, we attempted to help the organize these samples in order to enhance the efficacy of future use. To do this, we stuck barcode labels onto water samples and measured their weight, completing 522 bottles in under 90 minutes! That’s 12 years worth of data! All in all, it was a pretty successful day at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Thanks to everyone that made the experience possible!
-Sean-Wyn Ng
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Mission:We aim to investigate, with our participants, how public lands influence communities and vice versa. To fulfill this mission, we will explore how various issues and politics of conservation, recreation, and development (et cetera) converge in influencing the discussions and social implications of public land use. After this exploration we hope that our participants will gain an appreciation of the role of public land in communities and landscapes, be more informed about the implications of land management decisions, and be able to find ways to continue to engage with this topic at home and on campus. ArchivesCategories |