I had been thinking/dreaming/stressing about arriving in
Menomonie to begin working with the LAKES REU program for weeks and was so
thrilled to FINALLY make it here! I have never visited the northwest and couldn’t
help but obsessively google images or ask my (surprisingly plentiful) Wisconsin
friends what it is like, but Menomonie has certainly exceeded my expectations.
When imagining the northwest, my mind conjured up pictures of wide open
expanses filled with corn and cows, few people meandering about, and certainly
no conveniently located grocery stores. I was pleasantly surprised to find a
very similar college town to the one where I live in Massachusetts, if not
better because the influx of students has dwindled.
My favorite finding about Menomonie
is that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is extremely kind and willing to strike
up a conversation. A lot of people are familiar with the LAKES REU program and
are very encouraging and enthusiastic about the work that we do, and those who
aren’t familiar are sincerely interested in hearing more about it and giving
input on what they have noticed about the watershed. I’m excited by the
meetings I have been able to attend thus far, including the Red Cedar Watershed
Quality Partnership meeting and the Tainter Menomin Lake Improvement
Association, Inc. meeting. I am so impressed and charmed by the dedication community
members have taken in caring for their resources, and I felt extremely welcomed
by both groups. I had yet to witness such a close-knit and caring community as
the one I have found in Menomonie.
The lake itself has been surprisingly
beautiful since I have arrived, which I’ve been told is due to the extreme
amount of rain that Menomonie has been receiving. I think it will benefit my
research to be able to see the transition from the lovely and clear blue lake
today to the algal and smelly lake as the summer progresses. Lucky for me, a
fellow REU student and I had a quick swim the other day and were able to fully
enjoy the clean lake time that we have been given! A person walking by to go
fishing jokingly told us we were crazy, but the water is so beautiful these
past few days that it’s hard to say no! I was definitely surprised by the lack
of lake recreation, but I suppose for locals who have experienced the lake in
all of its smelly glory have been turned off swimming for good. It will be an
interesting progression to witness for sure!
In terms of the LAKES REU project
itself, I am very happy so far! All of the students and mentors are friendly, dedicated,
and passionate about their fields. I can tell that we are all going to produce
some wonderful research this summer and I am beyond excited! My mentor, Nels
Paulson, is very encouraging and patient with the development of our
independent research questions, and has been very thorough with catching my
partner Elise and I up on the research that has been done so far and on
teaching us about the software and theories we will need to have a successful
summer. I was expecting to perhaps feel a bit more overwhelmed during this
first week, but it goes to show what an amazing team I will be working with
that I feel pure excitement and anticipation to get working! I am extremely
grateful to have been given this opportunity and I plan on getting as much out
of it as I can! Thank you for the amazing welcome, Menomonie!
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