If there is one thing that I have learned to be true, it is
that most problems need to be solved using an interdisciplinary approach. In
fact, the reason I applied for the LAKES REU program is because of how
interdisciplinary it is: economics, sociology, geography, biology and
anthropology all working together to improve water quality in the Red Cedar
Watershed. It is interesting how solitary all of these disciplines seem until
you begin to tackle one project together. Elise and I are on the sociology team
and have been administering a survey to farmers to learn more about their
agricultural practices, values, and networks of how agricultural knowledge is
shared in the area. However, a lot of this information needs more background.
Luckily, a lot of my questions that naturally arise from this project can be
answered by my peers. From the economics standpoint, how do farmers afford to transition
from traditional practices to conservation agriculture? Biologically, how can
phosphorus pollution be mitigated? Anthropologically, how do people remember
water quality changing throughout the years? These, and MANY other questions
are being explored by the diverse backgrounds on our team.
Because of
these questions that transverse disciplines, we are encouraged to spend a few
days working with other teams. I had a very enjoyable day helping the biology
team, Sarah and Bailey, set up rafts with floating plants to explore if these
plants can utilize phosphorus from the lake. It was wonderful to be able to get
outside and see first hand the effects of runoff on the water quality. However,
the team that I have worked most closely with is one of the economic teams,
Ryleigh and Madison. Ryleigh and Madison are exploring the economic impacts of
tourism and asking questions about spending patterns by visitors and how a
cleaner lake would be able to benefit the local economy.
Elise and I spent two days with Ryleigh
and Madison surveying tourists in Chetek, a town with a beautifully clean lake
and booming tourism. The first day that we surveyed was the fourth of July, and
we set up a table with surveys and free popsicles during the parade. We had a
few curious people (and many popsicle lovers) but once the parade started the
focus was understandably elsewhere. The second day, we set up the table at the
Hydroflights show, a great attraction for locals and tourists alike. People
were very generous with their time and willing to take the survey and show
interest in the overall project…very encouraging! Ryleigh and Madison also
spent the morning collecting surveys that they had dropped off at local resorts
in an effort to collect as many data as possible before we spend the next few
weeks on analysis.
This work is very beneficial to our
sociology project in many ways. First, we are able to explore a different way
of surveying (Elise and I have driven door to door or done phone calls to speak
with different farmers rather than set up booths) and thus were able to speak
to a different demographic of people. Secondly, keeping economics in mind is
important both because the idea of bolstering the local economy gives extra
motivation to the overall project goals, and because money can often be a
limiting factor in terms of what changes farmers can make. As a long term
benefit to my higher education goals, I am realizing how vital
interdisciplinary work is in order to see the whole picture. I know that this
project will forever serve as an example of teamwork and collaboration to solve
real world issues and I am inspired to continue working on such important
projects in the future.
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