Learning the Ways of the Watershed

Two weeks ago, we began the LAKES experience by visiting a farm to understand the problems of runoff and fertilizer use in the region. We then went on a pontoon ride on Lake Menomin to experience the water first hand. Finally, this past Friday, the entire LAKES group canoed down the Red Cedar River together to experience the final stage of the water pollution problem that the region faces. Although the water was fairly clear and we were able to swim, we were given the opportunity to comprehensively experience the landscapes that are affected by the excess phosphorus in the watershed. Now that we have seen and interacted with the lands and waters involved, we are ready to fully dive into our research.

This summer, Tara, Dr. Innisfree McKinnon and I will be researching independent conservation practices and perspectives on restoration land use happening in the Red Cedar River Watershed. We will be interviewing land owners, managers, and key conservation professionals about their goals around land and water management and ideals for conservation and restoration. We will mainly focus on interviewing farmers, both conventional and organic, as well as lakefront owners about their conservation practices and reasonings behind their decision to implement or not to implement conservation initiatives on their land.

Recently to prepare for our interviews, I have been researching the topics of asset based community development and solidarity economies. The literature surrounding these topics is applicable to the region and excites me to pursue the themes further later on in my academic career. I am constantly learning in the LAKES program by living with students from across the country and working with mentors from a variety of academic backgrounds.

I am excited to learn more about the community here in the Red Cedar River Watershed by having meaning conversations with the people who live here. I hope to really engage with the interviewees and take time to understand their narratives and connections to the region. I am also very interested to see if there are any overlapping themes in conservation practices between conventional and non-conventional farmers in the region, and if so, how those similar practices could have the potential to bring separate communities closer together.