With two weeks under my belt, I feel like I have truly begun to connect with the people that I have had the pleasure of working with, and that I have successfully stepped outside of my comfort zone. I have learned many things over the past fourteen days, both about myself and from others as well. One of the highlights of this past week was learning to canoe. Engaging with the wildlife of Lake Tainter and observing the components of the ecosystem allowed me to reconnect with nature. It also enabled me to reflect on the sheer scale of the disturbance human activity has created. In addition to this, I had an opportunity to sit down with two notable people (a UW-Stout mechanical engineering student and a wildlife biologist). Having these discussions helped me to gain confidence and practice being inquisitive. Earlier in the week, I learned how to construct canary reed grass rafts for our team’s investigation of plant root growth. Through this, I learned how to function as part of a team and collaborate with all the girls in the program. I also learned a bit more about how to identify some common plant species that grow in this area.
Something else I thought would be important to touch on was the bike ride in Lake Menomin Park that I embarked on with Arthur and Madeline. As a relatively inexperienced biker, the trails were difficult for me, but I feel like fully embraced my sense of adventure and kept a positive attitude throughout the trip. Though I have made some great personal and academic connections thus far, I want to continue learning about the people, the city, and how I can make an informed contribution to the summer research projects. I plan to do this by fostering deeper relationships with the people I work with, understanding as much of the scientific background as I can, and approaching the research with an open mind and positive energy. Finally, I learned that Burger King is an excellent spot to ruminate and compose a thoughtful blog.
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