What do economists even do? Week 2

            This summer I am learning how to interpret data potpourri and the associated mathematics of being an economist. Even more important, I am learning how to apply these skills to deliver helpful information to farmers and rural communities. To me this requires listening to the residents in the Red Cedar Watershed and learning the business of farming from the experts, a process we began last week with a visit to Dunn county Conservationist Dan Prestebak’s farm. However, I can’t visit every residence within the watershed, so many of us spent the majority of our week refining a survey. Our goal is to gain an understanding of local residents’ perceptions of farmers, geographical nuance, local spending, and opinions on solar panels.

Better Late than Never - my week one introduction

My name is Lily Strehlow, and I didn’t grow up in a rural region, which might have something to do with my love of cows, undiminished through the many farms I have never labored on and the many cattle I have never cleaned up after. The hard work behind any farming operation is something I revere, and for all my pre-research studying I expectantly found I had a lot to learn from Dan Prestebak, whose small cattle operation we visited during our first week in Menominee. With John Sipple and Bob Kaner alongside him, the three farmers and government conservationists introduced us to the basics of quality soil; the hidden foundation of the local economy and one of the key factors in the Red Cedar River watershed pollution.

Adventures of Learning

Who knew you could learn in the summer? So far I have learned how to canoe (properly), make bread, and that burger king has $1 frappes! I have also learned that the women’s world cup is hard to find on the tv, which is OUTRAGEOUS.

While I was learning these life skills, I have also been learning a lot about my research. Over the past two weeks, I learned how to write survey and interview questions as well as how to collaborate with other teams that are working on different projects but have similar interests. I am also learning how to do GIS modeling and the best way to use archives for research.

Life Lessons from Canoe Jenga

The view from the top of Tainter Lake on our canoeing trip.

A few days ago, I stared at a truck, two large canoes, and a few bits and pieces of rope in the buggy Wisconsin sunshine with five other incredibly smart people from LAKES, trying to figure out how in the world we were going to get everything (and more importantly, everyone) safely to the top of Tainter Lake. We were headed up there to check out the muddy, life-filled delta and to get inspiration for our research projects. Of course, we also couldn’t pass up an excuse to escape for a Banh mi picnic in the fresh air. After a little trial and error, we had both boats carefully balanced on top of the truck and our turtle-like procession was trundling down the highway. Thinking back on this adventure, I’m reminded of a couple big lessons I’m learning—and continuing to learn—this summer: how to be creative with existing resources, and how to be okay with (and even embrace) ambiguity and be more flexible.

Playing canoe jenga! What could go wrong??

I’ve never thought of scientific research as particularly creative, but that’s something that has stood out to me over and over again these past few weeks. When the world around you is changing all the time, it helps to be able to think outside the box and use what you have for the most good. For example, a week ago we started an experiment growing several different plants on rafts floating on the lake, and used invasive reed canary grass to make mats that will hold the plants in place (don’t worry, we removed the seeds). It might be nearly impossible to eradicate this aggressive grass, but at least we can use some of it to try to improve other environmental problems.

Creativity also means that you have to be okay with plans not working out and being open to changing directions. Experimentation necessitates flexibility, and I think as the summer progresses I’ll learn more about what it means to navigate unexpected change with grace. Sometimes it seems like it’s impossible to make any headway or that your research will have any real impact, but what I’m beginning to see is that no one person is going to discover the “fix” for Lake Menomin’s nutrient pollution problem—or any of the world’s biggest problems. It’s more about chipping away at the issue with what you have and making way for others to build on what you find.

I know that there are probably a bunch of other really deep life lessons that I’ll learn this summer—but also plenty more crazy adventures, good food, and (slightly less philosophical) discoveries (shout out to Esther for her idea to wear life jackets as pants! Pure genius).

Picnic out on Tainter Lake! From right, Arthur (my mentor), Jacey, Marcella, and Esther.

It's Going to be a Wild Ride

In most parts of life, I try not to set my expectations too high. In fact, I generally try not to set too many expectations at all in favor of being pleasantly surprised. 

When I arrived in Menomonie, I was happy to have a job for the summer, a place to live, and an exciting research project to work on (which I didn’t know much about).  In the two weeks since I’ve been here, I’ve realized that this summer is going to consist of so much more. I’ve learned about the best events around town on every night of the week (shout out to pie in the park on Tuesdays). I’ve picked up quite a few sayings from my fellow researchers that are now staples in my vocabulary. I’ve also dived head first into a research project that I can’t wait to carry out over the coming weeks.

Madeline holding up our magnificent heart waffle creations from Saturday morning family breakfast.

Hi, I'm 21 years old and I still throw fits.

Two weeks doesn't seem like a significant amount of time in the grand scheme of things.  But, two weeks is already a full fourth of the time I'll spend here in Menomonie, and so much has happened.  The LAKERs all went to the farmers market on the first day of research.  We loaded up our backpacks with asparagus, bread and leafy greens to make into lunch.  When it came time to eat, I threw a fit and insisted we all sit around the table, "as a family."  Now, we're sharing so much more than meals, (although we're still coming together around various foods and beverages).

Thoughts From Your Local Burger King

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.

Yearnin' for learnin'

In the few weeks I’ve been in Menomonie this summer, I’ve already learned so much about it's defining biological systems and the social structures that are embedded in local interactions with the watershed. For the first time in my life I set foot into a canoe, grabbed a paddle, and explored Tainter Lake with my Geography partner and the Bio team. It was breathtakingly gorgeous and I would absolutely love to get more fieldwork in and learn firsthand the inner workings of the wetland ecosystems in Wisconsin. Learning how to canoe was super fun and stepping barefoot into the muck of the lake to find clams, cattails, and curly-leaf pondweed was wonderful.

Canoeing on Tainter Lake, Arthur and Jacey paddling along in the distance

While learning about the current ecosystem of these local eutrophic lakes was quite fascinating, Esther and I were also able to investigate the historical ecology of Wisconsin. We visited the Dunn County Historical Society and cracked open their archive collection. Before I knew it, hours had flown by and I remained just as immersed in the texts before us. Books, interviews, and editorials each offered unique glimpses into the environmental history of the region and documented the prolific lumber, mining, and dairy industries of the state. We're scheduled to visit Barron County's historical archives as well and we hope to learn more about pre-settlement relationships with the landscape. Understanding the complexities of the ecological systems that existed prior to the onslaught of intensive industry will hopefully offer us alternative representations of how relationships with the land directly shape the hydrology and biological diversity of the region.

Formed by post-glacial flooding, the Devils Punchbowl left us in awe

Going into our third week, I especially hope to discover more about the chemical and nutrient systems as they relate to land practices and perceptions of the water bodies in the community. On Wednesday we’re set to tour a nearby CAFO and the day after we plan to get our hands dirty in the local rain garden. Hopefully our team will be able to visit Rice Lake and if we’re really lucky, we’ll be able to hear some oral histories that can further enrich our understanding of the social and environmental intricacies that have molded the Red Cedar Watershed. I have no doubt that there's plenty of learning in store for us in the coming weeks and can't wait to learn alongside this incredible team!

Summer learnin'

Just exploring Menomonie on a beautiful night

In elementary school, I was the kid who refused to do the summer learning workbook because “I don’t learn in the summer.” Little did that kid know that 15 years later, I’d be learning in the summer and loving it. So far, with our two weeks in Menomonie, we’ve already started learning a lot, both in work and in play. I’ve learned that if you start a puzzle on the floor of a frequently-used lounge, people WILL accidentally step on it and you’ll have to repair the damage daily. Throughout the last couple of weeks, I’ve also discovered that if you spend 24/7 with the same group of awesome people, you’ll pick up their habits and idiosyncrasies without even realizing it (that’s what I’m screamin’). On the work end, I’ve also learned just how much thought goes into creating a survey. Turns out it involves a lot more than my freshman year writing class survey did.

Data, STATA, and Metacognition

It has been exciting to see all of our research projects develop over the past week as everyone is defining their interests and goals for the summer. We have been here for just two weeks, but it already feels like home. I am looking forward to what the rest of the summer has to offer!