Biodogs (Title courtesy of Elise)

While doing research in the Anthropology group I’ve had the opportunity to interview a series of individuals as well as attend various community meetings. So far I’ve made good progress in developing my project, but I’ve also have had the chance to work with other groups on their plans. So far I’ve went and helped out both the biology and sociology team.

In one of the previous weeks I took an afternoon to go and help out the biology team carry equipment out to a designated location on the lake. I remember that I struggled a bit carrying the sets of supplies (as well as the plants they had selected for their research) and wondering why I didn’t pack any mosquito spray with me. When we got to the site we started putting together the set of plants in containers which would then be put on a raft that had already been constructed by the team. For me personally it was interesting to see some of the scientific research actually done in the lake and all of the factors that have to accounted for. It provided with clearer understand of what the process is when trying to figure out ways to correct the phosphorous situation. As an anthropologist my research doesn’t involve actually getting in the lake and doing what I would say as “hands on work.” Rather going out and details from the public or reading up on policies. However, tagging along with the biology team has helped understand certain regulations better as well as more knowledge about the ecology involving the lake.

Another time I went and spent the entire day surveying farms with the sociology team. Me and Elise Martinez partnered up and drove to different farms to hand out surveys pertaining to agricultural practices. I give props to the sociologist team for going out almost every day to hand out these surveys. When first hearing about conducting surveys it doesn’t seem that bad, but there’s a lot of work and effort into creating the surveys, traveling far distances to hand out the surveys, trying to deal with farm dogs (We saw a lot of them, but thankful they were pretty nice), not getting lost in some random parts of Wisconsin (which I’ve done myself when I got out and do my interview), and just being positive even if they get a rejection. From an anthropologist viewpoint it was interesting for me to go and give these survey and not trying to conduct interviews with the people I met. In all I think me and Elise gave good feedback to one another of what strategies we could both use when trying to talk to different individuals and how to get information more efficiently. I also will say having another person in the car with you is reassuring when you’re not the familiar with area because if you do get lost (which fortunately we didn’t, praise google maps) at least you have some company.

I had a lot of fun working with these different groups and learning more about their own projects and seeing how everything ends up connecting. I think it’s important to be able to see this phosphorous situation from different sides and evaluating who and what it affects. I look forward to helping out some of the other groups in the weeks to come.

Different walks of life

There are a lot of things that I enjoy doing, but some of my favorites include learning about new cultures as well as languages. Growing up I was introduced to several individuals, who are now my friends, that had different cultural backgrounds than I and came from different places around the globe. It was through them that I became fascinated with learning more about cultures and people in general. While being here in Wisconsin I’ve had the opportunity to chat with several different kinds of individuals from different trades and have come to know a bit about the lifestyles here. From policymakers to farmers to regular citizens everyone has something to say.

You would think from hearing all of this that my current major anthropology was my first choice when I decided what I wanted to study, but in fact it was my second. When I started studying at my university I started out learning how to code and doing other work more in the computer science field. To tell the truth I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study and chose it out of a slight interest. However, as more time progressed I found myself being more interested in anthropology (Thanks to one of my professors) and decided to make the switch. I found myself more content with the research I was doing and have more ambition towards the work I do.

Being a part of the LAKES program has allowed me to become better at interacting with other people, understanding their wants, needs, and interests. I spend my days interviewing people the community, hanging out with them, taking photos, and being involved in the kinds of things they do. In all I think It’s also helped me become a better communicator and listener. By making an honest attempt at awareness of the issues that others face, I also think you become better equipped to help resolve them and mitigate tensions. I’m constantly learning new things, experiencing new challenges, meeting interesting individuals, getting to try out new techniques out in the field, and most importantly being able to follow my passion. I’m looking forward to expanding my network and reaching out to more people and talking to them about their own experiences and challenges.

Meetings, Meetings, and More Meetings

During the course of week, I’ve had the pleasure of attending various meetings pertaining to the policies in the county of Dunn as well as talking to the people who are affected by them. This also includes learning about how the county and community currently work towards land and water conservation, who gets a say when constructing certain policies, and how different boards will communicate to the public about these issues. Overall it’s quite interesting seeing how policies are perceived through the eyes of different individuals and their takes on what is actually important. Along with my group members Amber and Kayleigh we got to see a bit into the history of water use in Lake Menomin thanks to the Dunn County Historical Society. In order to improve the water quality here in Menomonie in addition to other areas I think it’s important to identify the social infrastructure as well as the community capacity that will help attain more measurable and sustainable results.

A Change in Scenery

For a while I had been looking around at different internships and was having a difficult time finding one that interested me. It wasn’t till I found about the LAKES REU project that really spiked my interested. Naturally I applied and I couldn’t be any happier that I was accepted. On the plane ride over here I found myself glued to the plane window gazing out at the landscape. It was almost shocking for me to see actual trees and not just some cactuses or small shrubs. Coming from living in an area that is situated in the Sonoran Desert to the town of Menomonie has been quite a drastic change for me. However, I find myself adjusting well to the area and enjoying all greenery.