The local gal

Hello, welcome to our blog!

My name is Ashley. As a rising senior in the Environmental Science and Policy program at Plymouth State University, I am no stranger to Hubbard Brook. My first semester in the program included a field trip to the experimental forest watersheds, and I became interested in working with all of the great research happening here. This past semester as my junior year was coming to a close, I knew it was time to take action, so I reached out to the REU program. This amazing opportunity came to me through the help of my former Ecological Economics professor, Shannon Rodgers, who has since become my mentor on this summer project.

Photo by Lauren Wiggins

A New Hampshire native, I am fortunate enough to call this beautiful place home. Hiking, climbing, and snowboarding in the White Mountains is a huge part of my life, and has given me my strong passion for the outdoors and all that nature has to offer. I knew I wanted to study the environment from a young age and more recently the way humans interact with it. Because outdoor recreation is so important to me, I decided it would be perfect to include in my social science research project.

For my study, I am working in cooperation with three awesome team members to determine the value of ecosystem services in the Pemigewasset watershed region of NH. This area is a paradise for outdoor recreation, with endless opportunities for adventure. Using survey methods we have developed, I interview people then analyze the data trends to investigate the influence that recreation has on the way they value the environment and landscape.

Photo by Lauren Wiggins

My schooling so far has primarily focused on geology and earth sciences, environmental policy, and geographic information systems, so I had never really considered myself a social scientist. However, I am the type of person who is open to new experiences and ideas, so I took on this project as an experiment for myself to explore this field. It is important to be to be well-rounded in many types of science and to try new things. So far, it has been great. I would love to return to Hubbard Brook in the future to work with wildlife, GIS, and conservation.

Living at Pleasant View has been great so far. This region of New Hampshire is an awesome place to be! I'm really looking forward to my next few weeks here at Hubbard Brook :)