The Aquatic Ecologist

(Angela Coco) 

On May 26, I began my journey by leaving the Wyoming Valley, a dip in the rolling Appalachian Mountains in Northeast Pennsylvania. I shared farewells among my friends, family, and cat and hoped I was ready to leave home extendedly for the first time. This all came about because I accepted an invitation to the momentous National Science Foundation (NSF) 10-week Hubbard Brook (HB) REU Program internship promising to challenge my abilities and self-identity. 

My work environment (photo by Angela Coco)

How did I get here (other than by airplane)? There were many well-qualified candidates but somehow I’m the one living at Pleasant View Farm and studying aquatic ecology under Dr. Kerry Yurewitz (she’s amazing!). I’m a rising senior commuter at an incredible small school called King’s College (Wilkes-Barre, PA) and am majoring in Environmental Science (BS) with a minor in Biology. Although I enjoy a generous portion of the natural world, I have a particular passion for aquatic ecology and insects that has been part of my identity for as long as I can remember. As I plan for graduate schools this summer, I find myself more worried about GRE’s than getting accepted. I love this field and am very blessed to be among the chosen. 

Typical open canopy (photo by Angela Coco)

I’m studying relationships between macroinvertebrate communities, canopy cover, and trout on Kineo Brook and Zig Zag Brook to investigate variables in streams that are not well studied. My research may affect the way scientists evaluate stream health assessments and will help us to learn more about Hubbard Brook streams. This has resulted in about 80 macroinvertebrate samples that need to be sorted and identified to family level under a microscope. I might be viewing too much per day since I keep experiencing evening eye strain headaches, but I must finish before my time is up!

It’s already July and everything is happening fast. The White Mountains have undoubtedly been putting me to the test by providing plenty of opportunities for truly freak accidents (active lightning storms + old house = DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING) and buckets of rain when samples were needed. There’s also a major lack of delicious pizza but thank goodness my housemates are good chefs like me. The views and environment are pleasantly picturesque and the wilderness playground here is fabulous, so my camera and legs have been put to good use. Despite being outside so often, the moose continues to elude my eyes and has left gifts of large scat mounds near my sampling sites. I did manage to get one on my wildlife camera, though!

Moose on my wildlife camera, Kineo Trail (photo by Angela Coco)

Mirror Lake eagle (photo by Angela Coco)

our resident merlin (photo by Angela Coco)

Overall, the co-op living style has been a little different from what I expected. Since everyone has unique strengths and faults there has been some tangy tension seasoned into daily life, but overall we mingle like a well-blended pot of soup. I expected more chaos (happily surprised!). Being away from home and present among new people in a new place has helped me to reconnect with myself. Some parts of me have been asleep for a while, and although subconsciously aware of this, I feel am I finally, truly, waking up again since living here. Undermanaged stress had grown like a tumor over my perception and caused part of myself to be stuffed away like a forgotten t-shirt at the bottom of a drawer. Although not yet wrinkle free, I’m wearing that shirt again and feel renewed. The community in this house is my remedy and I hope I don’t relapse when I go home.

newts are plentiful at HB (photo by Angela Coco)

Ah, home. I wonder how the old Valley is doing. I’ve remained in communication with my parents and they’ve been very kind and forgiving to send me additional items that didn’t fit in my luggage. Mom has been practicing crochet, so she made me a cute little bear and cunningly included it with a package. I don’t feel incapacitated by homesickness, but I do think of my family and town on occasion. I mostly hope everyone is safe and ok (and not too worried about me), and I miss the food. Ok, I admit, I really miss the food at home. I also tried to last the internship without buying a non-resident license but caved this weekend. I guess I missed fishing too. 

This is a very exciting time to be a scientist, and I cant’ wait to see what this Hubbard Brook experience presents to me in the coming month. This week is the intense but exciting educational science conference!

~Angela~

macroinvertebrate sampling! (photo by Dr. Yurewitz)