Society, Communication and Culture

The three subjects expressed in the title often remain at the forefront of my thinking while conducting research and maneuvering through life. I consider societal nuances and similarities because of the unique areas where I grew up and currently attend school. As a native of Atlanta, Georgia and rising senior at Tennessee State University (a Historically Black University), my experiences differed from the bulk of my housemates. While many of my peers and surrounding community back in Atlanta and Nashville are not too apt in fostering my interest in the environment, I was fortunate to meet an alumnus of the 2014 Hubbard Brook REU program. In the midst of a passionate rant about increasing my university’s environmental consciousness, my fellow classmate proceeded to rave of his past summer at Hubbard Brook and ultimately encourage that I give it a shot.

Classic New Hampshire Tourist Picture

This summer’s experience as an REU at Hubbard Brook has been nothing short of an odyssey filled with unique opportunities, lessons learned, and tasks accomplished. I was chosen to conduct research on the human benefits derived from the ecosystem, termed as “Ecosystem Services”. My research pertains to the variance of landscape values for those individuals who are outdoors relishing the services nature provides (such as recreation, agriculture, scenery, and other intrinsic benefits). I am extremely fortunate to have my mentors, Dr. Shannon Rogers and Dr. Amy Villamagna, who have given continuous guidance and support along the research journey.

Waterfall Near Plymouth State University

Leaving a city of millions for a town of thousands wasn’t the largest leap, rather being in such pristine and undeveloped areas replete with waterfalls, swamp marshes, and trail infused forests—all within a short distance from Pleasant View, my new home. The outdoor aesthetics can be found radiating at all angles of a 360 degree spin, something previously unfathomable in Atlanta. Before I arrived, hiking was always a personal favorite of mine in Nashville, and considered a unique preference among my Atlanta community, but in coming to New Hampshire, I found that it is a preferable pastime of most of the state’s residents. Even in speaking to some of the residents of the Woodstock/Thornton area, I noticed these folks had a deep connection with the lush vegetation, clear water, and dense soil… Citizens knew their geographical location (e.g. whether they were West or East of the nearest basin); they also knew an impressive amount about sustainability and how their action played a part in the environment’s conservation.

First Hike Through The Experimental Forest

These observations led to my interest in environmental attitude and sustainable behavior. Northern New Hampshire’s unique geographical layout and large outdoorsmen population made the Pemigewasset watershed basin an ideal region for researching the intrinsic links between environmental value, concern, and stewardship. Considerably, this research coincides with the basis of Community-Based Participatory Research, in that, during the survey, questions may cause participants to think of the natural world differently. It’s always pleasing to have conversations with respondents about research at Hubbard Brook and the most recent statement a man made after taking our survey was “Wow. I feel so much more conscious of the environment”. Cliché as that statement may be, we hope that most respondents finish our survey with the same new-found perception.

Maxin' & Relaxin' While Working On My Proposal

This research has the potential to provide a different gauge of what it means to connect to the physical environment, which, to me, is the aim of advocacy. As my research partner and I engage with the public by asking people about their attitude toward and behavior within the environment we realize our fulfillment of environmental outreach and advocacy. While we have yet to analyze our results using statistical analysis (SPSS) and geographical maps (ArcGIS), hypotheses still linger as the data piles up.

Great View After Investigating Survey Sites With My Partner, Ashley

An opportunity to attain a more profound perception of experience, understanding, and concern rests within this research’s evaluation of influential agents of landscape value. Hopefully, these results can contribute to future environmental management, outreach, and activism efforts. Aside from institutional/political benefit, I hope to enhance my comprehension of the correlation between ecological literacy and environmental value in order to incorporate the theory into future endeavors in environmental advocacy. While programs like Green Corps are possibilities for the near future, my ultimate goal is transform my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia into the next great site for urban sustainability.

The name is Lauren, by the way ;)