Category Archives: geography

Hello, Madison!

March 5, 2018 By in Education, environmentalism, geography, graduate school Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 20 Comments

Map of Wisconsin from Google Earth.

The pain of waiting for an answer is over: I’ve been accepted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study Land Resources. The bustling capital city is located between two frequently-kayaked and very fishable lakes, Monona and Mendota. The city is sustainable in that biking and walking are the main methods of transportation, and places to eat, live, study, and be entertained are all very close to each other. A highly centralized city like Madison is a great environment for a grad student without a car, such as myself. The average apartment here rents for around $800/month but according to students, the price of living is increasing as people are discovering this secret city. Here are some pictures from the plane, a map of Wisconsin, and the view of the “West Side” from the top of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) building at the University. Continue reading →

Passive Acoustic Monitoring

November 8, 2017 By in ecology, Education, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography, Uncategorized Tags: , 5 Comments

The following article deviates from my conventional posts about homemade water treatment, but it is an important issue in the environmental realm- and could give scientists a clearer picture of endangered species.

“Within the field of cetacean research, a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) system can be defined as a set of acoustic and electronic devices aimed at detecting and tracking marine mammals by listening to their vocalizations” – Brunoldi, et. al.

Continue reading →

Hubbard Brook

July 18, 2017 By in ecology, Education, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography Tags: , , , , , 6 Comments

 

On Sunday night we arrived back at the University from our trip to Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. There were around a hundred researchers who attended the annual conference there. And let me tell you, not a single one wasn’t in shape. The mountain was steep, with an occasional dirt path leading the way, but other times you had to bushwhack to get where you were going. Although I had no cell service or internet for miles around and people were scarce, the restaurants we ate at were pure heaven. In the picture above: Woodstock Station and Brewery, view from Shamrock Motel of the White Mountains, the lab, and view of the brook.   Continue reading →

SU-mmer Studies

May 30, 2017 By in Air Pollution, ecology, Education, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography Tags: , , , , , , 21 Comments
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Syracuse University Campus. Photo by Jess Turner.

Welcome to the beautiful campus that is my new summer home: Syracuse University (SU). Situated on an enormous hill next to the basketball dome and College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF) this campus practically gleams. Continue reading →

Camping in Cuba

May 22, 2017 By in ecology, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography Tags: , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

cuba

I ended this semester right by traveling to the boonies where my friend owns a quaint little cabin. It was hot in Cuba, NY but not nearly as hot as the real Cuba. I have to share my experience because the cabin was such an efficient use of space! There were 16 people having a blast in that cabin and there was still room for more.  The bathroom had a great shower, toilet, sink, soap, and there was a microwave, stove, oven, and fridge in the kitchen. There were bunk beds everywhere, a master bed, even more places to sleep upstairs, couches, a television with a gaming system, the list goes on…It was very organized. My friend said his grandpa bought the cabin years ago and fixed it up himself. They even added their own balcony to the second floor. The cabin was practically livable. A lot of thought and upkeep went into it, but the result was amazing.

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Spring Break

March 20, 2017 By in ecology, Education, Efficient, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography, Reverse Osmosis, Water Purification Tags: , , , , , , , , 8 Comments

Check out this adorable sign from the maple farm! There are four within our region, some offering pancake breakfasts and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the maple trail. Mom asked if I wanted to go out when I arrived home from spring break, and I thought all I want to do is lay around and do nothing. But the maple farm is only open to the public twice a year, or so she said, and I have a total of 8 other days to sit around and watch t.v. When I called my job at the VA, they reported back about a hiring freeze. Freeze? Hiring? VA? They seemed to know little about it other than the fact I couldn’t come back. So here I sit- slouch rather- twiddling my thumbs over spring break. I’ve been outside a few times already. I even cracked a book. Best of all, I’ve blogged. Continue reading →

Storms

February 17, 2017 By in ecology, Education, environmental disaster, environmental impact, environmentalism, geography Tags: , , , , , 2 Comments
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Photo of a microburst on Grafton Daily Examiner.

I was standing in front of the window of our small apartment. I could barely see it at my height. Perhaps it is one of my first memories. The sky was a purple and pink hue. It looked so pretty but Mom said there was a storm. You shouldn’t stand near a window in a storm. Continue reading →