News The Rubenstein School

The Rubenstein School
of Environment and Natural Resources
News
Vol. XXVIII, No. 7, May 2007, The University of Vermont, www.uvm.edu/envnr
UVM COMMUNITY ENVISIONS A SUSTAINABLE UNIVERSITY
The Rubenstein School
News, published monthly
from October through May,
is one of the school’s primary vehicles for keeping
students, faculty, and staff
informed. We publish news
and highlight coming
events, student activities,
and natural resources employment opportunities.
Copies are available in the
Aiken Center lobby and the
Student Resource Area (336
Aiken) in the Dean’s office.
http://www.uvm.edu/envnr
Editor:
Eileen Horn, ‘07G
Aiken Center 101
[email protected]
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:
- RSENR carbon budget
- Community Awards
Announced
- Graduate Research:
Josh Halman
- Undergraduate Internship:
Dan Lee
- Graduate Research
Sampler
- Hands-on NR 206
- Help Wanted
- and more...
This past Monday, April 30th, members of DeHayes and Costanza were co-authors of the
the UVM community gathered to envision the grant proposal to the Lewis Foundation which
UVM of the future. This
is providing $80,000 in
visioning event was
funding for the planning
“Our world is in crisis, and time is
hosted by the newly
process.
limited to make the changes reformed Leading by Design
The visioning event drew
quired to achieve a sustainable and
Task Force, a group of
various members of the
desirable future. The next 10 years
faculty, staff, students,
UVM community together,
will be critical in finding and impleand Burlington commuto ponder the question:
menting real, systemic solutions.
nity members, including
What would the UVM of
We at UVM are deeply committed
RSENR’s Dean Don
to transforming our University into
2020 look like? Suggestions
the world leader in ecosystem thinkDeHayes, and Bob Coof local food sourcing, green
ing, learning, and sustainable design
stanza, Director of the
architecture, curriculum rein order to meet this challenge.”
Gund Institute of Ecologivisions, and a car-less camPresident Fogel
cal Economics. This Task
pus were proposed.
& Provost Hughes
Force is charged with the
Input from events such
task of articulating the
as these will be crucial as
specific design actions necthe task force moves forward
essary to transform UVM
in planning this institutional
into a model university for a
transformation.
sustainable and desirable
future. This plan must adTo learn more about the
dress the full scope of UVM
project or to submit your
activities including acaideas for how UVM can
demic, physical plant, finanachieve this goal of envicial operations, and more.
ronmental sustainability,
The formation of the
check out:
Task Force and the visioning
http://www.uvm.edu/~sstnblty/
event which took place last
week are components of a
planning process which will
Or email your
yield a UVM Sustainability
suggestions to:
Charter. This Charter will
[email protected]
Visioning Event participants
serve to guide UVM into the
listened
as
Ben
Cohen
of
Ben
future as a leading environ& Jerry’s shared his vision
mental university.
for a sustainable UVM.
Congratulations Graduates!
2
The Rubenstein School News
THE RUBENSTEIN SCHOOL IN ACTION
PUBLICATIONS
Hughes, J. W. 2007. Environmental Problem Solving: a How-To Guide. University of Vermont Press; Published by
University Press of New England. 217 pp. (ISBN: 1-58465-592-5)
Unger, N., D.T. Shindell, D.M. Koch, and D.G. Streets, 2007: Air pollution radiative forcing from specific emissions
sectors at 2030: Prototype for a new IPCC bar chart. (submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres)
McEvoy, T.J. 2007. Mycorrhizal Fungi are the Key to Healthy Roots. Tree Services. Vol. 3, No. 3. pp 12 – 14.
McEvoy, T.J. 2007. Timber Investments 101 (Part II) – Periodic Thinning and Tree Value. Farming -- The Journal
of Northeastern Agriculture. Vol. 10, No. 4. April issue. pp 73 – 76.
McEvoy, T.J. 2007. Settling Disputes with Arbitration. Forest Products Equipment Journal. Vol. 15, No. 7. March issue. pp 17 – 22.
PRESENTATIONS
This month, Dr. Nadine Unger will convene a session entitled: 'Impacts of specific emissions sectors on climate and air quality' at the spring
AGU meeting in Acapulco.
AWARDS
Valerie Esposito, Ph.D student in The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, received the Outstanding ServiceLearning Student Award for her performance in multiple roles as service-learning student, service-learning TA, and Ph.D researcher.
Senior Dan Lee received The Nature Conservancy’s first ever Conservation Diversity Internship Award. He will be working with the
Molly W. Ingraham Associate Director of Conservation Planning, The Nature Conservancy of Washington in Seattle. His faculty
sponsor is Roelof Boumans of the Gund Institute.
The Catamount Student-Athlete Academic Report for the Fall 2006 Semester recognized several Rubenstein students:
Catamount Honor Roll (3.2-3.59 GPA)
Director’s Honor Roll (3.6-4.0 GPA)
Kyle Greenberg, Rec Management, Men’s Lacrosse
Charles Schaefer, Rec Management, Men’s Track & Field/XC
Kaitlin Francis, Rec Management, Women’s Soccer
Torey Olsen, Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, Women’s Track &
Field/XC
Justin Geibel, Environmental Sciences, Men’s Soccer
Thomas Scott, Forestry, Men’s Track & Field/XC
BOB MANNING WINS UVM INTRAMURAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Practicing what Recreation Management Program Professor Bob Manning preaches,
Bob entered and won the 2006-2007 UVM intramural tennis tournament in April.
Tired, but happy (see photo), Bob credited all those noontime practice sessions at the
gym. However, after the tournament, he was heard muttering “all I won was this
lousy T-shirt.”
INNERTUBE WATERPOLO TEAM DOMINATES THE COMPETITION
A team of RSENR and PSS graduate students, Skillz that Killz, defeated all the competition in the Spring 2007 Intramural Innertube Waterpolo season. The champions were
quoted as exclaiming, "Finally a championship T-shirt before I graduate!" Another team
member said, "We had a really strong team this year, a good combination of sharpshooters, and daring defenders. Our women were as strong as our men and both were stronger
than the competition. What we lacked in brawn we made up for in fast paddling, great
passing, smart shooting and impenetrable defense." Though the team will be losing
some key players to graduation, several team members will continue the "Skillz" tradition as they maintain their student status for the coming intramural year. Those players
have large tubes to fill, but they are hopeful.
The Rubenstein School News
3
COURSE MEASURES “CARBON BUDGET” OF THE RUBENSTEIN SCHOOL
By Eileen Horn
Air Cool Planet carbon calculator, this group found that
The Rubenstein School, through both its energy usage and
This semester, professors John Shane and Alan
the commuting/travel habits of the associated students, facMcIntosh worked with students to understand the carbon
ulty, and staff, emitted 1,954 MT of carbon dioxide last
emissions and sequestration
year. They gathered this data
of The Rubenstein School.
through an on-line survey
One group of students
which revealed some interestTotal Emissions Carbon Dioxide (MT)
worked on modeling the caring trends for the school to
116
bon sequestration potential of
consider. Most notable was
various stands in the Jericho
the 880 MT of carbon dioxide
Research Forest. They found
generated by air travel, underthat with a carbon sequestrataken predominantly by facScope 1 (direct)
662
Scope 2 (purchased)
tion potential of 1 Megaton/
ulty for travel to conferences
Scope 3 (travel)
hectare/year, the Jericho Reand research activities.
1176
search Forest is capable of
The imbalance of
sequestering 202 MT of carThe Rubenstein School’s carbon annually.
bon budget (1,965 MT emitThe second group
ted and only 202 MT sequesattempted to measure the
tered), led the course particiThis pie chart shows the distribution of the school’s
school’s carbon dioxide
pants to consider various altercarbon dioxide emissions. Of the 1,954 MT of carbon
emissions by focusing on the
natives such as the purchase of
dioxide emitted by the school in 2006, the majority was carbon offsets, efficiency
energy and transportation
the result of travel (both commuting to work/school,
sectors of The Rubenstein
measures, and encouraging
and travel for conferences and research).
School. By using the Clean
alternatives to air travel.
PARK STUDIES LAB PARTICIPATES IN GEORGE WRIGHT SOCIETY CONFERENCE
By Bob Manning
The George Wright Society is an association of researchers, resource managers, educators, administrators, and other professionals working in parks, other kinds of natural protected areas, and
cultural and historic sites. The Society promotes research and resource stewardship across the natural and social sciences, and
strives to be the premier organization connecting people, places,
knowledge, and ideas to foster excellence in natural and cultural
resource management, research, protection, and interpretation in
parks and equivalent reserves.
Papers presented by the current Rubenstein School contingent
included the following:
The Society’s biennial conference was held on April 16-20 in St.
Paul, Minnesota, and was attended by nearly 900 scientists and
resource managers from across North America and around the
world. The Rubenstein School’s Park Studies Lab played an active role in the conference. Bob Manning, Bill Valliere, Jeff
Hallo, and Rebecca Stanfield McCown participated in the conference along with several Lab “alums”, including Megha Budruk
(Assistant Professor, Arizona State University), Peter Newman
(Assistant Professor, Colorado State University), Steve Lawson
(Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech University), Daniel Laven
(Management Assistant, National Park Service), Jim Bacon
(Outdoor Recreation Program Manager, Yosemite National Park),
Dan Abbe (Wilderness Manager, Yosemite National Park), and
Logan Park (doctoral student, Virginia Tech University).
•
Comparing Visitor Perceptions of Soundscapes at Muir
Woods National Monument, Yosemite National Park, and
Grand Teton National Park
•
Understanding and Managing Soundscapes in the National
Parks: Standards of Quality
•
An Adaptive Approach to Managing Soundscapes in Muir
Woods National Monument: A Test of Management Actions
•
Transportation as an Experience: Insights from Interviews
with Visitors to Three National Park Service Sites
•
Racial and Ethnic Minority Under-Representation in the National Parks: An Empirical Study
•
NPS Managers’ Perceptions of Wilderness Day Use: Use
Patterns, Impacts, and Management Practices
4
The Rubenstein School News
2007 Rubenstein School
These awards were presented to outstanding members of the Rubenstein community as
part of the RSENR Community Celebration hosted at the ECHO Center:
THE HOLCOMB NATURAL RESOURCES PRIZE
Benjamin Robert Janes
LOLA AIKEN AWARD IN NATURAL RESOURCES
Victoria Marx Jones
Sarah Elizabeth Wilkins
C. SUZANNE WHITMORE WRITING AWARD
Roger Joseph Masse
Daniel Paul Mills
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Rebecca Stanfield McCown
GRADUATE STUDENT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP
MS: Bryan Davis and Evan Fitzgerald
PhD: Noah Perlut and Weiqi Zhou
GRADUATE STUDENT OUTSTANDING
TEACHING ASSISTANT
Samir Doshi
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Victoria Marx Jones
Emily Rose Lord
Katherine Louise Stinchomb
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
THE AWARD FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Benjamin Robert Janes
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AWARD FOR
OUTSTANDING SERVICE
Jessica Velia DeBiasio
Sarah Elizabeth Wilkins
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY
WILLIAM R. ADAMS FORESTRY AWARD
Thomas Michael Scott
LUTHER E. ZAI MEMORIAL AWARD
Andrew Patrick Book
NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM
AWARD FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Ethan Frank Joseph
AWARD FOR QUALITY STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Anna Lynn Johnson
RECREATION MANAGEMENT
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Patrick Charles Bird
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Matthew Breed Myung-Sun Scott
WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES BIOLOGY
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Roger Joseph Masse
FREDERICK CHU MEMBORIAL PRIZE
Roger Joseph Masse
DEAN’S BOOK AWARD
In recognition of academic achievement, contributions to student life, and potential to become a leader in natural resource
stewardship efforts. This award is given annually to outstanding Juniors in the School.
Environmental Science – Kelly McBride
Environmental Studies – Jessica Heman
Forestry – Drew Cameron
Natural Resources – Kesha Ram
Recreation Management – Stephanie Brontman
Wildlife and Fisheries Biology – Karen Klinger
MARCIA CALDWELL AWARD
Given annually by the students of The Rubenstein School to a
faculty or staff member of the School for outstanding contributions and dedication to the students of RSENR:
Larry Forcier
THE ALAN W. MCINTOSH SCHOLARSHIP AWARD
During the 1999-2000 academic year, the The Rubenstein
School received a generous gift to be used to create an endowed scholarship fund that would simultaneously honor the
achievements of two individuals.
First, the Scholarship Fund was established in the name of
Professor Alan McIntosh, Director of the Environmental Sciences Major, to celebrate and honor his commitment to students and his vigorous pursuit of quality focused on environmental science academic and research programs. In addition,
the fund honors and rewards an outstanding RSENR junior
majoring in Environmental Science for their exceptional academic achievements and contributions to the The Rubenstein
School by providing a partial scholarship for their final year at
UVM:
Anna Kovaliv
Jacqueline Travers
SOPHOMORE MORTAR BOARD
David Seekell
NEW ENGLAND OUTDOOR WRITERS
ASSOCIATION AWARD
Kiley Briggs
The Rubenstein School News
5
Community Awards
ALANA Student Center Spring Awards Banquet Honors Rubenstein School Students, Staff, and Faculty
The ALANA Student Center (ASC) exists to ensure that African,
Latino/a, Asian and Native American (ALANA) students succeed Awards Presented by the ALANA Student Center
at the University of Vermont. The ASC promotes academic
(Both Rubenstein School Nominees and Recipients are Listed Below)
achievement, personal growth, identity formation, and cultural
development.
Alan B. Urgent Award--Embodying the spirit of advocacy and
social justice
Awards Presented by The Rubenstein School
Nominee: Jia Xin Yu
Given to a First Year Student
Outstanding Leadership Potential
Amanda Wong
Given to a Senior
Outstanding Leadership
Daniel Lee
Awards Presented by the Honors College
Outstanding Junior
Kesha Ram
Outstanding Sophomore
Daniel Lim
Lufuno Tshikororo Award for Emerging Leadership
Nominee: Amanda Wong
Roger Summers Award for Leadership and Vision
Recipient: Kesha Ram
Angela Batista Award for Commitment to Social Justice and
Change Through Anti-racist Work
Nominee: Nichole Henderson-Roy
Staff & Faculty Award for Continual Commitment to Leadership,
Advocacy, and Social Justice
Nominees: Marie Vea-Fagnant & Deane Wang
Recipient: Maria Dykema Erb
Outstanding Club Advisor Award
Recipient: Saleem Ali, Advisor to the Muslim Student Assoc.
SVITEK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED
ZACHARY BERGEN
Zachary is an outstanding Rubenstein School student. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry and will graduate December of 2007. His motivation, his deep love for the
natural world, and commitment to make the most of his college
education have been inspiring.
This summer Zach will work with the US Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station in Anchorage, AL participating in the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The
FIA program assesses America's forests and projects how forests are likely to appear 10 to 50 years from now. This enables
the Forest Service to evaluate whether current forest management practices are sustainable to ensure that future generations
may enjoy the forests as we do today.
This award will help Zach meet expenses connected to this internship including travel to and from Alaska, food and shelter,
and the purchasing of the required technical gear.
Zach hopes that these outdoor leadership experiences with the
US Forest Service will lead directly to a full-time permanent
position upon graduation.
GWEN KOZLOWSKI
Gwen Kozlowski is a Lola Aiken Scholar pursuing a degree in
Environmental Science. She has participated as a Greening of
Aiken intern designing and building eco-machine prototypes
and is in the Ecological Citizenship Program, the Walk the
Walk program focusing on composting efforts in our residence
halls, and she participates in the Conservation Leadership Seminar.
Her summer 2007 internship will be with the Neotropical Foundation in Costa Rica. The Foundation works with communities
around the country to promote sustainable development
and environmental education. Their mission is to engage community members and help them "to understand a sense of place
to become defenders and guardians of their existing natural resources."
This summer she will be working at the Tropical Center located
on the Osa Peninsula focusing on environmental education in
the local schools with hands-on activities such as beach cleanups, constructing nurseries, and growing organic gardens. She
will also conduct species inventories and trail maintenance activities.
6
The Rubenstein School News
FOCUS ON GRADUATE RESEARCH: JOSH HALMAN, FORESTRY
centrations of each in foliage from trees of the Ca-addition waI entered the master’s program here in the fall of 2004 tershed. When foliage from February was exposed to decreasto explore the relationship between red spruce (Picea rubens
ing temperatures, it was found that trees from the Ca-addition
Sarg.) health and calcium (Ca). Regionally, Ca depletion in
watershed were on average 12 degrees more cold tolerant than
our forests has been documented for decades and has been atthose from the reference watershed. However, initial memtributed in large part to anthropogenic acidic inputs. The con- brane damage of foliage (exposed to conditions similar to those
sequences of this include the leaching of Ca from the ecosysduring sampling) was not found to be significantly different in
tem, which can increase the susceptifoliage between the watersheds. It is
bility of red spruce to foliar freezing
interesting that at a time when no difinjury – or “winter injury” – and
ferences in structural (membrane)
cause a reduction in healthy tissue.
damage were observed, large differAnyone who has been on the higher
ences were observed in cellular procsummits in New England has no
esses (soluble sugar availability and
doubt seen both this winter injury,
ascorbate peroxidase activity). This
and the consequences of prolonged
suggests that ambient Ca-depletion
exposure to acid deposition (and calmay preferentially target labile-Ca
cium-depletion), which has resulted
pools responsible for regulating celluin the death of whole trees. While
lar processes, as opposed to structural
the link between Ca and resistance to
pools. Considering this, it was found
winter injury has been documented,
that despite significant differences in
the mechanism(s) by which this ocCa content, red spruce foliage from the
curs are not fully understood. The
reference watershed was only bordergoal of my research was to underline Ca-deficient based on previously
stand the processes through which
established thresholds. Because large
Ca modulates resistance to winter
physiological differences between wainjury in red spruce.
tersheds were found at these concenHubbard Brook Experimentrations, more nuanced Ca-deficiency
tal Forest (Thornton, NH) provided a An example of winter injury on red spruce
thresholds may need to be established,
unique setting in which to study this
and
monitoring may need to be adecurrent-year foliage.
relationship because of both its hisquately adjusted.
tory of long term ecological research
(which has documented significant reductions in available Ca
in the forest), and the fact that a small watershed in the forest
was fertilized in 1999 with a form of Ca (CaSiO3) to achieve
levels of available Ca similar to those observed in the forest
when monitoring first began approximately fifty years ago.
Along with much help from colleagues at the U.S. Forest Service and UVM, I sampled foliage of red spruce from both this
Ca-addition watershed and a reference watershed in November
2005 and February 2006 to evaluate differences in Cadependent physiology. Specifically, I measured soluble sugar
concentrations and ascorbate peroxidase (a key antioxidant
enzyme) activity, as well as foliar nutrient status. For foliage
from the February collection, membrane damage and cold tolerance were also evaluated by measuring the relative electrolyte leakage of tissue after exposure to increasingly cold temperatures in the laboratory.
I found that foliage from trees on the Ca-addition watershed maintained significantly greater levels of Ca and total
soluble sugars for both fall and winter collections. In midJosh (center) with co-workers sorting and freezing
winter (February) when ascorbate peroxidase activity and sured spruce foliage in liquid nitrogen after collection.
crose (a soluble sugar) availability are most necessary to defend against cellular damage, I found significantly greater con-
The Rubenstein School News
7
FOCUS ON UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP: DANIEL LEE, NR ‘07
Over the past semester I have worked as an
intern at the New England Grassroots Environment
Fund (NEGEF) in Montpelier, VT. The internship has
enhanced my skills as a researcher and expository
writer, and Public Transit supporter. Throughout my
time at UVM I have been interested in learning about
non-profit fundraising, specifically grant proposal
writing. As the Fundraising Research Intern, I researched new foundations to add to a 2007 potential
funders list, assisted in 2006 grant reporting and prepared a grant proposal for submission to the Norcross
Wildlife Foundation.
NEGEF is a unique organization. It was
founded as a funder/activist collaborative charged with
supporting the grassroots, environmental activism
movement in New England. With a decade of work
complete, NEGEF’s Small Grants Program has been
fine-tuned and the organization has been recognized
for its success. NEGEF’s credibility was evident four
years ago when funders approached the organization
with funding to develop and carry out an Urban Grants
Program. The Fund has made 1,200 grants to over 800
community-based groups. In addition to grantmaking,
NEGEF assists the grassroots community by providing
one-on-one coaching, grantee retreats and opportunities for local leaders to strengthen their leadership,
community organizing and group building skills. Furthermore, NEGEF plays an active role in state-based
energy and climate action, environmental health and
other networks that support grassroots initiatives.
Building on its significant knowledge of communitybased grassroots activities throughout New England,
NEGEF is now setting its course for the upcoming
decade of work.
NEGEF board and staff strategic planning produced a document called “NEGEF DNA,” policy guidance for the actual 10-year action plan. NEGEF’s core
program is its grantmaking and will continue to be the
heart of its work. But the strategic thinking process
formalized plans for two additional programmatic elements; they are 1) Coaching, Networking and Skills
Building and 2) Advocating for Community Grassroots Action. These additional programmatic elements
will enhance grassroots organizers as agents of change
and connect grassroots programs to each other as well
as state and national organizations working on similar
initiatives; the new elements will enable greater intention to be placed behind this work, add new components (activities) and develop resources to more efficiently provide these services.
The opportunity to partner with this organization came about during a career counseling session
with Marie Vea-Fagnant. I was applying for a scholarship to attend a grant proposal writing seminar. She
worked with me and I received the scholarship. More
importantly, however, she connected me with NEGEF
as soon as she learned of my non-profit fundraising
interests. Together, the fundraising skills I have
gained through these opportunities are unique and have
given me valuable experiences that could not be
gained and are not offered at The University of Vermont.
Researching and synthesizing foundation’s
funding priorities, grantmaking habits and developing
a strategy for NEGEF to approach funders for monies
have provided a significant challenge and time investment -- the learning curve is steep! Cheryl KingFisher, graduate studies alumnus of the Environmental
Program, is the executive director and founder of
NEGEF. Her guidance in the specifics of fundraising,
starting with relationship building and ending with
telling a story, has given me a skill that the classroom
could not provide. I have benefited from exposure to
her accomplished approach to proposal writing, skills
as a community organizer and position as an inspirational agent in the New England Grassroots community.
With the CCTA Montpelier Connector, NEGEF’s
office is an exceptional internship experience.
Please contact Cheryl ([email protected])
for additional information regarding servicelearning and internship opportunities.
“Fostering Community-Based Environmental Initiatives in New England”
8
The Rubenstein School News
GRADUATE STUDENT SUMMER RESEARCH SAMPLER
This summer, Masters and Ph.D. students in The Rubenstein
Christina Erickson is going to be working on a paper
school will be embarking on various research adventures.
called "Eco-Reps Programs: Conducting Peer Outreach in
Here’s a sample of the thesis research and projects occurring Residence Halls" to give at the Greening of the Campus Conin Vermont and around the world:
ference at Ball State University in Indiana next September.
She is co-authoring with Chris Skoglund, a graduate student at
Ashley Lidman will conduct her work in Baltimore, MD the University of New Hampshire. Part of her research is surcollecting data on vegetation condition and land management veying approximately 30 coordinators of peer-to-peer sustainpractices on residential properties. This data will be used in
ability outreach programs in higher education. The survey will
conjunction with social data to consider how and why the
address basic demographic questions of participating camhealth and maintenance of vegetation varies across the city.
puses and program coordinators; logistical information on the
The project is being conducted as part of the Baltimore Ecoprograms including mission, funding, and activities; as
system Study, one of two urban Long Term Ecological Rewell as ideas on best practices and challenges that the prosearch (LTER) projects funded by the National Science Foun- grams face. Since the first known Eco-Reps Program began at
dation. Two undergraduates - Allison Colwell and Chris Dubin Tufts University in 2000, nearly thirty similar programs have
- will join her as research assistants.
sprung up across the U.S. and Canada. Despite the steady
growth, no comprehensive review has detailed how these programs are developed, implemented, and evaluated. Such a
.Elaine Wang will be researching transportation energy
policy and what influences its formation in Vermont. She will review will be a component of Christina’s doctoral research at
be examining attitudes and knowledge that form the bases for the University of Vermont.
policies related to biodiesel and conservation strategies specifically, in the context of the current political climate.
Tatiana Abatemarco is going to be doing a research assistantship funded through the UVM Humanities Center with
Erin Quigley is working on a complete carbon budget for Stephanie Kaza. She will be analyzing the students-teachingstudents projects that Stephanie has overseen over the last few
Chittenden County this summer. She’ll be classifying each
years. This is when a student creates a course and instructs it,
carbon source and sink based on land use, looking at sequestration rates in forests, agricultural land, and suburban green- and then writes her or his senior thesis on the topic of the
space and emissions from residential, commercial, industrial, course and the experience of teaching.
agricultural, and transportation sectors. Hopefully this project
will help policy makers and land managers incorporate local,
Erin Haney will be working for and with Orange County
accurate carbon data into their decision-making processes.
Headwaters Project (OCHP), a grassroots non-profit organization in Orange County, Vermont. Haney and Matt
Kendra Gurney will be continuing her preliminary work Peters, another Ecological Planning graduate student,
towards American chestnut restoration in VT. In cooperation will design and conduct an assessment of vernal pools, wetlands and cultural resources in the towns of Corinth and
with the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) she will be
Washington in Orange Country, Vermont. The information
conducting two or three controlled pollinations of American
chestnut trees within the state. She will also be field checking collected will help them determine priority sites for conservation and restoration projects and support land use recommenseveral reports of American chestnut trees within the state to
add to a working database that will be used for future Ameri- dations which will be provided to landowners interested in
conservation easements and other land management programs,
can chestnut research.
such as Vermont Coverts and WHIP.
Sarah Crow is exploring the relationship between forest
Jamie Ferro has been selected for a Property and Environcertification and community-based forestry (CBF) efforts in
Vermont. Her thesis research will involve characterizing CBF mental Research Center (PERC) summer graduate fellowship
groups in the state, identifying drivers for participation in cer- in Bozeman, MT. He will be working on institutional arrangetification programs among these groups and discovering their ments to reduce watershed conflict and improve the economic
and ecological health of those watersheds. His research will
perceptions of the certification process.
focus on land use and policy changes that encourage instream
flow allocations and collaborative agreements in three separate
Amy Brown’s research is on Green Burials and the reliwater jurisdictions: riparian (FL), prior appropriation (MT),
gious components of funerals. She hopes to interview Vermont preachers this summer about their thoughts on death and and hybrid (CA).
funerals and maybe travel to Green Springs Cemetery, a natural cemetery near Ithaca, NY.
The Rubenstein School News
9
HANDS-ON: DO IT YOURSELF!
by Jessica Frank and Ethan Joseph
“For societal solutions to succeed, individuals must have first hand experience in sustainable living.”
Jim Merkel, Radical Simplicity
As senior students in The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, we felt something was
missing from our education. So when it came time for NR
206: Environmental Problem Solving and Impact Assessment, the capstone course requirement for the school, we
decided to address this concern. Dafna Alsheh, Janice Moynihan, Ethan Joseph, Nate Kargman and myself (Jessica Frank)
developed the Hands-On: Do It Yourself! workshop series.
Our workshop series was aimed at introducing students to
personal lifestyle choices that reflect ecological values, environmental stewardship, and a sense of place. It was our goal
to identify important theoretical and technical ecosystem concepts and demonstrate to students the everyday applicability
of such complex ideas.
To implement our goals, we worked with Matt Kolan and the UVM GreenHouse residential learning complex.
We came up with a series of four workshops, implemented
over the course of the semester. Our first workshop, knitting, had the biggest turn out with about 11 GreenHouse students and 6 community members. We picked knitting because it has the potential to incorporate local materials and is
a skill almost anyone can learn. It was rewarding to see students enthusiastically helping one and other develop such a
valuable skill.
Our second workshop, entitled Dormsteading, encompassed the aspects of homesteading that could potentially
be practiced in a dorm-room setting. For this workshop, we
made butter, bread, granola, cheese, and set up a windowsill
sprouting system. We wanted to show students that with
local materials, some time, and a little practice, it is possible
to make many of the things we take for granted and purchase
at the grocery store. The students enjoyed snacking on all the
homemade treats!
We decided that for a more complete picture of what
a Hands On: Do It Yourself! lifestyle might be like, a field
trip was necessary. On April 14th, in conjunction with StepIt-Up day, we traveled to Windy Corner Farm in Charlotte.
Windy Corner Farm is home to Roel Boumans and Tiny Sikkes, practicing homesteaders. Here the students participated
in some truly hands on farm work by helping put in a fence
and move organic matter. We felt it was important to bridge
our work in the classroom with an experience of working on
the farm. Our favorite part of the day was playing with the
newborn goats!
Our last workshop, an edible plant hike, will take
place this Sunday in Jericho. It will be led by Tom Cady. We
are looking forward to foraging for wild leeks, perhaps some
fiddleheads, and any other spring ephemerals we find. We
feel that this workshop will help students to develop a sense
of environmental stewardship and a greater consciousness for
the place in which we live.
In conclusion, we believe our work with the GreenHouse students has helped to build social capital by creating
a community among varying generations of students, promoting the development of a “do-it-yourself attitude,” helping to
bridge the gap between institutionalized learning and practical self-sufficiency, inspiring students to continue applying
the skills acquired through the workshops, and helping to
foster connection between the students and the greater Burlington landscape. We enjoyed meeting some new students
and would like to give a special thanks to Matt Kolan and the
GreenHouse!
If my words don’t speak loudly enough, perhaps this
one does:
“I think it’s a really good idea to encourage
Greenhouse students to make things themselves. This
is a lot more environmentally conscious and spreads
the knowledge of a useful art that is becoming more
and more of a special skill instead of practical knowhow in our society.” ~GreenHouse student reflection
A Greenhouse student looks on as Ibit Getchell (of the
Environmental Program) demonstrates how to knit.
A reminder to log all of your air miles into our Rubenstein School Carbon Offset Account
for any professional travel starting from January 1, 2007. Here's the direct link:
https://www.uvm.edu/%7Econserve/carbon/log/log.htm
10 The Rubenstein School News
HELP WANTED
The following is a sampling of positions listed at The Rubenstein School. Job postings are updated daily on the Job Board outside the
Dean’s office in the Aiken Center and weekly on the web at http://www.uvm.edu/envnr/?Page=employment/employmt.html. For further
information contact: Marie Vea-Fagnant, Career Services Coordinator, 656-3003, email: [email protected]
INTERNSHIPS
Lamoille County Natural Resources
Conservation District
The Lamoille River Anglers Association
and Lamoille County Natural Resources
Conservation District (LCNRCD) seek a
junior/senior or graduate level intern to
collect data on the last seven years of
riparian habitat restoration that has been
undertaken in Lamoille County under the
Trees for Streams program. A $1,000
stipend is available to compensate the
student's time and mileage. Interested
students may contact Christina for more
information. To apply, forward a cover
letter and resume to Christina (contact
info below). For undergraduate students,
academic internship credit is available.
www.lcnrcd.com
Lamoille County Natural Resources
**Conservation District & Nature Center
109 Professional Drive, Suite 2
Morrisville, VT 05661
[email protected]*
Nordic Quest Designer Catamount Trail Association
The Catamount Trail Association (CTA)
is a small, member-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the management,
protection, and promotion of the Catamount Trail (CT), a 300-mile long backcountry ski trail running the length of
Vermont. To introduce more children to
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and
the Catamount Trail, CTA seeks to establish several Nordic Quests – a kind of
treasure hunt on skis/snowshoes – along
the CT. Location: Burlington and around
Vermont Start & End Dates: June 11,
2007 – December 9, 2007
Send cover letter and resume to:
Catamount Trail Association 1 Mill Street
#350, Burlington, VT 05401
Lenore Budd, Trail Manager
802-864-5794
Email: [email protected]
www.catamounttrail.org
This is an unpaid internship. Intern is
eligible for academic internship credit.
Number of Hours Required Per Week?
completely flexible (goal is to have 1
Nordic Quest up and running by December 2007)
Full-time, 40 hours per week, seasonal
The Summit Stewards work a five day on,
Environmental Scientist
two day off schedule, including weekends
(Entry Level)
and holidays.
A small Environmental Consulting Firm, They reside in the backcountry during
located in central Vermont, is looking for their work week.
an energetic scientist to perform stream
Adirondack Mountain Club
assessments and water quality monitorWes Lampman,
ing. Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree in Director of Field Programs
Environmental Science, Natural RePO Box 867, Lake Placid, NY 12946
sources, or related field. Willingness to
518-523-3480
work flexible hours including weekends
[email protected]
and overnight travel. Must own reliable
www.adk.org
vehicle for fieldwork. Computer knowledge including Microsoft WORD, EXCEL, and ArcView GIS is required. FaMASTER’S /PHD REQUIRED
miliarity with the Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation’s protocols
Marine Biological Laboratory,
for performing Stream Geomorphic AsWoods Hole MA
The Ecosystems Center of the Marine
sessments is highly desirable.
Application: Please send letter of interest, Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole,
Massachusetts is accepting applications
resume, references, and transcripts to
Bear Creek Environmental, 297 East Bear for a full-time, year-round postdoctoral
position as part of an NSF-funded IPY
Swamp Road, Middlesex, VT 05602
project in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Summit Steward,
ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB Primary responsibilities include data asThe Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), similation and modeling, development of
founded in 1922, is a nonprofit member
a pan-arctic flux database, and organizasupported organization devoted to advo- tion of international workshops to synthecating the protection, stewardship, and
size data. Data will be derived from flux
responsible use of New York State’s park towers near Toolik Lake on the Alaska
and Forest Preserve lands in the Adiron- North Slope, near Cherskii, Siberia, and
dacks and Catskill Mountain regions, as
also from measurements made by colwell as across open space lands state
laborators working in Sweden, Svalbard,
wide. JOB DESCRIPTION: The Summit and Canada.
Stewards are employees of the AdironApplicants must hold a PhD in ecology,
dack Mountain Club. They are responsi- biology, applied mathematics, or a related
ble for educating the hiking public about field and have a strong record of scientific
the rare and fragile alpine communities of publication.
the High Peaks. A Summit Steward’s
To apply, send a cover letter, curriculum
foremost goal is to encourage hikers to
vitae, and the names and contact informawalk on the solid bedrock above timber- tion of three persons who can be conline, thereby protecting the threatened and tacted for letters of reference to:
endangered flora of the alpine zone. The Marine Biological Laboratory Attn: HuSummit Steward Program is a cooperative man Resources, Reference Code [PDS
effort of the Adirondack chapter of The
IPY] 7 MBL Street Woods Hole, MA
Nature Conservancy (ANC), the New
02543
York State Department of Environmental Applications may also be sent with referConservation (DEC), and the Adirondack ence code PDS IPY to:
Mountain Club. Funding is provided by
E-mail: [email protected]
ANC, DEC provides in kind support, and For further information, please go to:
ADK provides dollars, in kind support,
http://www.mbl.edu/hr/employment.html
and program administration.
BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIRED