News The Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

The Rubenstein School
of Environment and Natural Resources
News
Vol. XXV, No. 5, March 2004, The University of Vermont, www.uvm.edu/envnr
Cynthia was able to participate in many of the
traditional experiences of Tanzanian and KenBy Sara Lovitz and Erin Copeland
On February 26, 2004, about 80 stu- yan life, that as a tourist she would not have
dents, faculty, and staff partook in an evening been able to discover. For her independent
study she researched the impacts of pesticides
of international excellence organized by The
Rubenstein School Diversity Task Force. The on flower farms. Cynthia summed up her
semester abroad experience with the statement
evening began with a delicious buffet filled
with treats from a variety of countries. Once – “everyday was an adventure.”
Graduate student Karen Fligger was
all were pleasantly full (after 2-3 servings!),
the second speaker of the evening, presenting
the event continued with three Rubenstein
on her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer
School student presentations.
in Nicaragua, where she lived for 27 months
Senior Cynthia McCreight, spoke
from 1998-2000. Karen taught environmental
about her study abroad experience with the
education for students, as well as environSchool for International Training (SIT) promental training sessions for teachers. She
gram entitled, “Health, Development, and
began by providing a brief history of NicaraSociety,” in Kenya and Tanzania. She discussed what it was like to live on the edge of gua as a “country of revolution,” highlighting
the Sandanista movement and Iran-Contra
one of the most densely populated slums in
Nairobi, deconstructing all preconceived im- Affair. Nicaragua has also had its fair share of
ages of Africa. The students questioned their natural disasters, including Hurricane Mitch
roles as white foreigners wondering how they which cut off two-thirds of the country from
the capital. Karen captured her experience
would attempt to solve the global issues that
they were surrounded by. Cynthia also spoke with the phrase “brazos abiertos” or “open
arms;” Nicaragua is a country with amazing
about her rural coastal village homestay,
where she and others learned traditional Swa- culture and fantastic people. Diriamba, the
hili dance. As she continued her journey into city Karen lived in, is known for its patron
saint festival, honoring San Sebastian, which
Tanzania, she demonstrated the transition of
(continued on page 5)
colors and environments through her photos.
An International Evening
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:
Sara Lovitz, NRP ‘05G
218 Aiken Center
[email protected]
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS:
- International Dinner
and Nina Roberts
- The Rubenstein School
in Action
- RSENR/SUNY Adirondack Course
- Graduate Research
- Green Flash
- Undergrad Internship
- and more
Dr. Nina Roberts Presents for Ecosystem Health Seminar Series
By Julie Roberts
Dr. Nina Roberts, of the National
Park Service, visited The Rubenstein School
on February 26, 2004, and gave a presentation
entitled, "Virgin Islands National Park: Balancing Recreational Use with Preservation:
Issues and Conflicts." I had the opportunity to
attend her presentation and then met with her,
one on one, the next morning. Nina is a very
interesting person. The best way to describe
her is “full of character.” She is professional
and nurturing, both great qualities in her line
of employment. Nina currently works for the
National Park Service as an Education and
Outreach Specialist with the Natural Resources Information Division.
To be an “outreach specialist,” and
be good at it, personality must play an equal
role with knowledge. In this particular presentation, Nina spoke of the conflicts that arose
when a new general management plan for the
park on St. John was discussed and introduced. One of the examples she gave that I
particularly enjoyed and could relate to, was
the determination by specialists that the mangrove trees that the St. Johnians tied their
boats to were in danger. The effects of these
mangrove trees dying could potentially be
catastrophic to the ecosystem of the island,
scientists warned. Therefore, a management
plan was discussed where St. Johnians would
be given moorings for their boats in the harbor, in an attempt to wean the residents off of
tying their boats to the mangrove trees.
(continued on page 5)
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The Rubenstein School News
The Rubenstein School in Action
PUBLICATIONS
Boylen, C. W., E. A. Howe, J. S. Bartkowski, and L. W. Eichler. 2004. Augmentation of a long-term
lay-monitoring program for Lake George, NY by citizen volunteers. Journal of Lake and Reservoir
Management. In press.
Lawson, S., and R. Manning. 2003. Research to Guide Management of Backcountry Camping at Isle
Royale National Park: Part II -- Descriptive Research. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration,
21(3): 22-42.
Lawson, S., and R. Manning. 2003. Research to Guide Management of Backcountry Camping at Isle
Royale National Park: Part II -- Prescriptive Research. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration,
21(3): 43-56.
PRESENTATIONS
Erickson, Jon. "Problem-Based Learning in Ecological Economics," Seminar in Ecological
Economics, Department of Economics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, Feb. 9, 2004.
MEDIA
The January/February issue of Hope Magazine did a profile of Professor John Todd and his teaching/work.
OTHER NEWS
Greening Committee Selects Finalists for Aiken Design Competition
On Friday, February 27 four design firms were invited to compete in the Greening Aiken Design Competition, scheduled during the first week of May. Members of the greening committee reviewed nearly two-dozen qualification statements submitted to the University and selected the following four firms:
Burt Hill Kosar Rittelmann Associates, Boston, MA
William Maclay Architects & Planners, Waitsfield, VT
Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott, Boston, MA (in association with Michael Singer)
Smith Alvarez Sienkiewycz Architects, Burlington, VT
The selection of the firms to compete in the design competition was based on the qualifications of the
firms that have had recent experience in retrofitting and designing “green” educational buildings with
an emphasis on energy efficiency, visual appearance, employee comfort and student involvement in
the design process. The four firms will be on campus Friday March 12th for a site visit when they will
tour the Aiken Center and receive background information from The Rubenstein School and UVM’s
Facilities and Administrative Services Department.
The challenge for the selected firms is to present their vision for a green Aiken Center through narratives, presentation boards and a model at the design competition on May 3rd and 5th. One firm from
this group will be awarded the first phase of a two-phase contract for the design and construction of
environmentally responsible and energy-saving renovations to the existing building and an addition
of approximately 10,000-12,000 net square feet.
Two firms will present their vision for a ‘green’ Aiken Center each day of the competition. Community members will have the opportunity to hear presentations from the firms, view design boards and
models, ask questions, and complete surveys to aid the greening committee in their final selection.
Refreshments will be served.
Rebecca WitinokHuber was named
Student Athlete of the
Week for February 1622, following a very
impressive weekend at
the America East
Championships. She
posted her best times
of the year in the
100m butterfly, 200m
butterfly and 50m
freestyle. In the 200m
butterfly she took over
eight seconds off her
previous best time.
The strong effort
qualified her for the
ECAC Championships
in those three individual events as well as a
member of two relay
teams.
The Rubenstein School News
Crossing the Pond and Tramping in the Adirondacks
By Stephanie DeLano and Sara Lovitz
On a snowy weekend in February, fourteen
graduate students from UVM and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), met in the Adirondacks at Huntington Lodge in the town of Newcomb, NY.
The students were brought together by the shared vision
of RSENR Professor Jon
Erickson and ESF Professor
Bill Porter. The two have
been collaborating on a book
about the Adirondack Park,
and wanted to incorporate
their students into the process.
They came up with the idea of
offering a joint class between
UVM and ESF that not only
Conversation with Ross Whaley (2nd from
right) and David Gibson (far right).
crossed institutional boundaries, but brought together students from multiple disciplines and backgrounds. These backgrounds ranged from
childhoods in the Adirondack Park itself to never having
heard of the Park nor stepping foot in the Park before the
course was offered.
The course title, Adirondack Park: Experiment
in Conservation, seemed quite simple; however, over the
weekend the students realized not only the complexity of
the history of the Park but the multitude of challenges that
face the Park and its inhabitants today. The weekend was
filled with student presentations on a number of issues
that fell into the following general categories: Biophysical Context, Human Communities and Natural Environment, and Institutional Mechanisms. While drawing on
similar themes, the interpretations were diverse in nature
and offered a huge amount of information. In addition to
information from student research, the class offered an
opportunity to meet with two influential and well respected leaders, Ross Whaley, Chairman of the Adirondack Park Agency and David Gibson, Executive Director
of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks.
The Park Agency is a state agency mandated to make
planning decisions about the Park, while the Association
is one of the oldest non-profit, conservation minded organizations in the Park. Through their discursive presentation the two offered insights into the challenges and
opportunities that the Park’s unique situation (comprised
of approximately half publicly and half privately owned
land) lends itself. Students were able to ask questions
regarding the future of both state lands and human communities inside the Park boundary.
Even though presentations occurred in the Hunt-
3
ington Lodge, which was built before the turn of the Century in the classic Adirondack Great Camp style, students
were grateful for the opportunity to spend a few hours
outside. Lessons in Adirondack history continued while
students snowshoed through
the Santononi Preserve, a
Great Camp and working
farm, which is a National
Historic Landmark, now part
of state land. Led by Ray
Masters, students were able
to imagine the Preserve as a
working farm and community center. Students also
had a chance to snowshoe at
night on Arbutus Lake, just
Playtime on the lake. (Stephanie, Eric, Brendan,
outside the Lodge door, under Sara, and Bethany)
the cloud covered stars and moon. Tag, tackling, wildlife
imitations, and snow burials provided excellent opportunities for bonding among the group.
The course involves one more weekend gathering in the Adirondacks, during which students will finalize plans for either conference presentations or journal
articles. The topics to be tackled include: setting conservation priorities, economic development and planning,
visions for the future of the Park, and community involvement in management. Not only is the Park an
“Experiment in Conservation,” but the course has been an
experiment in creating bridges between institutions. So
far we’re off to a good start!
RSENR and ESF crew at Santanoni Preserve.
4
The Rubenstein School News
Upcoming Greening Aiken Events
Please plan to attend the following events associated with the proposed retrofit and expansion of the Aiken Center.
We’re embarking on an exciting endeavor to transform the Aiken Center into a state-of-the-art green building and we
need your input to make it happen.
SITE VISIT
Friday March 12 - 8:30 AM, Marsh Dining Hall
Meet the four firms selected for the design competition. Hear presentations from The Rubenstein School and UVM’s
Facilities and Administrative Services Department. Coffee, tea, juice, and breakfast snacks will be served.
DESIGN COMPETITION
Monday May 3 (12 – 4 PM) and Wednesday May 5 (8 AM – 12 PM), Marsh Dining Hall
A Day On the Job
By Mim Pendleton
Brown’s River Middle School in Jericho Vermont requires all of the eighth grade students to “jobshadow” adults during a typical workday. The students
are required to shadow at least two different types of careers. On February 24th, Vermont Monitoring Cooperative Site Technician, Mim Pendleton, had the pleasure of showing Celine Graas from BMRS what one
RSENR research technician’s daily routine is.
The day started at the VMC’s air quality site at
the Proctor Maple research Center, where the weekly
NADP/NTN precipitation sample was collected. This presented an opportunity for Celine to learn
about long-range transport of pollutants
that are the precursors of acid precipitation, because the NTN network is primarily concerned with tracking acid
deposition in the United States. Celine
observed clean handling techniques for
the handling of the sample and watched
while an aliquot was analyzed for conMim and Celine at work.
ductivity and pH. She asked a lot of really
good questions about where pollution came from, how the
pH scale works and how the data were used in mapping
acid deposition in the continental U.S.
Since there had been no precipitation during the
preceding 24 hours and no air sample scheduled, no other
samples were collected. Celine wasn’t wearing tall boots, so the
USDA/UVB monitoring site was
visited via the internet. There are
pictures of all the instruments and
detailed explanations of how they
work as well as data from the VMC
site.
Celine putting in a few hours!
Celine joined the rest of the
Proctor Center’s staff for lunch, then spent the afternoon
visiting the websites of the other monitoring networks
represented at the VMC’s air quality site. She also looked
at a spreadsheet of meteorological data collected at the air
quality site. She was able to get lots of material to show at
her booth when all of the Brown’s River students have a
“job fair” at the middle school.
Celine is interested in Environmental Sciences
and wants to “help the Earth”. She is very aware of the
consequences of human activity on the landscape and
wants to invent ways of doing things that lessens the
negative impacts of this activity.
GREEN FLASH: UVM To Test New Hybrid-Electric Bus
Watch for UVM Parking and Transportation Services’ new addition to their bus fleet. Although the new
school bus looks just like the traditional Blue Bird “All American” model, looks can be deceiving. According to an E-Vermont study, the hybrid-electric “All American” uses 29% less energy than a conventional school bus. Furthermore, it produces 59% lower emissions of nitrogen oxides
(NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO).
UVM will test this vehicle on campus for at least six months as a pilot program with E-Vermont, a Vermont-based electric vehicle program, and Solectria, the developer and manufacturer of the hybrid-electric drive system used
on the bus. According to Solectria, when the bus is operated in its hybrid
mode, it “can travel hundreds of miles between fill-ups of its diesel fuel tank.”
When running solely on electricity, the bus can travel up to 60 miles on a one
charge of its battery pack, while producing zero emissions. The bus is designed to carry 66 passengers plus driver and travel at a maximum of 55 mph.
The Rubenstein School News
5
(International, continued from page 1)
was celebrated in January. With a rich history of folklore, dance, handmade costumes
and masks, and promesas
(promises), the festival has something for everyone. Without people to explain the traditions and
teach her about their country,
Karen’s experience would not
have been the same. Encouraging
those in the audience to study or
live abroad, Karen concluded her
presentation with photos of her
Men dance the traditional ToroHuaco during the friends and the idea that there is
patron saint festival in Diriamba, Nicaragua.
no way to learn about a country
unless you know and befriend the people who live there.
The last speaker of the evening was another
senior at The Rubenstein School, Kevin Jordan, who
gave a multi-media presentation about his study abroad
experience on the southern island of New Zealand at the
University of Otago. One of the many highlights of his
semester was the course he took on native song and
dance; it enabled him to travel with a Maori group performing all around the Southern Island. This trip was cosponsored by UVM and the University of Otago (see
February issue of The Rubenstein School News for more
information). Kevin traveled with 20 other students, visiting secondary schools while living and performing in
traditional Maori meeting houses. Delighting the audience, Kevin showed the recorded version of the dance
from New Zealand, while performing live for us on that
evening. He performed two dances, including the all
male, traditional Haka. Kevin strongly encouraged others to study outside of the U.S. and to immerse themselves in another culture.
Overall, it was an evening filled with amazing
tastes, stories, pictures, and experiences. We’re sure
many left with a strong urge to travel the world – we
know we did! Thanks to all of the presenters as well as
the organizers of the event.
(Roberts, continued from page 1)
As far as I could tell from Nina’s story, the residents
were not consulted and problems ensued. Imagine your
thought process if you were a tenth generation St. Johnian fisherman: I know that moorings can loosen and
then I will lose my boat. I don’t have enough money to
replace it and we’ve always tied our boats to the mangroves.
Citizen participation is as tricky as it is important when introducing a management plan to an area.
There are books and books written on how to find stakeholders, how to interview them, how and when to involve
them in the management plan, and etc. One thing is for
certain - residents of an area, especially long-term residents, not only need the ecosystem to be healthy, but in
many cases, are the best ones to protect it. Ecosystem
preservation does not happen in a vacuum and, most often, scientists, planners and other professionals, come to
an area, do their business of creating management systems and then leave. Community members, especially if
they were not consulted, have no incentives to comply
with the plan.
But back to Nina…some combination of her
personal history, her personality, and her experience, has
created a person primed to succeed in this role of an outreach specialist. She is a great reminder that in order to
truly make a difference in the environmental field, you
must employ all of your useful traits, not just what you
know, when working with others. Do you illicit trust in
others? Do you understand both the perspectives of the
citizens of an area and how precarious the ecosystem is
there? Great. The field of community outreach needs
more people like you.
For more information about Nina Roberts, please see
http://home.earthlink.net/~ns_roberts/mainpage/
Upcoming Events:
Devra Davis to Speak at The Rubenstein School Seminar “Ecosystem Health" Series
March 25, 2004, 12:30-1:45 PM, Carpenter Auditorium, Given Building
*Please note that the location has changed* Co-sponsored by the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing
& Health Sciences, and the Environmental Studies Program
Devra Davis is the author of When Smoke Ran Like Water, for which she was designated a National Book
Award Finalist. She conducts research on environmental health and chronic disease, is Visiting Professor at
Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School (1999-), Honorary Professor at London’s School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine (2002-), and Expert Advisor to the World Health Organization. We are extremely lucky to
have her come speak at UVM. You can find out more about Devra Davis and her book online at:
http://www.whensmokeranlikewater.com
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The Rubenstein School News
Focus On Internships:
Jared Nunery, Environmental Science, Senior
Last summer from May 19 to August 20, 2003, I
was in Southeast Alaska. I was working for the Fish and
Wildlife Department of the Sitka
Ranger District,
in the Tongass
National Forest.
Our primary
work dealt with
the salmon populations, focusing
strongly on the
Coho salmon
populations. The
job itself varied
quite drastically,
incorporating
everything from habitat restoration, mark and recapture
population estimates, stream hydrologic and biologic
surveys, and many more different aspects of the world of
fisheries. On the side we would also participate in other
small wildlife surveys working with the wildlife biologists of the Sitka Ranger District (SRD). Each trip would
begin by either flying or boating out to our field camps,
as this is the only means of travel in Southeast Alaska.
From camp we would then hike, ATV, boat, drive on
logging roads, or helicopter out to our work sites. Due to
Landscape Change Program
By Paul Biermans
After 6 months of work, we are ready to launch
the new Landscape Change Program web page. It can be
found at http://www.uvm.edu/perkins/landscape/
The Landscape Change Program is a digital archive of
Vermont images that documents
landscape change over time using
historical imagery paired where
and when we can with modern images of the same sites. We now
have more than 2000 images in the
archive representing many towns
throughout the state. Our search
engine allows you to find images
using any combination of keywords, location, or date. The work
you see has been supported by grants from both the National Science Foundation and the Lintilhac Foundation.
We are continuing to work with schools and
historical societies to collect Vermont images. The newly
developed web software allows anyone to submit an image and image description making this truly a community
archive. If you have any interesting images of Vermont
landscapes, give it a try! Submit your image from the
program web page and in a few days, it too will be part of
the remoteness of the work sites and the highest brown
bear density per square mile in the world, backcountry
camping was strongly discouraged; however, with the
constantly changing weather of Southeast Alaska it was
always a possibility to be stranded for a night.
After completing my internship and returning to
school I realized just how much I learned this past summer. I was able to actually apply all the skills that I have
been taught in my classes and labs so far at UVM to a
real world project, working in a truly wild environment.
In particular I was able to apply a lot of the knowledge
that I had gained in my Environmental Science 201 class,
Restoration Ecology, towards several real life restoration
projects, working with large woody debris and pool complexities. I
believe that this
summer internship is the most
valuable learning experience I
have had since
beginning college, and has
truly strengthened my
knowledge and
understanding
of the environmental science Jared using a Price AA flow meter (Gurly Meter) to measure stream velocity at USGS monitoring site.
the archive.
We hope that the site will be both interesting
and useful to you. If you teach, please consider using the
site in your classes, having students both search for and
upload images. If you have a collection of images, please
consider uploading them or be in touch with us and we
may be able to help with scanning. We also have computers, scanners, GPS units and digital cameras that can
be lent for the purpose of acquiring images for the program.
If you need help with imagery or want to know
more about getting involved in the project, please contact
any of the project staff via either
the project email [email protected]
or our personal emails. Jens Hilke
(project coordinator,
[email protected]), Christine
Massey (museum education specialist, [email protected]), or
Paul Bierman (Professor,
[email protected]).
Please spread word of
the archive. The more people who
get involved, the richer and more
useful the image archive will become!
The Rubenstein School News
From Farm to Fuel Pump: Vermont Agriculture
and the Prospects for a Biorefinery Industry
By Kenneth Mulder, PhD Student, Gund Institute
Technologies for converting agricultural crops into
fuel sources have been around for some time. Ethanol is a wellknown fuel additive, a technology perhaps perfected in the hills
of Appalachia. Biodiesel is quickly gaining equal spotlight, due
in no small part to the concerted lobbying efforts of soy growers. Perhaps a less familiar fact is that when Rudolph Diesel
debuted his engine at the 1900 World’s Fair, it ran on pure peanut oil. However, in the last twenty years, techniques for transforming farm crops and other forms of biomass into alternatives
to fossil-derived products have burgeoned. They range from the
somewhat crude method of cofiring in which feed stocks such
as woodchips and grasses are burned in electrical generators as
a partial substitute for coal, to high-tech processes that simulate
the geological forces that created our fossil resources. Further,
energy production is not the sole target for researchers and industrialists. In complex systems that roughly parallel petroleum
refineries, interlinked processes are being designed that fractionate incoming biomass feed stocks and produce a wide array
of products and byproducts including fuels, plastics, lubricants,
solvents, pharmaceutical components, and fuel additives.
Dubbed “biorefineries,” it is hoped that with further progress,
organically derived products will compete with their petroleum
based counterparts, leading presumably to greater ecological
sustainability as well as new markets for farmers.
Supported by a grant from the USDA and the US Department of Energy, I am working with the Intervale Foundation, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and Vermont
Alternative Energy Corporation to explore the feasibility and
potential impacts of establishing a biorefinery within the state.
In particular, while there are several possible sources for biomass to serve as feed stocks for such a facility, most of what
are currently waste products, I am responsible for researching
the feasibility of Vermont farmers growing crops specifically
for a biorefining industry. To be precise, I am seeking to determine, if such a facility existed, whether farmers would be willing to put land into production to supply needed feed stocks,
and if so, what would be the impact upon Vermont agriculture,
the environment, and rural communities. The task seems well
suited to a student hoping to one day call himself an ecological
economist.
I must say that I entered this project with some skepticism. Biodiesel and ethanol, perhaps the two most famous biofuels, are often touted as being sustainable and carbon-neutral.
However, it is well known that the products of modern agriculture are not sustainable, especially with regard to energy utilization. For example, the production of ethanol consumes the
energy equivalent of 1 gallon of diesel to produce 1.3 gallons of
fuel. Even following best management practices, it is undeniable that mechanized agriculture exacts a toll on the environment. I needed some convincing before I became a proponent
of expanding industrial agricultural production in the name of
sustainability. Further, farms crops as a source of energy will
have little impact on our dependence on foreign oil (another
oft-repeated claim). One study has shown that if all the arable
land in the US were devoted to the most land-efficient form of
energy production from crops, it would meet less than 1/15 of
7
America’s energy consumption.
Since my initial pessimism, I have learned two things
that have made me quite excited about my research. First, there
are applications for which biofuels and other biorefinery products are particularly well suited. Fuels and lubricants derived
from petroleum are toxic and slow to degrade. In ecologically
sensitive areas, it can greatly decrease the environmental impact to replace them with bio-derived fuels and lubricants. Marine usage is an excellent example, as boats and jet skis cause
significant pollution. In areas with poor ventilation, such as
mines and dense urban areas, biofuels can reduce the impact of
combustion upon human health. There are other targeted applications that make sense. Second, a biorefinery industry in Vermont could provide much needed income to farmers in the
state, providing a boost to rural communities, and slowing the
decline of the dairy industry. It also might enable greater vertical integration within the state thereby keeping more food dollars within the region. This latter fact has even more appeal if
by chance a partial transition to growing energy feed stocks
were to entail greater use of sustainable crops and methods.
We are in the early stages of our research, but some
findings have already been produced. While I shall analyze the
feasibility of growing crops for electricity production, it seems
clear that a facility cannot afford to pay farmers the amount
they need to grow energy crops such as willow and switch grass
and still sell electricity at a competitive rate, at least not without
legislative intervention. As regards biofuels, similar issues are
encountered. A gallon of soy oil at the wholesale price costs at
least $1.50. Converting it to a gallon of biodiesel adds further
costs, making it quite difficult to compete with wholesale petroleum diesel which hovers around $1.00 a gallon. For biodiesel
to be feasible, the byproducts of the process need to contribute
significant value. Fortunately, this is quite possible.
Soy meal, a byproduct of soy oil, is imported to the
state from the Midwest as a primary feed component for dairy
cows. This is a major leakage of revenue out of the state. The
situation is even worse for organic soy meal, where a high margin is added due to the significantly smaller scale of production.
One scenario we are examining would be the joint creation of
an organic or conventional soybean crushing facility along with
a biodiesel processing plant. The meal has a high value to local
dairies, and the oil, conventional or organic, does not have a
ready market (at least locally). Mustard is another crop with
similar characteristics. Researchers are breeding a variety of
mustard whose meal would be an effective organic pest control.
Again, the meal would have a high value, especially to Vermont’s organic agricultural industry, while the oil, which is
inedible, has even less of a market than soy oil.
However, even if the numbers work out on paper, the
question remains of whether or not Vermont farmers would be
willing to produce any of these crops,
none of which have a significant history in the state. This will be the center
of my research for the next several
months as I seek ways to simulate the
market response of agricultural producers to a new demand for a little
known crop. Where’s Kevin Costner
when we need him?
8
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/
help_wanted.html. For further information contact: Jan Spencer, Career Services Coordinator, 336 Aiken Center, 656-3003,
email: [email protected]
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF VERMONT IN MONTPELIER.
Duties include identifying buckthorn, honeysuckle, and Japanese barberry, and removing
these non-native species followed by herbicide
application to the remaining stump. If interested,
Contact Emily Seifert Stewardship Intern, at
(802) 229-4425 x 120 or [email protected] (V1)
INTERNSHIPS
FIELD BIOLOGIST NEEDED WITH MATTHEWS AND ASSOCIATES LOCATED IN
THE PLUMAS NATIONAL FOREST, IN THE
NORTHERN SIERRA’S. Duties include establishing, operating, and maintaining baited camera stations including collecting film, replacing
batteries, interpreting photographs and completing paperwork. If interested, email resumes to:
[email protected] or contact Eric at (530)
256-2938 for more information.
FIELD INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE IN THE
LOWER FLORIDA KEYS TO CONDUCT
RESEARCH ON ENDANGERED TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS. Duties include trapping of
endangered Lower Keys marsh rabbits, silver
rice rats, and the Florida Key deer, conducting
pellet count surveys, road surveys, and radio
telemetry. If interested, please send a resume,
and three references to: Neil D. Perry, Dept. of
Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Texas A&M
University, College Station, TX 77843-2258 or
email [email protected] or phone (979) 4584655 (I110)
RESEARCHERS FOR THE FUTURE IS A
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WITH A
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. The
organization has a variety of internships dealing
mainly with research and policy analysis. A
complete listing of internships will be available
in mid January at www.rff.org . If interested,
send a cover letter, resume, copy of transcripts,
and a brief writing sample (about 3-5 pages) to:
John Mankin, Quality of the Environment and
Energy and Natural Resources, Resources for
the Future, 1616 P St., N.W., Washington, DC
20036 or call (202) 328-5060 Deadline is
March 15th, 2004
AUDUBON VERMONT SEEKS A HIGH
POND AUDUBON CAMPS DIRECTOR. Duties include program promotion and development, camper recruitment, hiring, training, and
supervision of staff, budgeting, and management
of day-to-day camp operations. If interested,
send a resume and cover letter to: Steve Hagenbuch, Green Mountain Audubon Center, Director, 255 Sherman Hollow Road.
SUMMER POSITIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO
WORK AT COOPER CANNON OUTDOOR
EDUCATION CENTER LOCATED IN THE
WHITE MOUNTAINS OF NH. Jobs vary, so if
interested, email [email protected] or visit
www.coppercannon.org (I213)
BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIRED
A DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS NEEDED IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM. Position is responsible for ensuring
the development, implementation, and on-going
adherence to the company’s environmental
policies and strategies. If interested, contact Dr.
Jane Austin, US Geological Survey, Northern
Prarie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th Street
SE, Jamestown, ND 58401. Deadline is March
12th (B202)
THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE ORGANIZATION HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION
ABOUT THREE EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES IN VARIOUS FIELDS AND LOCATIONS. The positions available include the
following: program coordinator of the Alaska
Conservation Alliance. Duties include creating
and organizing outreach programs to promote
ACA in the community, and much, much, more!
If interested, email, fax or mail a resume and
cover letter to: Alaska Conservation Alliance
810 N Street, Suite 203, Anchorage, Alaska
99501, or fax to (907) 258-6177 or email to
[email protected] ; A second or third opportunity is available with Grist Magazine to fill the
positions of assistant editor or development
director. If interested,
http://www.gristmagazine.com/about/jobs.asp
A RESEARCH ASSISTANT IS NEEDED AT
THE ECOSYSTEM CENTER AT WOODS
HOLE, MASSACHUSETTS. Duties include
field measurements, initiation and maintenance
of laboratory experiments on CH4 uptake kinetics, and preparation of samples for molecular
studies. If interested, send a cover letter, CV,
transcripts, and the names and contact information for three reference to: Marine Biological
Laboratory, ATTN: Human Resources, reference code [RAI PM], 7 MBL Street, Woos Hole,
MA 02543-1015 or email [email protected]
A PHD RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP IS
AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MAINE, ORONO. They are seeking students
with strong interests in carnivore ecology, modeling species-habitat relationships, and GIS. If
interested, contact Daniel J. Harrison, Professor,
Department of Wildlife ecology, 5755 Nutting
Hall, Room 230, University of Maine, Orono,
ME 04469-5755, or email Harri-
[email protected] (B220)
MASTER’S DEGREE REQUIRED
A FACULTY RESEARCH ASSISTANT IN
SILVICULTURE IS NEEDED IN CORVALLIS, OREGON. Duties include developing a
conceptual model assessing the impact of intensive silviculture activities on productivity. If
interested, send an application, resume, examples of publications if available, unofficial copies or transcripts, and two letters of recommendation to: Glenda Serpa, Department of Forest
Science, Oregon State University, 321 Richardson Hall, Corvallis OR 97331-5752. (M50)
AN AQUATIC ECOLOGIST POSITION IS
AVAILABLE IN WESTERN, PA WITH THE
PENNSYLVANIA NATURAL HERITAGE
PROGRAM. Duties include working to assist in
developing a classification for stream systems in
Pennsylvania. If interested, contact Nancy Bassett, SPHR, Senior Director of Human Resources, Box R, Mill Run, PA 15464 or email
[email protected]
A SENIOR ENERGY ANALYST IS NEEDED
IN CALIFORNIA AND THE WESTERN
UNITED STATES WITH THE UNION OF
CONCERNED SCIENTISTS. Duties are to plan
and carry out technical research to assess renewable energy policies and potential. If interested,
submit a cover letter, resume, and a 2-4 page
written sample to: Union of Concerned Scientists, Attn.Energy Analyst Position, 2397 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 203, Berkley, CA 94704 or
email to [email protected] or visit
www.ucsusa.org (M55)
A POSITION IS AVAILABLE FOR A DIRECTOR OF INVASIVE SPECIES WITH THE
NATURE CONSERVANCY. The director is
responsible for program funding, budget administration, monitoring, and more! If interested,
send a cover letter and resume to: Sheila Carmody, The Nature Conservancy, ISI Director
Search Committee 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite
100, Arlington, VA 22203
PhD REQUIRED
COLBY COLLEGE IS SEEKING AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUIES PROGRAM. To apply, send
a letter of application, a statement of teaching an
research interests, CV, three letters of reference,
a representative research publication or working
paper, an teaching evaluation summaries, if
available to: Professor Thomas Tietenberg,
Chair, Environmental Studies Search Committee, 5307 Mayflower Hill Drive, Colby College,
Waterville, Maine 04901. (PhD38)