Backpacking through the Chugach Mountains, Alaska
Hi there everyone! Welcome to the 2013 Hubbard Brook REU blog! My name is Aubrey and I’m from good ol’ New Hampshire. I am a rising senior at St. Olaf College out in Northfield, Minnesota majoring in both Environmental Studies (social science) and Studio Art with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. I love to hike, so one of my goals for the summer is to hike as many weekends as possible. I’m also a big fan of peanut butter cookies, wool socks, and ultimate Frisbee.
REU Project: Socioeconomic and Lake Ecosystem Services on Mirror Lake
This summer I will be spending my time researching how the residents and users of Mirror Lake value its services economically. My goal is to get an estimate on peoples’ willingness to pay for ecosystem services (ranging from recreation to climate regulation, etc.) and how willingness to pay is related to knowledge of the lake, length of time spent living in the watershed, and other demographic information. Gaining an understanding of how watershed residents and lake users value the space monetarily would assist future researchers in determining the overall economic value of the lake and also would help town legislators determine what sorts of economic aid programs would help in supporting Mirror Lake. When it comes to gauging public opinion, survey techniques are the most effective way to get large quantities of data from a population. Along with Liza Tetley, another REU student, I will be creating and administering a survey for local residents over the next few weeks. Together we will be working to create a foundation of socioeconomic and cultural research to be used in the future. I will be working under the mentorship of Dr. Gene Likens, Dr. Joe Boyer, Dr. Shannon Rogers, and Don Buso. I’m excited to get to know the lake, its residents, and to do some good research!