1st LENS workshop
The Landscape Exchange Network for Socio-environmental systems (LENS) had its first workshop May 4–6 at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) in Annapolis, Maryland. This is the first in-person workshop hosted by the Integration and Application Network since the pandemic started, although some joined us virtually for the presentations.
On the first day of the meeting, participants from various institutions across the U.S. visited a stream restoration project and a managed field within the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Airborne Observation Platform (AOP) site at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). Back at SESYNC, participants heard from various speakers and took part in breakout sessions to discuss translational ecology approaches, identify data and methods relevant to socio-environmental systems, and to discuss the future of LENS. Having only met virtually for the past two years, the kitchen at SESYNC bubbled with conversation as participants had coffee and shared their passion for the interaction between the natural and social systems. Parts of the event will be posted to the LENS website. LENS is an NSF Research Coordination Network that hopes to support research that integrates the high-resolution remotely sensed data from the NEON AOP to address socio-environmental research questions. If you want to learn more about LENS visit our website and consider subscribing to our newsletter.