Raleigh, North Carolina
Caroline Donovan, Alexandra Fries, and Suzi Spitzer attended the 2019 Citizen Science Association Conference last month. Caroline facilitated a roundtable discussion about the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative. Suzi gave a talk about the Citizen Scientist Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Protocol. Alexandra led a workshop on best practices in science communication. There was a screening of the short film, Backyard Wilderness, which was a cool thing to do as part of the conference
Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers
IAN finished developing a new monitoring program for citizen scientists who are interested in monitoring Chesapeake Bay grasses. As part of this effort, we developed a two-tiered monitoring protocol and a training and certification program, and produced a methods manual, standardized data collection sheets, a series of training videos, and a pocket field guide. Check out our blog post to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay SAV Watchers program!
Environment and Society course Fall 2019
This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to various approaches to studying environment and society and provide fundamental background in the theory and practice of coupled human and natural systems.
Check out the course flyer for more info
Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum in Shepherdstown, WV.
IAN was well represented at this year's Chesapeake Watershed Forum. Caroline Donovan, Dylan Taillie, Sky Swanson, Suzi Spitzer, and Nathan Miller presented on IAN-led or IAN-supported initiatives throughout the Chesapeake Watershed. Suzi and Dylan presented posters on their respective graduate research; Nathan presented during a Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative session about data management and interpretation; and Caroline, Dylan, and Sky hosted a session working with stakeholders for the UMCES Chesapeake Bay Report Card to expand the report card with social, cultural, and economic indicators.
CERF Conference in Mobile, Alabama
Multiple IAN scientists presented at the week-long 2019 Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation conference in Mobile, Alabama. Staff chaired several sessions on topics including coastal environmental management, citizen science, and seagrasses. IAN also led two conference workshops on science communication and data synthesis. Presenters included Bill, Heath, Caroline, Katie May, Vanessa, and Suzi. In addition, IAN staff attended the UMCES reunion and manned the UMCES booth, participating in the UMCES selfie contest and survey (see the results here!).
Congratulations, Suzi!
The National Sea Grant College administers one of the country's most prestigious marine policy fellowships, the Knauss Fellowship. Among 2021's fellowship class of accomplished graduate students is IAN's own Suzi Spitzer. As a Knauss Fellow, Suzi will spend a year working in the legislative or executive government on issues related to marine conservation and policy. Congratulations, Suzi, and best of luck!
Attending the virtual Science of Team Science conference
Bill Dennison, Heath Kelsey, and Suzi Spitzer attended the Science of Team Science conference, which utilized virtual session formats to highlight cross-disciplinary collaborative research. Bill spoke about IAN's role as a boundary organization that is helping transition academia to environmental problem solving. Suzi presented part of her dissertation on citizen science, featuring IAN's earlier work in developing a volunteer monitoring program for aquatic grasses in the Chesapeake Bay.
IAN and UMCES get creative during quarantine
To foster a spirit of community, UMCES's Chesapeake Biological Laboratory began a "Creativity Challenge." The UMCES community was asked to take photos that spell UMCES without using any actual letters. The winner of this challenge was IAN graduate student Suzi Spitzer. Great job, Suzi!
SAV watchers
We developed a system for citizen science monitoring of Submersed Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay. Using the new system, volunteers can collect consistent and useful SAV data.