About my work
I am beginning a new career in conservation at The Nature Conservancy in Michigan, USA, as a technician for the Blue Accounting Coastal Wetlands program. Blue Accounting is an initiative that was created in response to a call from both the U.S. and Canadian governments for a more efficient way to account for progress from investments in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin. At this time, the focus areas on Blue Accounting include coastal wetlands, aquatic invasive species, source water, ErieStat (phosphorus levels in Lake Erie), and maritime transportation. I work with the coastal wetlands team to identify metrics for measuring progress, research the literature, write and publish material on the site, and update our content. Some of the ecological metrics I’ve worked on include a wetland breeding birds index, wetland breeding amphibians index, and the acreage of wetlands that are being protected, restored, or enhanced around the Great Lakes. I’m currently working to help develop socioeconomic metrics, such as the relationship of coastal wetlands to flood impacts on Great Lakes coastlines.
Why IAGLR?
Early this year, I collaborated with our team to create two presentations for the IAGLR 2020 conference related to our work on the socioeconomic benefits of coastal wetland projects. I was delighted when it turned out I could attend due to the conference going virtual. I enjoyed the variety and diversity of presentations from around the world. I also learned that access to IAGLR's Journal of Great Lakes Research could help me in my background research for Blue Accounting’s Coastal Wetlands metrics. So I joined IAGLR, and I am excited to learn more about current happenings and research in all of the world’s Great Lakes. As I grow professionally, I hope to stay a member of IAGLR and continue to discover new opportunities.