The Start

                For as long as I can remember I have been interested in the natural world. I grew up hiking in the White Mountains. My parents introduced me to the wonderful world of hiking and camping. It didn’t take long for me to develop a deep passion for the wilderness. Day hikes turned into overnight hikes and multi-day camping trips. Soon my friends and I were bagging 4000ft peaks on a regular basis. Hiking and camping lead me to pursue mountain biking, canoeing, rock climbing, and snowboarding. It didn’t take long for all my hobbies to revolve around wilderness.

                These hobbies allowed me to explore wide tracts of natural places. At first I appreciated the scenery provided by the trees, rugged mountain tops and pristine waterways. Unfortunately I didn’t know much about the plants, animals, mushrooms and microorganisms within these natural systems. At the University of Vermont it seemed like an easy decision to pursue an environmentally related major.  Through these classes I began learning about the birds, animals, mushrooms, and plants of the northeast. It was this knowledge that led to an even greater appreciation of these amazing places.

                While I learned a lot about individual components of ecosystems it wasn’t until later in college that I began receiving the bigger picture. The upper level classes began laying the foundation for the bigger picture. I liked these classes because they explained how important the relationships were between the separate parts of the system. Before such classes it wasn’t clear why a certain species was important. A bird may be pretty; however, I wondered how the ecosystem would be altered without it. Initially I believed the bird to be insignificant and only to play a small role in the ecosystem. After taking a class entitled Eastern Wilderness my perspective was significantly changed. Removal of small roles can result in cascading changes throughout the ecosystem. I’ve studied the concept of Keystone predators in Yellowstone, Colorado and a number of other places, which has allowed me to truly appreciate the impacts that one species can have.

                In addition to looking at systems in a larger perspective I have developed an interest in GIS and the ability to model, manipulate and present data. Ecosystem Ecology seemed to be the perfect fit to blend my interests. In this class I hope to learn skills that allow me to effectively communicate and alter policies. It will be exciting to further explore the modeling capabilities of Dynamica.