A Beginning....

These past few days have marked the beginning of quite a few new adventures.

Firstly, I am halfway done with college which is not okay in the least. I do not want to be so far done with college. I feel like there are many, many more things that I want to do and people I want to see and spend time with than I have time for during the year.

Secondly, I am finally up at UNDERC. Now for those of you who do not know what that is, it is the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center which is located up on the border of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Approximately 8000 acres, it is used by scientists from many different schools (although owned by Notre Dame) and is the site of some pretty important work.

Today, we drove by Peter and Paul lakes. These two lakes used to be a single lake until they were separated back in the 50s (?). The systems were then altered and different species of fish were added to one lake and not the other. Then many different variables all throughout the food chain were monitored and trophic cascade ecology was born.

Also, we were able to see from across the lake the building where Father Hesburgh negotiated the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act during the Civil Rights Movement. I might even get to go into that building and hear the story from Father Hesburgh himself sometime while I am here.

Oh, yeah, I am here taking a class and doing my own research for the next 10 weeks. More information about that to come.

Thirdly and perhaps most importantly, I am starting this blog. It will be filled with my adventures that I have up here at UNDERC as I meander my way through this summer covering both my research and school and also the inevitable other adventures that occur when you put 30 undergraduates in a house in the northwoods. Hopefully, it will also extend it's life to include my other adventures this year as I travel to Australia spring semester.

Pictures will come eventually. It is absolutely beautiful up here.

Claire