FALL ECOLOGY

Place-Based Ecology I Reflection: Science Identity

I had rarely felt comfortable or prepared in Natural Science classes leading up to MOSS because I’d never experienced science learning experiences in a way where concepts were described in the cool ways they deserve to be, or in ways that I could understand. Whether it was moving too quickly for my own pace, or feeling out of place compared with my peers who understood without aggressive contextualization and clarifying questions - I simply felt inadequate while always remaining curious. After growing confidence in my science-writing and process over the course of Place-based Ecology 1, and closing loops on science concepts I had abandoned in high school (so THAT’S PHOTOSYNTHESIS!) I chose to focus my ecological research project on Carbon Fixation as Wood Growth in Douglas fir and grand fir trees using Jan Eitel’s point-dendrometer data collection already in-progress.
Jan helped me select this topic knowing I was interested in the Carbon Cycle and Net Ecosystem Productivity as they relate to the larger question: “how much can nature-based solutions be used to combat climate change?” Like any good research experience, the investigation led to more questions about how trees store carbon and may change in the future, than answers relating to “just how many trees do we need to plant to make climate change chill?”
Ultimately, after struggling to shrink questions down to a size that can be studied, I learned that I’m the kind of scientist who is fascinated by the big picture. While it can be difficult to conduct an experiment to determine the true value of photosynthesis at a global scale; or determine the exact timeline of the changing climate into the future based on every change in parts-per-million of CO2, I can investigate the tiny elements of those systems, such as wood growth or weather, and wonder what those tiny inquiries become at a global scale, the big picture.
The easiest way to describe what I mean might be like describing the paintings of George Seurat, a celebrated pointilist. Pointillism is the style of making images entirely out of small dots in varied colors, rather than, say, brush strokes. When viewed up close, the dots - layered in different colors - look abstract and unrelated; but upon zooming out, to the big picture, the dots interact to form the colors and tones and shadows of an entire scene. Without the tiny experiments on the finer details of the world around us (the dots), there wouldn’t necessarily be a big picture, at least not one that could be seen so clearly. So, my identity as a scientist on an abstract or... spiritual level... is that on scales large and small - experiments, investigations, inquiries, and education are all acts of passionate artistry. The final product of these acts may look different from a painting or sculpture, but they are beautiful, nonetheless. I am a scientist who makes art, or at least that is my hope.