Hi everyone! This week I gave a presentation of my PhD research for the Natural Resources Science and Management (NRSM) graduate student seminar here at the University of Minnesota. My research is based at the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) experiment located in northern Minnesota. ASCC is a national, collaborative effort with multiple study sites across the United States, focusing on adapting forests for climate change.

I am particularly interested in how these management treatments will respond to and interact with drought, especially from a seedling perspective. For example, will management strategies focused on resistance, resilience, and transition be effective in supporting our future forests if there is more severe drought? I am also looking at the effects of timing of drought and the lasting impacts of drought (legacies) across multiple seasons, and how management treatments interact with these questions. This work builds on some of the drought-related questions I pursued in my Masters, and looks at how drought impacts seedlings in a forest setting. My hope is that this work will help provide some real-world, on-the-ground answers for the future of our forests! 

It was recorded, and you can watch it the video below! I would love it if you gave it a look! Thank you!

P.S. My presentation also features some of my artwork. : ) 

This past weekend, I had the very exciting opportunity to participate in an art festival for the first time, the Corvallis Fall Festival! When I moved to Corvallis to begin graduate school at OSU two year's past, and attended the Corvallis Fall Festival, I began to hope that I could participate in a future year. An art festival is something that has hovered in my aspirations for years, though I never imagined it could come to fruition. It was always a lofty goal that seemed out of reach. Growing up in Minneapolis, ever since I was very young I would attend the Uptown Art Fair each year and marvel at the amazing artwork. So it seemed impossible that my art could ever compare! Or that I would ever be accepted, having never done a show before.

I have such huge gratitude to the Corvallis Fall Festival, and especially to its directors, for allowing me this opportunity! They helped me so much. It was truly a life-long goal of mine, and they were so supportive of me. As a young and aspiring artist, it is such a huge step to have had this experience and so I will always remain grateful. Thank you so much!!

I also have huge gratitude to my aunt Diane, who flew all the way from Minnesota out to Oregon to be my helper. She was really amazing support to me. She is by far one of my biggest fans, and has given me endless love and support over the years. I'd also like to thank my Master's advisor, who has always been so enthusiastic and supportive of my art. As well as all the friends who stopped by!

As this was my very first experience doing an art festival, I was quite nervous! Especially about setting up a booth! It takes a lot of work! And many weeks of preparation and fervid painting. Trying to figure out the panels, getting enough art produced, displaying it properly, setting up the tent... it all seemed so intimidating! But fortunately, it all came together. I was so pleased.

I had really hoped that I might sell a few paintings. Unfortunately, it was not to be, though I did sell some postcard packets highlighting my paintings. However, it was so amazing to hear the kind words and compliments that folks gave. It was quite surreal that I was in the place of those artists I've spent my life admiring!! That my work seemed to stand up! My favorite moments were when people would drift by, look up, and say "wow" or "look at that!" "beautiful!". I remember one woman stopping and exclaiming wow! Many people drifted by, or looked in. Not as many people came up to look closely at my paintings as I might have wished -- but a few did. And that is always one of the biggest compliments one can give me. Most of my life and childhood, I would go up to look closely at art, wondering how it was painting, inspired by it, enjoying the painting. A couple of kids and young people did this with my art! That made me very happy.

Another favorite moment was in the morning, just before the second day of the festival was about to start. An amazing watercolor artist, whose work I have admired both years I've visited the Fall Festival, came up to my booth and chatted with me, and complimented my work! He complimented my style, told me that it is very unique, and complimented the paintings. Wow! Wow! I was so thrilled!! It was so kind of him.

Although preparing for the Fall Festival and the festival weekend itself took a LOT of work and energy, I learned a lot. I learned how to perhaps better set up my booth in the future if I do other events, and got some lovely feedback from festival-goers and artists, as well as many kind friends who came to see my booth. I want to thank the Corvallis Fall Festival, and particularly its directors (especially its executive director and assistant director, who are both such fantastic people!!!). Thank you for taking a chance on me! I hope I get to do another art festival, or another art show, in the future!

A couple more little sketches from my Flora of the Pacific Northwest class. The best way to learn something in detail is to tediously replicate it. Gotta love botanizing! : )

From June 23rd to July 22nd, I biked 2,000 miles across the U.S.A following the route of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would transport oil from the oil sands of Alberta to the Texas. I biked in protest of this. You can read more about the pipeline and my stance here, and you can read my daily journal from the 29 days of biking here. We covered 7 states (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana) with an average of 70 miles per day starting in Houston TX and ending in Canada crossing at Morgan MT. An experience of a lifetime to be sure!

ANNNND, below I present the video that I compiled during the long ride.