[LTER-sbc_help] News from The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation

[Hubbard Brook Research Foundation]

 ‌ ‌ Summer 2020 Promoting the understanding and stewardship of forest ecosystems through scientific research and monitoring, policy outreach, and education Beacons of Hope in Dark Times Climate change is fueling extreme weather from coast to coast, around the world, and in New England. With smart policy in mind, HBRF convened a panel of climate experts for a science briefing last month with U.S. Congresswoman Annie Kuster (details below). The final panelist was Tyler Edwards, undergraduate Hubbard Brook researcher from Duke University. As part of HBRF’s Young Voices of Science initiative, Tyler shared her research and her hopes and concerns for the future, including the grim prospect of losing her beloved Outer Banks to sea level rise and the urgent need to empower scientists of color. Tyler was open, knowledgeable, poised, and inspirational.  Tyler made an indelible impression. She reminded us of the potential for vibrant, sincere young scientists to capture our attention about pressing social and environmental issues and to communicate with clarity and conviction. In the midst of so much turmoil, I find hope in: NH lawmakers who prioritize facts; scientists who work in service of environmental issues on the ground; and brilliant young researchers who communicate fearlessly and from the heart. Left: Tyler Edwards screenshot from briefing At HBRF, we are privileged to raise young voices and to share science for solutions. Thank you for believing in this work and for your support. Sincerely, Anthea Lavallee HBRF Executive Director Featured Video Action screenshots from The Moss Storytelling Hour. Clockwise from top left: Matt Ayres, Jenny Bower, Nalini Nadkarni, Lindsey Rustad. Photos: Sarah Garlick "A transformative event that adds a human element to our scientific effort with tremendously positive effects" —Peter Groffman Critics are raving about The Moss Storytelling Hour! In case you missed it, HBRF held its second annual science storytelling event on July 7, 2020, ahead of the Annual Meeting of Scientific Cooperators. The virtual event featured four candid, personal stories on the theme "It Was An Accident!" Three of the storytellers hailed from Hubbard Brook: Lindsey Rustad, Research Ecologist and Team Leader with the US Forest Service; Matt Ayres, Professor of Biology at Dartmouth College; and Jenny Bower, PhD student in the the Plant and Soil Science Department at the University of Vermont. The fourth storyteller, University of Utah Forest Ecologist Nalini Nadkarni, graciously joined us as a guest speaker. In their stories... Lindsey Rustad describes a near miss during the Ice Storm Experiment Matt Ayres pulls out every tool in the box to save his reputation Jenny Bower wrestles with beetles and bias Nalini Nadkarni shares insights from a life-altering accident in the field Click on the names above to watch individual stories. WATCH Photos from the Field (Click to Enlarge) And the award for best dressed goes to...this rosy maple moth! Photo: Alicia Brunner Zoom opens new possibilities; Hannah Vollmer joined the 7/10 Committee of Scientists meeting from the top of Mt. Washington Photo: Hannah Vollmer A brilliant yellow swallowtail enjoys a dandelion snack Photo: Tammy Wooster A luna moth caterpillar moseys along a branch Photo: Amanda Pennino Technician Geoff Wilson stumbled upon this well-camouflaged ovenbird nest Photo: Geoff Wilson Dispatches from the Field From: Alicia Brunner, PhD student, Cornell University July 15, 2020 I had just lowered my binoculars after admiring a female black-throated blue warbler. I had been standing motionless and silent, about fifteen feet from her nest, for the last five minutes. As I turned to walk away from the nest, I came face-to-face with an American marten! With only five feet between the two of us, we simply stared at each another, frozen. Both the marten and I looked left to right, neither knowing which way to go. After a few seconds, the marten spun around and climbed up the trunk of a tree, flicking its tail while continuing to examine me, as you can see in this video. The marten kept climbing and bounced around in the branches, checking me out from different angles while I slowly distanced myself from it. When it finally regained its courage, it ran down the trunk and bounded away. I was stunned! What an unforgettable sighting! After reflecting upon that day, I have a theory for why I was lucky enough to experience such a close encounter. I've spent years attempting to outsmart songbirds and catch them during the non-breeding season (when they are usually quite indifferent to our tactics). Creativity is critical, and I have become accustomed to blending into my surroundings so as to not be noticed by the wise warblers. The day I saw this marten, I was wearing my ever reliable full camouflage field outfit. I became one with the forest that day, and it paid off! Working at Hubbard Brook is full of surprises, and what a fulfilling surprise this was. —Alicia From: Amanda Pennino, PhD student, Virginia Tech August 17, 2020 I am writing from the porch at Pleasant View Farm, after finally being able to visit Hubbard Brook for the first time since February! A lot of my research is focused on measuring how soil water chemistry changes through time and space, based on climatic and local environmental factors (e.g., precipitation amount, soil type, vegetation composition). This means running up into the watershed after a big rain storm, lugging a huge pump around the forest with me to take water samples from our well network. While the pandemic has certainly thrown a wrench in many people’s research plans, I feel pretty lucky that I’ve been able to work with some of the rich historical datasets from Hubbard Brook when I couldn’t access my site. In fact, working with these data has helped shift and redefine my own research questions. Not surprisingly, the start to my fieldwork season has looked quite a bit different this year. The lilacs have long since bloomed, the streams are in their driest point of the year, and very few people are on site. When I arrived last spring, Hubbard Brook was buzzing with researchers and field technicians from all over the country. I am no longer kept company by the sounds of hiking boots running down the stairs in the morning, laughter from community dinners, or a guitar on the porch. This year, I am kept company by a gaggle of turkeys that have taken a liking to the front yard at Pleasant View. Turkeys at Pleasant View One of many dry creeks at Hubbard Brook Due to low winter snowpack and dry weather, New Hampshire is officially in a drought. This is less than ideal for someone trying to measure water chemistry. Even after Hurricane Isaias, I still was only able to collect deep groundwater; the shallow wells remained dry. I’ve been keeping myself busy conducting soil depth surveys and cleaning up some of the wells that were attacked by bears. I plan on coming back to Hubbard Brook to water sample in October, when it is more reliably wet. Pandemic, drought, bears… the spring and summer of 2020 have given me some big lessons on adaptation and optimism. We are living in a world with a tremendous amount of uncertainty, but with some creativity and flexibility our science will continue to flourish! —Amanda Outreach Highlight A screenshot from the July 23 panel with Representative Annie Kuster Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined a panel of Hubbard Brook researchers and leaders on July 23 for a discussion about climate change research. Topics included ice storms; the environmental and economic consequences of "winter weather whiplash;" carbon management scenarios that consider equitable air quality; and the barriers that students of color face in pursuing STEM careers. “Hubbard Brook is such an asset to our region and has been instrumental in helping us understand how climate change is already having an effect right here in New Hampshire,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I appreciate the opportunity to hear from the Hubbard Brook team...I look forward to sharing what I heard today with leaders in New Hampshire and my colleagues in Congress as we continue working to combat climate change and protect our environment.” READ MORE Hubbard Brook Researchers in the News  Making Your Own Ice Storm Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists How Air Pollution and Climate Change Connect NHPR How Forests Can Improve Health and Slow Climate Change NHPR In case you missed it: Twitter Chat Q&A transcript on climate change, warmer forests Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Kuster hosts virtual climate change roundtable with Hubbard Brook scientists, leaders Nashua Telegraph Ian Halm Completes 28th Season of Firefighting Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest Site Manager Ian Halm recently spent a few weeks traveling out West with his family. Almost as soon as the Halms got home to New Hampshire, Ian turned right back around—this time, to lead a fire suppression module from the White Mountain National Forest. Photos from Ian Halm's recent fire detail The crew of 10 firefighters and their Wildland fire engine drove out to Wyoming, where they were assigned to the Brandel Fire, Lake Creek Fire, and Middle Fork Fire. Later, they drove to the Williams Fork Fire in Colorado. This is the 28th year that Ian has fought fires out West. Welcome back, Ian, and thank you for your incredible work! Announcements Lindsey Rustad, Forest Service Team Leader at Hubbard Brook, is one of 125 IF/THEN ambassadors. The program brings together women from a variety of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers to serve as high-profile role models for middle school girls. This summer the program launched the IF/THEN Collection, a digital library of authentic images and videos of women in STEM for educational and other noncommercial use. Explore the full collection here, or to view Lindsey's page, click here. The Hubbard Brook Cooperators' Meeting was held entirely virtually this year for the first time in its 57 year history. Needless to say, the annual group photo looked a bit different in 2020. Screenshot of participants in the 57th Annual Cooperators' Meeting Photo: Lindsey Rustad As always, thanks for your interest in Hubbard Brook. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, ideas, or suggestions, and help us to spread the word by forwarding this email to a friend. JOIN OUR MAILING LIST VISIT OUR WEBSITE MAKE A DONATION Corporate Sponsors Chester Forest Products Chroma Technology Corp. Durgin & Crowell  Lumber Co., Inc. FORECO LLC King Forest Industries Law Offices of Joyce E. Scott Loveland Forestry The Lyme Timber Company New England Forest Products Northland Forest Products Schiffman, Dattilio & Commpany, P.C. HBRF Trustees Charles Driscoll, Chair, Syracuse University Stan Williams, Vice Chair John Smitka, Secretary   Michael Shoob, Treasurer   Deecie Denison Peter Groffman Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, Brooklyn College Dorothy B. Heinrichs Dartmouth-Hitchcock and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth Ali Jackson Sciencenter Roger Larochelle Squam Lakes Conservation Society Gene E. Likens Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Peter Martin Nicholas Rodenhouse Wellesley College Anant Sundaram Tuck School of Business Dartmouth College  Pamela Templer Boston University  Harriet Van Vleck Lindsey Rustad U.S. Forest Service Anthea Lavallee HBRF Executive Director The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. 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