Human+Nature Blog

Maple syrup -- global science shows it's not just for breakfast

Aug. 25, 2015

James Roche is a member of the Hal and Jean Glassen Scholars Program working with the Michigan Sea Grant Extension Program Office.

Some would argue that the ultimate goal for the human condition is understanding. If we could truly understand how the world works and interacts, maybe then we could find the answers to the biggest issues we face.

During my time with Michigan Sea Grant Extension here at MSU I have tried to do just using the telecoupling framework developed here at MSU by Jianguo "Jack" Liu. Telecoupling seeks to examine the environmental and socioeconomic systems that occur in local areas and how our global interaction over long distances must be understood in order to develop a more sustainable world. In my first attempt to apply telecoupling to the Great Lakes, I turn to the mainstay of any great breakfast, maple syrup.

Being a part of the attraction

Aug. 12, 2015

Anna Herzberger is an MSU Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability doctoral student studying Chinese at Peking University the summer of 2015. She hails from the farmlands of Virginia, Ilinois.

After being in China long enough to maneuver public transportation and understand a few basic phrases in Chinese, I was ready to head out and see the sights.

Healing with animal companions

Aug. 4, 2015

Thomas Connor is a first-year PhD student studying with Jack Liu. He's spending his summer doing field work in and around Wolong, China.

I have now been in China for almost two months, and realized I have not written any updates for quite some time. Perhaps this is because they would be too depressing! I unfortunately injured my knee a few weeks ago crashing a moped which brought my fieldwork to a halt, and when I tried to salvage the situation by working some in a lab I learned that I needed a finalized agreement before I could continue studying there. It was for the best anyway as even small amounts of walking in a day caused pain and soreness.

Anna and the soybean talk

Aug. 3, 2015

Ironically, after almost two weeks in China I still haven’t had any tea. I have dined in homes and in restaurants, with young and older people but have not encountered this elusive cornerstone of Chinese culture. However, I have encountered many products made from soybeans (黃豆).

That which doesn't kill you...

July 23, 2015

I am learning how to fail honorably.

I traveled half way around the world to study the Chinese language and make connections that would be helpful throughout my graduate research. Much to my surprise and a little to my dismay, the most applicable skill I am learning from this journey is how to fail.

The quest for panda poo (first day in the field)

Thomas Connor is a first-year PhD student studying with Jack Liu. He's spending his summer doing field work in Wolong, China.

July 27, 2015

(Editor's note: This blog was written in mid-June, but held captive by limited internet access)

Yesterday was my first day venturing into the field to collect fecal samples for later genetic analysis. I hope to conduct a non-invasive genetics survey of Wolong Nature reserve and the surrounding areas to determine movement patterns and population structure at a reserve-network scale and determine some of the effects of human development and protection efforts on pandas.

New advice to benefit muskies and pike

Joe Nohner is a CSIS PhD student who's studying largemouth bass, specifically how habitat helps baby largemouth survive and grow, and the socioeconomic factors that influence landowners’ habitat management choices. He's also a passionate fisherman who aims to understand the layers and layers of complexity to solve ecosystem problems. This is an excerpt from Joe's blog, Fishing for Habitat.

Michigan Lakefront Property Owner Survey

Caring about the price of tea in China

June 23, 2015

I have probably heard the old saying “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” a hundred times. Growing up, my parents would use it to denote that something was irrelevant, unconnected, removed or the furthest thing possible from the current subject matter. “Tea” here was generic. My parents could have been saying “What does that have to do with the price of soybeans in China?” This might have made more sense considering we are a fourth-generation farming family and this is where the story gets interesting.

Search