Adapting natural resource management to climate change on the Olympic Peninsula

Climate change presents a major challenge to natural resource managers both because of the magnitude of potential effects of climate change on ecosystem structure, process, and function, and because of the uncertainty associated with those potential ecological effects. Concrete ways to adapt to climate change are needed to help natural resource managers take the first steps to incorporate climate change into management and take advantage of opportunities to balance the negative effects of climate change. We initiated a climate change adaptation case study at Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park to determine how to adapt management of federal lands on the Olympic Peninsula to climate change. As a part of the case study process, we conducted a vulnerability assessment that involved a review of available climate model projections to determine likely levels of exposure to climate change on the Olympic Peninsula, and a review of relevant literature and available effects model projections to identify likely climate change sensitivities in each of four focus areas on the Olympic Peninsula, including hydrology and roads, fish, vegetation, and wildlife. We also identified management constraints at the forest and park to evaluate some aspects of institutional capacity to implement adaptive actions. The vulnerability assessment process set the stage for development of adaptation options through scientist-manager workshops. 

The case study process produced concrete adaptation options for Olympic National Forest and Park and illustrated the utility of place-based vulnerability assessments and scientist-manager workshops in adapting to climate change. A key finding of the assessment was that the current general management at the forest and park, with restoration as a primary goal, is consistent with managing for resilience to prepare ecosystems for a changing climate. However, the effort highlighted some potential issues related to climate change that challenge current precepts and management guidelines, and helped to identify new potential actions, and actions that could be increased and re-prioritized. For example, the case study process identified numerous ways to maintain ecosystem function and biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change. However, the looming questions of when to consider assisted migration or when and how to redefine exotic species remain for discussion. Although questions remain, the case study process was an essential first step for Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park in preparing for climate change. The process used and ideas produced can be used to help other natural resource managers in adapting to climate change. 
&#xa

Make It Bright Foundation

Imagine yourself at the age of four or five; picture your biggest worries, your biggest fears. Did these emotions even exist? Would you ever have considered yourself a “survivor” as a toddler? One Colombian boy I interviewed has answered these questions, and surprisingly, he answered yes. Yes, he had substantial worries and fears. Yes, he always has been a survivor. By the time he was a toddler, Andres began to evolve into becoming the person he is today. He had no other choice. He has gone through battles that most people do not encounter throughout their entire lifetime. Andres is a survivor; Andres is an inspiration; Andres is a sixteen year old superman. My conversations with Andres in December of 2011 were the pinnacle moments of my honors project. They instantly brought everything to life. Days before meeting Andres, I had already visited the San Mauricio orphanage in Bogota, Colombia, explored the country’s capital, and started to envision the Make It Bright organization with my faculty advisor, Kim White. However, this initial meeting with Andres impacted my outlook on the focus of the Make It Bright organization. Through my discussions with Andres, I was able to hear firsthand what Make It Bright’s purpose was and the potential it held for the future. I sat down that night, listening to a young boy articulate his story with the integrity and clarity of a grown man, and my perspective on life changed drastically. My honors project focused on co-creating an organization called Make It Bright. This organization directly supports the children of the San Mauricio Orphanage in Bogota, Colombia. The purpose of this project was to bridge the gap between loss, service and the University of Rhode Island community. This was partially achieved by connecting students and faculty to Make It Bright by way of donations, time, and well spent energy. My trip to Colombia also played a large role. The connection between the students and the organization was reinforced in my advisor’s classrooms, where I participated as a mentor in the service components of the courses. In February of 2012 I established Make It Bright as a recognized student senate organization on campus. As a result of this rewarding experience, I have acquired the skills necessary for taking part in a non-profit (501C3) organization, while polishing my organization and communication skills. My project also focused on gaining clinical experience by meeting with the orphanage’s director/founder and psychologist. They facilitated my understanding of the process that children that come to San Mauricio go through, as well as what their work consists of. They were able to talk with me about Andres and his progression from when he entered the orphanage to the time he left as a result of adoption. I then had the opportunity to interact and interview Andres by myself. It was this pivotal experience that made me push forward to do the best I could for this project. Andres wanted his story to be written and I promised to do that for him. After learning about his incredible life, I not only wrote Andres’ journey but I applied it with my firsthand experience and research. I composed a paper discussing the losses specifically related to children losing parents and the process of grieving the child subsequently goes through. I am hopeful that this project will not end after I graduate. I plan to continue to work with Make It Bright as an alumnus. I hope to connect with the new leaders of the group in a mentor capacity; as well as to chaperone to the pending alternative spring break/class trip to San Mauricio in 2013 taught by my advisor. I will continue to work towards keeping both the relationship of loss and service learning alive and well at URI

Funny in a Man\u27s World: Women Comedians\u27 Use of Political Satire at the White House Correspondents\u27 Dinner

Satire and politics are typically considered masculine fields within the societal constructs of the United States. Wanda Sykes and Cecily Strong both navigate these male-dominated worlds with their addresses at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This analysis views these addresses through three rhetorical lenses: feminist standpoint theory, rhetorical citizenship, and rhetorical and political agency. This study explores the way women’s issues in society exposed to various audiences through Sykes’ and Strong’s satirical addresses. Communication scholars have not previously considered both of these addresses; this analysis furthers our understanding of feminist viewpoints being shared to audiences and encouraging audiences to take civic action on issues facing today’s American society

Notes for the Rural Criminologist: Conducting Field Research with Rural Law Enforcement

Drawing primarily on research with law enforcement officers in rural East Texas, this research note explores the practical challenges of conducting qualitative research with rural police and provides tips for successfully overcoming the barriers that arise. Conducting qualitative research in a rural setting, especially with rural law enforcement agencies and officers, presents unique challenges. As with all rural investigations, defining ‘rural’ and identifying a target space to study is the first substantial hurdle. Once a rural community has been identified, the researcher will face issues related to the geographic distance or isolation of their chosen community that can affect their physical access to the research site and data. Traveling to and navigating rural spaces requires extensive preparation that may be easily overlooked if the researcher is accustomed to collecting data in and from urban cities and agencies. Additionally, and perhaps more significantly, challenges involving sociocultural access accompany rural research projects. Regarding law enforcement specifically, the intersection of the rural community’s culture, dense social networks, and an often-distinct occupational police subculture can either be advantageous, or present obstacles, to successful completion of research. Furthermore, the rural researcher must consider their physical and emotional safety when interviewing, engaging, or participating with first responders. Backup may be delayed due to the geographic expansiveness of an agency’s jurisdiction and the fact that few officers are patrolling at a given time, and treatment in the event of a tragic encounter may be limited due to the lack – sometimes simultaneously in quantity and quality – of healthcare facilities and providers

Technology, Transportation, and Scale in the Koyokuk Placer Mining District 1890s - 1930s

The Koyukuk Mining District was one of several northern, turn of the century, gold rush regions. Miners focused their efforts in this region on the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River and on several of its tributaries. Mining in the Koyukuk began in the 1880s and the first rush occurred in 1898. Continued mining throughout the early decades of the 1900s has resulted in an historic mining landscape consisting of structures, equipment, mining shafts, waste rock, trash scatters, and prospect pits. Modern work continues in the region alongside these historic resources. An archaeological survey was completed in 2012 as part of an Abandoned Mine Lands survey undergone with the Bureau of Land Management, Michigan Technological University, and the University of Alaska Anchorage. This thesis examines the discrepancy between the size of mining operations and their respective successes in the region while also providing an historical background on the region and reports on the historical resources present

Fitness a Stronger Exercise Motivator among United States Female Collegiate Exercise Physiology Students compared to Czech Republic

Motivation is significant in influencing behavior change and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Physical appearance, weight control, and fitness enhancement are primary motivators for exercise participation and adherence. Exercise knowledge and cultural influences are less established. The purpose of this study was to compare exercise motivators among collegiate female exercise physiology students from the United States (US) and the Czech Republic (CR). US (N=28; age=21.1±2.2) and CR (N=25; age=20.2±1.5) freshman exercise physiology students from Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA) and Palacký University (Olomouc, CR) volunteered for the study. A secondary analysis was conducted on female participants using body mass index (BMI) and responses from the Motives for Physical Activities Measure-Revised (MPAM-R). MPAM-R results indicated fitness was a stronger motivator than appearance for US. Significant differences were found between fitness and appearance for US (t=-2.195; p=.037). Fitness was greater in US than CR (t=-2.872; p=.008). Appearance differences were not significant. BMI was significant for both fitness (t=15.486; p=.000) and appearance (t=15.867; p=.000) among US and BMI was significant for both fitness (t=29.461; p=.000) and appearance (t=31.578; p=.000) among CR. US female exercise physiology students report fitness as a stronger exercise motivator than appearance, and fitness as a stronger motivator among US compared to CR. Further research is needed to evaluate exercise knowledge and culture as motivating factors for exercise participation and adherence

Potential Effects of Climate Change on Mixed Severity Fire Regimes

The frequency, severity, and extent of wildfire are strongly related to climate, and increasing temperatures with climate change will likely lead to changes in fire regimes in many types of ecosystems. Increased spring and summer temperatures with climate change will result in relatively early snowmelt, lower summer soil and fuel moisture, and longer fire seasons in the West. These conditions will lead to increased fire frequency and extent. Higher temperatures may also interact with vegetation and fuel characteristics to increase fire intensity and severity. Mixed severity fire regimes may be uniquely influenced by these climate-induced changes in the frequency, extent, intensity, and/or severity of fire. For example, more frequent fire may result in more uniform fire return intervals in forest types currently characterized by mixed severity fire regimes, potentially altering fire severity patch structure, and influencing the associated ecosystem response. Changes in fire regimes will likely interact with other disturbance agents, such as insects and drought, resulting in further changes in ecosystems characterized by mixed severity fire regimes. Adapting management for changing fire regimes will be a major challenge for resource managers in the face of climate change. Examples of strategies for adapting to changing fire regimes include increasing resilience at large spatial scales, increasing biological diversity, planning for post-disturbance management, implementing early detection/rapid response, and anticipating big surprises through scenario planning