Examining Social Capital and Whiteness in a University Community Engagement Network

University place-based community engagement initiatives often draw upon diverse stakeholders and organizations. However, these initiatives often uphold systems and structures rooted in Whiteness and oppression. Drawing from Critical Race Theory and social capital theory, this study examined Whiteness, network structure, value, and trust within the Seattle University Youth Initiative (SUYI) Network. The results suggested that the SUYI network had a moderate to high degree of value, where institutional partners were perceived as having significantly more value than nonprofit partners in the network. Additionally, the SUYI network was found to have a high degree of trust, where nonprofits were viewed as slightly more trustworthy than institutions. The discussion examines how Whiteness might influence the relationships and resource sharing across the SUYI Network. The paper concludes with several recommendations for the CCE related to their strategies of building the capacity of systems and individuals, resourcing community partners, and pursuing anti-racist methodologies

Improving Reference Service with Evidence

As part of an assessment process, reference statistics in an academic library were examined over a twenty-year period and revealed steep declines in the numbers of reference questions asked. To attempt to halt or reverse this slide a number of interventions were attempted, including improved signage, outreach to patrons, and increased availability of chat reference. Increasing chat reference was clearly effective; the other interventions showed more modest success

Interview with Bonnie Nelson

An interview with former one-room school house teacher Bonnie Nelson.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/ors/1000/thumbnail.jp

A novel method to optimise the utility of underused moulted plumulaceous feather samples for genetic analysis in bird conservation.

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Conservation Genetics Resources. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12686-019-01117-8Non-invasive sampling methods are increasingly being used in conservation research as they reduce or eliminate the stress and disturbance resulting from invasive sampling of blood or tissue. Here we present a protocol optimised for obtaining usable genetic material from moulted plumulaceous feather samples. The combination of simple alterations to a ‘user-developed’ method, comprised of increased incubation time and modification of temperature and volume of DNA elution buffer, are outlined to increase DNA yield and significantly increase DNA concentration (W = 81, p <0.01, Cohens’s d= 0.89). We also demonstrate that the use of a primerless Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique increases DNA quality and amplification success when used prior to PCR reactions targeting avian mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A small amplicon strategy proved effective for mtDNA amplification using PCR, targeting three overlapping 314-359bp regions of the cytochrome oxidase I barcoding region which, when combined, aligned with target-species reference sequences. We provide evidence that samples collected non-invasively in the field and kept in non-optimal conditions for DNA extraction can be used effectively to sequence a 650bp region of mtDNA for genetic analysis

A review of tropical dry forest ecosystem service research in the Caribbean – gaps and policy-implications

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are globally threatened, yet remain poorly studied. In the Caribbean, the most biodiverse of island biodiversity hotspots, TDFs have structural properties distinct from the Neotropical mainland and are important to local communities for ecosystem services. We undertook a systematic review (n = 186) of ecosystem services literature of Caribbean TDF. Only 19.89% qualified for inclusion, with the majority (56.76%) from primary literature. Research on supporting services (31.14%), particularly primary production was predominant. Most studies (70.97%) took a biophysical perspective and quantification focused on the supply of ecosystem services (43.00%), while measurement of wellbeing benefits were uncommon. Geographic coverage of all studies was patchy originating from only nine of 28 independent countries and dependent territories. Our findings highlight a lack of research, while accentuating the value of grey literature in quantifying cultural services. Of concern, are gaps in air- and water-related services and the importance of TDF to human health. To move from biophysical assessments to a broader portfolio of ecosystem services studies, research on Caribbean TDF should be collaborative and strategic. Such gaps and research biases suggest opportunities for evidence-led policy-making. These lessons are relevant for mainstreaming ecosystem services into decision-making in Small Island Developing States

Using \u27big data\u27 to explain visits to lakes in 17 US states

We use large dataset on US lakes from 17 states to estimate the relationship between summertime visits to lakes as proxied by social media use and the lakes\u27 water quality, amenities, and surrounding landscape features and socioeconomic conditions. Prior to estimating these relationships we worked on 1) selecting a parsimonious set of explanatory variables from a roster of more than 100 lake attributes and 2) accounting for the non-random pattern of missing water quality data. These steps 1) improved the interpretability of the estimated visit models and 2) widened our estimated models\u27 scope of statistical inference. We used Machine Learning techniques to select parsimonious sets of explanatory variables and multiple imputation to estimate water quality at lakes missing this data. We found the following relationships between summertime visits to lake and their attributes across the 17-state region. First, we estimated that every additional meter of average summer-time Secchi depth between 1995 and 2014 was associated with at least 7.0% more summer-time visits to a lake between 2005 to 2014, all else equal. Second, we consistently found that lake amenities, such as beaches, boat launches, and public toilets, were more powerful predictors of visits than water quality. Third, we also found that visits to a lake were strongly influenced by the lake\u27s accessibility and its distance to nearby lakes and the amenities the nearby lakes offered. Finally, our results highlight the biased results that big data -based research on recreation can generate if non-random missing observation patterns in the data are not corrected