THE ADVANTAGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN OUR BACK YARD:

The Belgrade Lakes watershed in south-central Maine is an ideal site for the investigation of the geological and geochemical processes that operate within small watersheds. We are currently conducting a large-scale, interdisciplinary research project that involves evaluating the chemistry of the lake water, documenting the nature of the lake sediments, and characterizing the interactions between the wetlands and the lakes. Our ultimate goal is to understand the dynamics of the watershed on a variety of spatio-temporal scales. The Belgrade Lakes Project was designed with undergraduate students in mind from the outset and our students conduct the majority of the research. In the past two years, 35 students have been involved with the project. We believe that one of the major reasons this program has been so successful is that the field sites are ~20-45 miles from campus and are accessible on a daily basis. We also are able to interact on a regular basis with state institutions and local citizens groups who are invested in the health of the watershed. We will present the details of our long-term research plans, outline student research that has been conducted thus far, and discuss the opportunities we see for future independent student research.