SCIENCE, SYSTEMS, STAKEHOLDERS: USING GEOSCIENCES FOR LANDSCAPE SUSTAINABILITY, ENHANCED BY ECOLOGY OF PLACE

Sustainable management of complex landscape systems is enhanced by diverse stakeholder involvement and interdisciplinary scientific inquiries. The landscapes of college campuses offer place-based opportunities to conduct authentic geoscience research and education about wider sustainability efforts. Paramecium Pond is a constructed wetland that serves as a focal point of Wellesley College Campus and is an example of a system that is ideal for an integrated systems approach to analysis. The pond’s long-term reliance on campus potable water to maintain water levels prompted plans to install a water recirculation pump to reduce this potable water input. Shifting the water source allows inquiry into infrastructure changes and their effects on the pond system and community. We approached studying the pond system in introductory STEM curricula, within research group settings, and as an exemplar of Wellesley College’s nascent Paulson Ecology of Place Initiative, an initiative that defines a campus-wide commitment to conservation, restoration, and engagement with iconic landscapes. To date, we have focused on long-term environmental baseline monitoring using methods that range from constructing management history using archival photographs to real-time data collection and remote sensing with drone imaging. CHNS and XRF analysis of pond sediment cores reveal organic-rich sediments and a high sedimentation rate. Mass balance analysis, using K as a conservative tracer for the treated drinking water and road salt for groundwater, track changes in the pond’s water budget over time and during storm events. Research outcomes highlight the value of integrating divergent data streams and varied inquiry methods. Blending scientific inquiry with sustainable management practices, our work demonstrates a holistic approach with the potential to transform a community’s engagement with landscape sustainability.