(water splashing) (soft upbeat music)
-: This summer, I get to work on an undergraduate
research project, the Niobrara River Project.
And so basically, I'm working on sampling
algae in the river and that basically can kinda help
us identify the water quality on the Niobrara River.
This is important to me because it helps me
really understand the human interactions
with our natural ecosystems.
(people cheering)
That's something that I've always been interested in
is knowing how human activity or recreation
just impacts our environment.
And this really gives me that tangible experience
to understand that better.
(water splashing)
Environmental studies was a major I decided to pursue,
because I find nature just so rejuvenating.
And I felt the need to basically discover
how to help it and protect it.
I'm gonna go over there I think so.
Right now we are doing our second trip out
to the Niobrara River.
And we are picking out 17 sites,
ranging from like low human activity and impact,
to moderate, to heavy human impact.
(water bubbling)
And basically I get to pick up rocks,
or sample some bedrock or sand, and look at algae.
And basically just see how those different impact areas,
affect how that algae can grow.
-: There's a lot of tourism that happens in the river.
There's still a lot of cattle ranching
that happens around it.
And so we're here to study
to see how the water quality actually is,
and how it changes with different land use types.
One of the really exciting things for me,
is to work with undergraduate students.
I think it's such a fascinating opportunity,
to get students out in the field,
to learn something about the environment around them.
And to give them the chance to learn
the scientific method in a very hands-on way.
And the U Care program helps sponsor that,
and gives students a bit of salary support
so that they can be out and doing research projects.
-: Dr. Corman is definitely a mentor to me,
because it's really easy to just be in the field,
or in the lab, and just kind of have her critiques,
and just helping you along to figure out what you're doing.
Especially for me since this is my first
field research project.
-: As an under graduate,
perhaps the most profound experience I had
was a summer research experience.
And it really instilled in me a passion
for doing research,
and the importance of outdoor experiences.
And that's part of my drive to give those experiences
to the students that I mentor as well.
(water bubbling)
-: The hardest part is actually been
just fighting the current.
So a lot of times with like collecting samples,
I gotta hold things steady.
I gotta find proper footing,
and it's hard to not kinda get pushed back
by the current constantly.
So I'm definitely getting a workout
while I'm out here collecting samples.
I get to do the fun thing
of taking those back to the lab.
I get to analyze them for chlorophyll content.
We get to weigh them.
And then my favorite part;
I get to look at em' under the microscope,
and identify different diatoms, and things like that
and just kinda understand the biodiversity out here.
(water bubbling)
I was really excited to do
the Environmental Studies program at UNL.
I really wanted to get a really good big 10 education.
And basically Nebraska
is a very geographically unique state.
Not a lot of people know that.
And so getting to kinda do research across the state,
has helped me see even more
than I probably would have on my own.
And I love to tell people about it,
and just how exciting and different it can be out here.