Course Work

For two years I have been a part of Ithaca College’s Non-Timber Forest Products Class. This course involves running a student company along with 20 students called South Hill Forest Products. Students are expected to create the products, market them, interact in a professional way with other experts in the fields, and share the values of non-timber forest products with the greater Ithaca community. Our company produces 100% all natural, pure Maple Syrup, log-grown Shiitake Mushrooms, Oyster Mushrooms, and 100% pure Honey. Our company aims to provide high quality products while focusing on sustainable use of our forest’s resources. All happens in our lab at Ithaca College and in the Ithaca College Natural Lands. Our equipment is sourced as locally as possible and our products our sold to the Ithaca community and local restaurants. We aim to establish strong relationships with other local producers of the same nature.

After my first semester with South Hill Forest Products I was offered the task of improving our current facilities, researching and improving upon our current production methods. My primary focus has to been to develop a production technique for growing our own mushroom spawn and growing culture. Through these experiences, I have gained invaluable culture techniques. Now our facility consists of anywhere from 10 to 20 bags and we were able to plan for near continuous fruiting bags. We were able to produce nearly 50 pounds of mushrooms, much of which were sold to local restaurants in the Ithaca area.

Additionally, I played a pivotal role in the maple syrup production. Having taken the class before, I was a team leader in the production of maple syrup. I was responsible for ending the maple syrup boils, scheduling 20 plus students, ordering new equipment, and writing instruction manuals for the future class.

I wrote and received a Commit to Change Grant to help our business improve its production of maple syrup. With the implementation of solar lights at our sugarbush, we were able to boil sap at any time of day improving our rate of production. In 2013, our compact produced 15.5 gallons of maple syrup.

I was also the chair of the Maple Syrup Open House Committee. Every year, South Hill Forest Products hosts and open house to teach community members about our syrup operation. I was in charge of scheduling 20 plus students, organizing activities, and advertising the event.

I gained great experience in the production of all of these products, experience as a leader in a business, knowledge of the ecological roles of each of these products, and valuable skills in running a business while coordinating many different employees with erratic schedules. Below are links to various websites to South Hill Forest Products.

What is ecotoxicology?

Ecotoxicology is s mix of ecology, toxicology, physiology, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, and mathematics. It looks at the impacts of contaminants including pesticide on individuals, populations, natural communities, and ecosystems. ecotoxicologists also study what happens to pesticides themselves, where they go in the environment, how long they last, and how they finally break down.

The class focused on aquatic communities. We got hands on experience catching and identifying macroinvertebrates, electrofishing, and freshwater fish identification. Through this course I have gained invaluable skills in interpreting results and experimental design. In the lab we got experience doing toxicity testing such as EROD activity. For example, my research team and I proposed, designed, and carried out an aquatic toxicological study on Zebra Mussels and lead. For the design, I calculated all necessary numbers and proportions, and collected and prepared the samples to be analyzed.

The goal of this class was to mimic the process of getting funding for research while in graduate school. I acquired skills in field-based, real-world applications of sampling, surveying, and statistical analysis techniques, with an emphasis on environmental problem solving skills. This class covered both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques

I designed a study, wrote a research proposal, and gave a presentation on my research tropic: will adding mycelium to the soil to increase plant heath of tomatoes. The presentation I gave and the proposal I wrote was one of the top three in the class, and it was awarded funding to help carry out the research. To read my full research proposal please click here.