One of the distinct advantages of working with undergraduates, is the creative, inquisitive energy they bring to the table. This month I threw them into the deep end. I asked them to develop some collaborative research projects, define their contributions to the project, and work with a community partner in a country other than their own. Our hosts at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) graciously accepted the idea of pursuing lines of inquiry that would assist them in delivering their own rural leadership training program and provide insights into the operation of their organic farm on about 9 ha of campus and rented lands. Thus far I have been quite impressed with their determination to pursue lines of inquiry and be challenged by limits on the technology that could be applied to their questions.
The crew of seven students spent the first few days at ARI exploring the landscape, brainstorming project ideas, and talking about their individual and collective interests. What came out of those interactions was two overarching ideas: 1. Systems, subsystems and transfer to of processes and ideas to new locations; and 2. Landscape recovery from the 2011 Daiichi event, with particular interest in the forest-soil relationship.
Some member of the first group are exploring how ARI systems for quick composting (Bokashi) can be modified for a larger African participant group, who use more wheat and maize compared to rice. They created new bokashi recipes from ARI materials, log temperature development in those piles as a measure of their effectiveness, and want to help staff and future ARI participants visualize the organisms that make the system function, including indigenous microorganisms. A few others are creating system diagrams and supporting narratives. One plans to illustrate how all components of maize can be used in different ways at ARI, and the other is examining past participant information regarding system components readily transferred to other countries for small scale hog/pig rearing.
The landscape team got very interested in the continued recovery post the March 2011 Daiichi event. In particular, one student who went to a full-day session on Fukushima at the 2015 American Geophysical Union meeting, was very interested in movement of radioactive material in the soil system. Others wanted to know how much of these radioisotopes were still present in the forest canopy. Rather than climbing tall trees, we retooled to look at the forest floor litter – upper most surface (recent growth) and the litter-soil interface (older growth). Our Japanese colleagues at the ARI Becquerel Center have provided valuable assistance to use in sample preparation and specifications for using their equipment. It is a wonderful story – how local retired scientists with expertise in nuclear medicine have been partnering with ARI to analyze food and landscape samples for the last four years and plan to operate for at least ten years. Lastly we have set up a few camera traps to help our ARI friends understand other organisms that use the landscape or that might be of concern for their animal rearing programs. Within a few days, we captured some predators lurking near one of the chicken houses!
I am quite excited to see what kinds of stories the resulting data, analysis, and synthesis reveal. Right now I think our community partner will be very pleased as will these young women and men doing the work! Enjoy the images of our collaborative learning journey.
