#directedresearch

[magdolenedykstra-blog]

Spring 2018

This blog tracks my Directed Research with Jason Hackett, Studio Manager of the VCU Crafts & Material Studies Department.

[wallabymolly-blog]

The home stretch: life post class

Here it is. The home stretch. 2 months of class 6 days a week, 3 mini research projects, and 2 big field trips have passed. 3 midterms, 3 finals, 2 papers, and so much else is done. Today marks the end of the first two weeks of "Directed Research" time. A time when normalcy goes to the dogs, you don't see people for days on end, and its all about DATA COLLECTION. I've spend these 2 weeks with 4 other students working on projects with our Socio economic values professor. We've traveled to 4 places, and interviewed over 250 people all told. The rest of my group has been doing tourist interviews. I however have embarked on an independent project looking at how effective the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area management regime is. I've talked with business owners, rangers, government officials, community leaders and aboriginal elders to try and get a feel for how things are working around here. It's been fascinating to hear all the stories and opinions. It's been sad to hear tales of mismanagement. It's been encouraging to hear tales of successes and its been eye opening to hear people who have lived in this area for years and years still wax poetic about the beauty and wonder and uniqueness of this rainforest. These next two weeks will be full of writing and trying to enjoy my last 3 (OMG!) weeks in this beautiful place. Research, 20 odd pages of writing and less than a month are all that remain between me and the end of this all.