#background and now people are saying to me 'I know you're a data scientist and not a programmer' sir I am a computer scientist

[aeolianblues]

I'm not an extrovert. At all. In everyday life, I'm a yapper, sure, but I need someone to first assure me I am okay to yap, so I don't start conversations, even when I really want to join in sometimes! It's just the social anxiety acting up. God knows where from and why I lose a lot of my inhibitions when it comes to talking to people about music. I don't know where the confidence has suddenly sprung from. I've made a crazy amount of friends in musical circles, either just talking to people about common music or (since it is after all in music circles) talking to bands about their own music. I let out a sigh of relief any time an interaction goes well, because in truth it's going against my every instinct. I wish I could do that in everyday life

[theexhaustedmermaid]

Y'know, I've been doing water quality and freshwater monitoring work for years now. And I have to say, it's difficult to not get disappointed. I work so hard to clean a stream or creek only to find a shit ton of sediment and pollution in it the next month because dickwad developer decided that the forest was a perfect place to put luxury apartments or a gigantic cop training facility.

Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother with ecology and conservation biology if someone richer and more powerful than I will just tear it all down. But I realize I have an important roll in helping process data. We could use the information on biodiversity and pollution to somehow bring attention and maybe grant protection. I sometimes feel as though it will never be enough though.

Now I know what your thinking, "thatsleepymermaid, your entire blog is ocean themed what are you doing tromping in a forest in a landlocked city" and I must remind you all water ways lead to the sea. Whatever happens to these streams and creeks eventually makes their way to the ocean. But that's not important for my post right now.

I get disappointed when people tell me "I don't have a science background so I can't do anything to help the environment" or "you need a PhD" because you don't! Saving the planet starts by taking direct action right in your back yard. My current fresh water/forest research is depending so much on citizen scientists. Joe schmoe down the street might not get special permits to enter Weelaunee but the sure as hell can track the pollution down stream. And you know what us water scientists do with that data? We compare it, process it, and publish it so we can use it to protect areas.

I guess my point in this is saying thank you citizen scientists for allowing me to continue my research on Atlanta forests. If my grant gets approved I may be able to save more of the forests and creeks. You're doing more than you think entering your data in inaturalist and Merlin than you realize.