Dear Ecolog-ers, Thought you might be interested in these two ecology-minded crowdfunding projects. Every donation, no matter how small, gets us closer to our funding goals. Many thanks, -Lee
How Does Communication Training Benefit Scientists? by Jessica Rohde https://experiment.com/projects/how-does-communication-training-benefit-scientists Science can change the world, but only if it is communicated effectively to the public and policy makers. To help scientists better explain why their research matters, we created a communication training program for science grad students. We want all science grad students to have access to communication training. To overcome the critical roadblocks, we will evaluate the benefits of communication training to the careers of our students. Can microorganisms help protect our groundwater from contamination by hydraulic fracturing? by Lee Stanish https://experiment.com/projects/can-microorganisms-help-protect-our-groundwater-from-contamination-by-hydraulic-fracturing There is growing concern over the safety of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking", to extract natural gas. However, the risks to groundwater quality are not clear, and we often lack baseline data or monitoring schemes to protect all groundwater supplies. The goal of this study is to determine if microscopic organisms (microbes) can be used to trace methane contamination in groundwater from natural gas extraction activities. ---------------- Lee Stanish Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Colorado Boulder, CO, 80309 lee.stan...@colorado.edu
