Stories from the Field

Researchers from the NASA funded THELORACS project (THE LORACS stands for Tree Health Evaluated using LiDAR, Optical, and Radar Applications across Coastal Systems) met up in the NC coastal plain to collect field data on inundation and soil chemistry from ghost forests we had identified from space. The story of our field trip was told by reporter James Dineen in Science and the work was motivated by the PhD dissertation work of Henry Yeung of UVA
https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/science.aec7428

"A bunch of SWISLR enthusiasts all met up at a coastal summer camp and ate s’mores and kayaked. We played games and shared our stories. We renewed our excitement for science. We saw dolphins off the pier. We saw the ghost trees of the ghost forests. We talked out complex problems. We made new connections and Karen from Harker’s island made me cry. We came up with some really exciting new projects. We worked really hard. We learned about the struggles of local communities. We met some amazing artists. We sparked new ideas. We heard emotional stories and shared stories of our own. We started projects we will keep on working on together. We thought about salt in a lot of different places and created a SWISLR community! We embraced inter-disciplinary work and we made plans to continue this work into the future. We shared fun personal stories about fieldwork around the campfire. Enjoyed nerding out and wish there was more archery. We learned about the environmental conditions at Camp Don Lee where we were staying. Baby Quinn put her toes in the water and the sand for the first time. And it was awesome!"