Water Conditions - What's the Story?

     Excessive amounts of algae blooming, waste being dumped, murky gray waters.  What happened to lake Champlain?  This year in the What's the Story program I will be researching and developing my knowledge on the water conditions of lake Champlain, which is noticeably bad.  My interest has peaked over the past few months of hearing about it over the news, but I don't really know a lot about it.  Apparently the water is a mess and the natural ecosystem is being destroyed, which inclines me to believe that not enough work is put into keeping the lake clean.
     I have grown up next to a farm, and I try my hardest to eat locally grown food, food grown by farmers who need to fertilize their fields.  As I have heard, fertilizer is running off fields into the lake, causing algae to grow excessively and cut off all other plants and water-life by using up oxygen.  So does that mean farmers are at fault for the lake's well-fare?  I hesitate to say anything that I am not sure of, but field runoff can't be everything...  It looks like there is another source of the pollution.
     The polluted water is affecting the drinking water, as well as the ecosystem, because the drinking water is pulled from the lake then 'cleaned'.  But it appears that it is not being cleaned enough before use, and there have been accounts of sickness from drinking the water.
     There are a lot of things that the pollution in the water affects, but what is the most important?  What should I focus on these next few weeks during my research?  One of the most intriguing things to me is the way that pollution whirls around beneath the surface, killing off marine life.  It can't be good for the fish, that much is obvious.  But to be honest, I really don't know anything about the way polluted water harms life in the lake.  This is likely what I will focus on as I explore and discover the life of Champlain.
   Through What's the Story I hope to answer some of these questions for myself, and decide where I stand and why.  If you have any suggestions, sources, or questions, contact me!

KUD introduction

    What's the Story this year looks like it is going to be awesome.  ...But it will have some challenges, and I won't make it without a problem or two.  One of these things, though I am not sure, I think will be citation.  I have done this in the past, and I have a vague understanding of how to do it, but I don't really have any practice, so it may be a little rough.  Since What's the Story certainly requires citation and giving proper credit, I am going to have to try.  And, hopefully, if I do struggle, every one of the staff will be here to support me.  If I'm having that much trouble, I can ask any time.
     What I do know how to do already, and what I am probably most looking forward to, is the media use throughout the course.  Without consciously or purposefully being flamboyant, I feel I have a good amount of skill in this area:  Over the past few years, I have created several non-professional short films, and two semi-professional stop motion animations, one of which was a commissioned project by a standalone company.  This company has asked me to do another, which I will complete in the next month or so.  This is what I enjoy most, and thus am looking forward heartily towards filmmaking in What's the Story.
     The final prompt is what I think What's the Story is missing in the plan for this year.  ...Honestly, I can't say.  From the list, it looks like there is going to be a balanced combination of awesome, enjoyable things (filming!), and harder work.  Work isn't bad and I do enjoy it, but it is still work, so it may be hard.  Overall, however, I really think this is going to be an awesome year, and I can't wait!

Jack N.

Why am I involved in What's the Story?

Question: What intrinsically draws you to WTS and to be here today?

   What initially caught my attention for What's the Story was the environmental aspect of the course. I am interested and concerned about some of the things mentioned in the course description (discussion on water pollution, invasive species, ect), plus I have at least a small amount of practice in media and film communications, which is evidently a large part of WTS.  My decision to apply was made by the combination of both tech and environmental science, both of which I greatly enjoy studying and learning about.  I think it will be an awesome year in What's the Story!

-Jack