Many College of Agricultural and Life Sciences students conduct undergraduate research. Few undergraduate researchers have the opportunity to conduct their research in the Amazon. That is exactly what Soil, Water and Ecosystem Sciences senior Amber Lopez did last summer.
Lopez worked under Heidi Asbjornsen, a University of New Hampshire professor, in Ecuador. She joined Asbjornsen’s team to work on the Andean-Amazonian Watershed Experience: Exploring Sustainability of Mountain Ecosystems in Ecuador (AWESOME) project. Additionally, the team collaborated with scientists from the University of Cuenca to conduct their research.
Some of AWESOME’s goals include determining the amount of nutrient pollution from local practices and understanding how these nutrients change temporally. Lopez was specifically examining the water quality of a local river to see how it changed as the water got further away from the national park it originated in.
To do this, Lopez and a Cuenca researcher programmed and installed automated water samples at two sites. One was placed outside of the national park, while the other was placed downstream from tourism sites.
“The process of programming and trial-running the two machines was overwhelmed by many unforeseen issues and hiccups. It proved to be a long process that required a significantly greater amount of time than initially expected,” Lopez said. “However, through hard work and determination, we were eventually able to install the autosamplers.”
Once the machines were up and running, samples were collected three times a day at specific times. Lopez and the team retrieved the samples weekly and stored them for analysis at a later date.
Outside of conducting research, Lopez became fully immersed in Ecuadorian culture. Cuenca, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, boasts several historic architectural sites from its colonial age. These buildings include churches, government offices and markets.
“The ability to explore and experience life as a local allowed me to gain a greater appreciation for the Ecuadorian and Cuencan culture,” said Lopez. “The complete immersion in a Spanish-speaking country allowed me to further develop my ability to communicate in the language.”
Through this experience funded by the VP Promise, Lopez was able to find her passion. Lopez plans to pursue a graduate degree at an international university following her graduation from UF. She hopes to help equip local communities with sustainably-focused solutions worldwide.
The VP Promise offers financial support to students engaging in experiential learning opportunities within agriculture, natural resources and related sciences. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is dedicated to fostering student development and success, encouraging students to expand their horizons through participation in study abroad programs, leadership roles, scholarly conferences, and other enriching experiences.
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