Julia Buskirk

Conservation Related Experience: With the support of a Hilldale Fellowship, I was able to develop Water Lines, a series of blogs and illustrations that highlight the ecological and social histories revolving around local Lake Mendota. Combining research, history, and interviews from current day water researchers helped me understand the context for what the lake is like today. Through the span of this project, I’ve also learned that drawing is a really fun way to communicate science!

Connection to Conservation Biology: While researching for Water Lines, I was reminded of the huge scope of disciplines and knowledges needed to understand our world, both from an ecological viewpoint and a social one. Conservation Biology both as a major and a line of study requires strong foundations in a variety of sciences and perspectives. This allows us to not only understand how our world really works, but also how to fix the huge ecological and social issues we’re being faced with.