November 14, 2012, Wednesday - A Sip of Science at Aster Cafe

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main Street

A SIP OF SCIENCE - Hawai'i to Hurricane Sandy: Can Ecosystem Management Affect Water Resources?  
 
Our everyday landscape is constantly evolving and changing.  Whether wetlands are converted into productive agricultural fields; prairies, forests and deserts urbanized for towns and cities; or rivers channelized to minimize land loss, the way we design our landscape impacts our water resources and the ecosystem benefits we derive from the environment. With constant pressure for land conversion, we need to develop a better understanding of the impacts of land use on our water and ecosystem resources so it can better inform public decision-making.

Join Institute on the Environment researcher Kate Brauman as she explores quantifying the impacts of land-use change on the municipal water supply in Kona, Hawaii, and how that process can be translated to various environments throughout the world. 
 
About our speaker:
 
Kate Brauman is a post-doctoral research at the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment.  Her work currently includes looking for patterns in agricultural water use to identify regions where changing irrigation management could increase or stabilize food supply while ensuring the delivery of a suite of complementary ecosystem services.  She received her PhD from Stanford University's Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources.  Prior to graduate school, Kate worked in Public Education at the Natural Resources Defense Council, providing information to and interpreting scientific findings for members.

A SIP OF SCIENCE bridges the gap between science and culture in a setting that bridges the gap between brain and belly. Food, beer, and learning are on the menu in a happy hour forum in which researchers pair with musicians, artists and storytellers to put science in context through storytelling.