RESEARCH AND REFRESHMENTS. The 2023 LAKES REU Public Research Forum will be held on Aug. 3 from 5-8pm at The Raw Deal in Menomonie. (Submitted photos)

Students, farmers, environmental enthusiasts, and the rest of the community are invited to engage in this year’s Linking Applied Knowledge in Environmental Sustainability Research Experience for Undergraduates program (LAKES REU) Forum to learn more about the Red Cedar Watershed and how to work towards greater local water quality together.

The event, now in its eighth year, will be held at The Raw Deal (603 Broadway St. S #2457, Menomonie) on Aug. 3 from 5-8pm. Students from around the country will convene in Menomonie to present their findings for the summer.

As an open-house event, the public is invited to come and go as they please to better understand the research put forth and to engage in an open conversation with the students. The aim of the event is to give the community a better understanding of the causes of poor water quality as well as why it will take time and many resources from the community to rectify the problem.

“This year’s research is a significant expansion of what we’ve discussed in previous years,” said UW-Stout Professor Tina Lee. “Poor surface water quality is a complicated problem with ecological, economic, and social components and without easy and quick solutions. Long-term research and continual monitoring are thus important, and we are excited to continue our contributions.”

Photo from last year's group of student researchers.

Topics that will be discussed in the forum this year include ways to encourage farmers to adopt best management practices, possible risks, and benefits of crop diversification for farmers; how we might work towards a more self-supporting local economy through identity and its effects on sustainable consumer behavior; aquatic invasive species in Lake Menomin and their impact on the ecosystem; spatial distribution of toxins and blue-green algae in Lakes Menomin and Tainter; and putting trust into scientific institutions and how it influences behaviors regarding drinking water.

There will be nine students presenting at this year’s forum, including students from UW-Stout, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Maine at Farmington, Smith College, University of Houston, Luther College, Middlebury College, and Arizona State University.

To learn more about the event and the UW-Stout LAKES REU program, you can go to facebook.com/LAKESREU.