Description of the video:
[Video description]
Sarah Murphy stands in the woods flipping through a book.
[Sarah Murphy]
My name is Sarah Murphy. I'm from Bedford, Indiana and my major is outdoor recreation, parks, and human ecology
[Video description]
Sarah Murphy, classmates, and instructor, Dr. James Farmer, explore the woods of the Avoca Fish Hatchery.
[Sarah Murphy]
So I'm taking integrated resource management with Dr. James Farmer.
[Video description]
Still images of Avoca State Fish Hatchery, including the road sign, woods, and a stream. [Fade] Instructor, Dr. James Farmer talking to students.
[Sarah Murphy]
So we are working on the Avoca Fish Hatchery project with Lawrence County and so basically the DNR is decommissioning it so they're not gonna they don't want to manage it anymore so Lawrence County is considering taking it over for their community.
[Video description]
Students walking along a trail. [Fade] Sarah Murphy writing on a clipboard in the woods. [Fade] Still images including classmate looking at a clipboard, Sarah Murphy working with another classmate, hands holding a seed.
[Sarah Murphy]
So as students we are basically creating proposals for Lawrence County because this is the first time they've really dealt with the projects like this. It's a really open slate as to what they want to do with this site so we're just providing ideas as to what they could do at this site that's gonna be economically sustainable as well as ecologically sustainable.
[Video description]
Students talking together in the woods and taking measurements.
[Sarah Murphy]
The biggest things I've learned would be you have to look at the big picture when dealing with management strategy so not focusing on what you would like to do with this site, but really knowing what the community can do with this is how they will use it. Separating yourself from the area and looking at the big picture for the community and the stakeholders involved. Being in the class that is closely involved in my community it's just it's really awesome. It makes my major feel more tangible that I'm doing work that I could see in the future like, oh, I had a part in this. So that's just, I mean, it's awesome. And also we sent out a survey of what people would like to see done with Avoca. Different ideas that we were bouncing around and we got over 700 answers. I was like proud of my community that they actually cared what was gonna happen and that they took the time to be involved in our project. A lot of people will want to go out to Colorado or Alaska and be working like national parks which is great but also there's a lot to be done within the community.
[Credits]
Sustaining Hoosier Communities, Center for Rural Engagement