1. Lore and Land Lost; The Construction of I-79
In due time, I will come to inherit a 10 acre plus patchwork of flora and fauna, at some stage in its unnaturally accelerated disruption and flux. I will be the 4th generation family property owner to adore its stands of sapling oak and sugar maple, tangles of invasive wild rose bushes, and uncommon gems like blue eyed grass and pileated woodpeckers. The greater part of the property is a steep ravine, which I slid down and scaled again in my childhood with effort akin to conquering Everest. Back then, I could capture upwards of 50 salamanders spanning 4 different species in a single May afternoon in the creek bed at the bottom of that hill. Now there are most likely more tires dotting the trickling waterway than spotted salamanders. That creek has slipped right under the heavy traffic of Interstate 79 since the 1960s, like a native Copperhead, squeezing past the obstacles of construction, desperate to escape the talons of development.
The immediate and long term environmental effects of the laying of I-79 are legendary in both spiritual and scientific realms, and these realms often overlap, from the ominous disruption of Native American burial grounds, to the final banishment of the secretive Eastern Mountain Lion. Just how much impact does a 2 lane highway, running North and South through two states, have on a historically rugged natural terrain?
This is a topic I've wanted to research for a while now...I think the history and scientific studies could be interwoven with my personal and familial input in a meaningful way. I can begin to envision a form something like a winding road, with clearly marked "Exits" that highlight the ecological/emotional impacts of the project.
2. Raccoon vs. Oil Tycoon: The future of Raccoon State Park
For this project I would consider taking a more journalistic/memoir-like approach. I would keep a strict birdwatching schedule and log (one of my favorite hobbies), and integrate a larger environmental issue the park is facing with my own acute observations of what the park has to offer in avian respects.
Raccoon Creek State Park is 7,572 acres including the 101 acre Raccoon Lake. It is a 20 minute drive from the hotel I work at, and many of my co-workers have lived adjacent to the park their entire lives. The fiance of a good long time friend of mine also grew up in that area, and is very concerned about environmental issues. Doug, who is a graduate from the Pitt writing program and Emerson college has had several articles published in the PPG addressing the subject of Marcellus Shale oil drilling. The area is currently teeming with oil company competition, and the rush to drill is rampant.
I'm hoping to work together with Doug, as we pursue our own separate projects, yet share resources and connections. Access to the perspective of my co-workers would also be a unique advantage and an opportunity to explore the tension between economic opportunities and environmental hazards that are implicit with the drilling operations.
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