The Barnard College class that I am in currently, Environmental Ethics Literature and Action, required a semester-long project that focused on an environmental issue.  I originally wanted to focus on the bow-hunting in Cornwall.  I planned on interviewing residents in the area, those who oppose it and those who support it, as well as the policy-makers behind the management plan.  I thought I would conclude my project by creating a town hall meeting presenting the results of the bow hunt and expressing the ranging opinions of bow hunting in hopes to provide people with the background necessary in order to form an opinion of their own on the subject of bow hunting as a management technique.  However, as soon as I started interviewing people in Cornwall and started blogging, the focus of my project changed.  I found that the bow hunting would not be finished this semester and that various persons did not know anything about the bow hunting or about deer in general.  I then decided that my project goals should be to communicate the issue; to assist and inspire self-education of both problems caused by deer overpopulation and reasonable management options. 

Discussing with various people about their views on deer overpopulation, management, and other related issues has made me realize several key points.  First, the ethics and persuasions/dissuasions for deer management are very complex and differ between region, culture, status, and gender.  However, when questioned about personal concern on different deer-related issues, most people, regardless of their background, were very concerned about three topics:  Deer and car accidents, the spread of Lyme disease, and deer affect to gardens.  Secondly, through talking with others, my understanding is that education and communication are essential in tackling the problem of deer overpopulation. 

Some of my other work thus far involves my senior thesis, which focuses on analyzing the efficiency of hunting as a method of management using the deer population at Black Rock Forest as the example population.  My preliminary results suggest that hunting effectively stabilizes a deer population but does not significantly reduce the population.  This leads me to believe that something more needs to be added to the deer management plan than seasonal hunting; such as actively trying to recruit more hunters. 

My project does not end with these blog postings.  I hope to continue to share my knowledge on the subject and present the results of the first bow hunting in the Cornwall area by organizing a town hall meeting this winter.  My awareness and passion for the need of deer management started when I was an observer at a town hall meeting in Cornwall; it is only fitting that after this project, I will be acting as a lead panelist at one.  My ultimate goal is to include this research and my senior thesis results in a short book that John Brady and I are writing and plan to complete relatively soon.  Most importantly, I hope that my past and future efforts make others aware of deer overpopulation and provide resources to learn more about the management techniques available.