Why Ice Storms Aren't Cool

Free and open to the public, a $10 donation is suggested Light refreshments will be served Details: VINS is thrilled to welcome Lindsey Rustad, Team Leader of the Ice Storm Experiment, for an evening discussion on her team’s exciting research undertaken at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. During the winter of 2015/16, Hubbard Brook researchers succeeded in creating one of Mother Nature's most extreme winter events: an ice storm. The team of scientists trekked into the forest in pre-dawn, single-digit temperatures and, using fire hoses and high-pressure pumps, sprayed water 100 feet into the air. Decked in ice from base to tip, the forest was undeniably beautiful, until it literally began falling apart, enabling researchers to assess the initial damage and monitor the long-term consequences in the aftermath of this human-made ice storm. Although ice storms are related to climate change and expected to become more severe in our region, they are unpredictable and difficult to study. Join us for an opportunity to learn about this exciting and ongoing research effort and gain a better understanding of the impacts of these powerful and curiously aesthetic extreme weather events have on our region. Speaker Bio: Dr. Lindsey Rustad is a Research Ecologist, Co-Director of the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, and Forest Service Team Leader for the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Whether she is bird-watching, fly-fishing, or revealing new insights from the forest through cutting-edge experiments, Lindsey is in her element among the woods and streams of our region. Lindsey’s research explores human impacts on forest ecosystems, from air pollution to climate change, and she is a driving force behind Hubbard Brook’s innovative Ice Storm Experiment.