The journey continues tomorrow...

 Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”This morning, I sit in my office excited about the possibilities of our research journey and for our potential for personal growth as a community of scholars.  Tomorrow, myself, Lain, Nick, and Christine are off to Belize for a six day trip to learn from our collaborators, visit old friends, and develop new relationships that will make our shared research stronger and more beneficial to Belizeans.  We are thrilled to have this opportunity from NSF and excited to share our results with scholars around the world, and with community members and organizations within Belize.  We are also fully aware of the responsibility we have to our undergraduate students, our universities, our partners, and to the Belizean community.  We don’t take those responsibilities lightly, and are excited for the challenges ahead.  Our mission is to provide international experiences for students in community geography and GIS that connect research to real-world problem solving that is inclusive of knowledge production from local stakeholders.  Emphasis on that last part about inclusivity.  We strive for work that has meaning and impact for Belizeans.  We fully understand the only way this can occur is through collaboration.  This weekend is another step in that important journey.  We’ll be sharing more about our visit on this page and on our social media accounts over the next few days.  Please follow us as we give a quick glimpse into what our summer will hopefully become.  @citizensciencegis @ucfreuIn the spirit of the journey,Tim Hawthorne, UCF Community GIS and Citizen Science REU Site PI