Environmental conservation has always been an interest of mine, which is why I found Andy Zepp’s discussion on his work at the Finger Lakes Land Trust both fascinating and valuable. Throughout our talk, I was amazed by the impact of Mr. Zepp’s efforts in preserving tens of thousands of acres of land for not only ecological value, but also for recreational and economic importance as well. However, the part of our discussion that was most intriguing to me was our talk on harmful algal blooms that are becoming increasingly common in the Finger Lakes, as this is a topic I have prior exposure to.

Before our discussion with Mr. Zepp, I did not comprehend the large scale impact of harmful algal blooms on the Finger Lakes. According to Mr. Zepp, and confirmed by my prior coursework on the topic, these algal blooms are a result of the runoff of phosphorus and other nutrients into the lakes caused by rainfall. Particularly, Mr. Zepp stated, these nutrients, such as phosphorus, that are credited with causing the algal blooms stem mostly from agricultural runoff from rural areas. In my previous environmental science courses, I learned about the impact of phosphorus on natural water areas, and when phosphorus and other nutrients are in high abundance, this can cause eutrophication, or too many nutrients in the body of water, resulting in these harmful algal blooms. However, my environmental science courses mainly focused on the ecological impacts of algal blooms, such as killing marine organisms due to the water’s toxicity. But in our discussion, Mr. Zepp mentioned not only the ecological impacts, but also the economical and recreational impacts of algal blooms on the Finger Lakes. For instance, during one algal bloom period, people were banned from entering the water due to its toxicity. This ban not only hurt the people looking to use the lake for recreational purposes, but it also negatively impacted the nearby businesses who rely on users of the lake for income. Therefore, it was astonishing to see not only the ecological impacts of the algal blooms on the Finger Lakes, but also the recreational and economic impacts as well.

After listening to Mr. Zepp’s talk, I am more intrigued to get involved in local conservation and preservation efforts not only here in New York, but also in my hometown. Hearing not only about the ecological impacts, but also about the recreational and economic impacts of human activities such as farming motivates me to want to understand the issue more and try to take necessary action to conserve and protect our ecosystem. Thus, after our discussion with Mr. Zepp, I am not only more informed, but also more inspired to take action, such as through possible volunteer work, to protect our valuable environment.