The pELAstic Project

A group of eight from the African Women in Science (AWIS) program visited IISD-Experimental Lakes Area for two weeks this fall. During the first week, the AWIS learned about the different sampling programs and experiments going on at IISD-ELA, including fish monitoring, lake sampling, nutrient chemistry, and the pELAstic project. They were able to observe the whole-lake microplastic addition and discuss microplastic policies for the African Great Lakes with the IISD-ELA team. During the second week, they were split up into interest groups to gain more intensive training and knowledge in their individual interests. Christine Atuhaire and Happiness Beda chose to learn more about the pELAstic project and spent the week with microplastic researchers Desiree Langenfeld and Madeleine Milne, learning about different methods for sampling microplastic fate and microplastic quantification. At the end of the second week, AWIS and IISD-ELA researchers celebrated with a dance party and exchanged the most important suite of knowledge of all – African and North American line dancing!