– Shayna Meinzinger
Waterloo has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of science, and when I accepted my offer to start my MSc, I knew I was signing up for an adventure! As an Earth scientist, a lot of our research happens outside, which comes with its own set of challenges and unforgettable experiences. Along the way, I’ve faced my fair share of obstacles, but each one has taught me something valuable. Now, as my MSc comes to an end, I’m able to reflect on the valuable lessons I’ve learned and the personal skills I’ve developed.
Perseverance: Fieldwork isn’t for the faint of heart—my team and I worked through heat waves, cold warnings, and long, exhausting days. On my very first day, I forgot the boat pump (not ideal when you need a boat)! Equipment always seemed to
break at the worst times, and some nights we stayed up late, blasting music just to stay awake while processing water samples. How did we get through it? Humor, teamwork, and knowing that some days you push harder for your team, and other days, they do the same for you.
Shayna Meinzinger collecting a diffusive greenhouse gas flux measurement during winter fieldwork.
Field team completing summer and winter fieldwork: Shayna Meinzinger, Mackenzie Sluys, Sara Abate, Anisha Karkera, Cooper Pickering, Jordan Li, and Isabella Sciorilli.
Problem-Solving: Fieldwork is full of unexpected challenges, and I’ve got plenty of stories to prove it. One winter, we needed to collect water samples in freezing temperatures. We were using a syringe, but the tiny tip kept freezing solid. Luckily, we had packed hot water for hot chocolate—so instead, we used it to keep the syringe warm and get our sample.
Another lesson? Always bring zip ties. They became our go-to fix for just about everything. Broken gear? Zip tie it. Equipment falling apart? Zip tie masterpiece. By the end of my MSc, my hip waders were practically held together by them!
And then there was the time we patched a hole in our inflatable boat with duct tape. When that gave out, we held the hole shut with whatever body part we could and just kept going!
Communication: Fieldwork taught me two kinds of communication— literally yelling across fields to talk to my team and learning how to explain science clearly.
Teaching field methods to new co-op students and team members was challenging, especially when exhausted in the field, but it taught me to simplify complex processes and be a patient communicator. Our team also developed our own lab lingo, which helped streamline communication and added a bit of fun to the chaos!
While I’ve gained plenty of scientific knowledge during my MSc, the personal growth and fieldwork lessons are what I’ll carry with me the most.
Thank you to Dr. Tonya DelSontro for providing me with this opportunity to learn and grow!