My dissertation research focuses on understanding the social and environmental legacies of coalbed methane production in the Powder River Basin, WY. Along with interviewing landowners, regulators, attorneys, and industry personnel, much of my time in the field is spent traveling Wyoming’s dusty dirt roads, surveying the landscape for coalbed methane infrastructure and evidence of reclamation. The images below are exemplary of the scenes that I encounter and study. The combination of exploration in the field and compelling conversation with research participants makes this research both personally rewarding and geographically stimulating!
