From the Classroom to the Amazon: Trevor Tidwell

The idea for senior Trevor Tidwell’s research began in January 2017, when he attended the Arctic Geophysics Research Expedition to Alaska. On the expedition, research on the thermal balance and properties of the Arctic sea ice was conducted. Tidwell wanted to take what knowledge he gained in Alaska and apply it to an entirely different environment — the Peruvian rainforest.

With the goal of collecting data to accurately discuss how clear-cut deforestation is changing the Amazon rainforest, Tidwell set out to Peru as part of the RARE Program to apply his physics knowledge in a jungle environment.

To create his climate-data sensing equipment, Tidwell took an Arduino microcontroller, which is a highly programmable computer platform that allows people to build digital and interactive devices, and programmed sensors attached to the controller to capture temperature and humidity data.

Tidwell said there was a significant difference in the data collected from the jungle to the data taken from Lucerna, a small, remote village of 75100 people.

“The humidity is far greater in the jungle than it is in Lucerna, and the jungle is much cooler in temperature,” Tidwell said. “The reason that it is cooler in the jungle is because the trees shade the area, making it cooler. The trees help keep in the moisture, too, I think. Lucerna is open with the sun beating down on you all the time. Everything was very dry. That sun that is beating down on you is causing evaporation, which is leaving the area much drier than if the trees were there.”

As Tidwell collected his data, he also experienced Peruvian culture firsthand.

“It broadened the way that I think,” Tidwell said. “It opened my eyes to other parts of the world. While we were down there, I made new friends and I am grateful for that. I learned a lot about myself, as well as the people around me. I definitely pushed myself a lot harder. Overall, I found new limits for myself.”

Tidwell will take his data — and his experiences — with him throughout the rest of his Radford journey, including presenting the data at the Undergraduate Research Forum and a forum dedicated to the research conducted during RARE.

“This must be one of the best experiences I have ever had at Radford,” Tidwell said. “There is a saying they have in the Center for Global Education and Engagement — ‘all classrooms do not have four walls.’ I really believe that. This was one of the best experiences of my life.”