In a holding pattern

Although I do have at least an interview a week to do the survey, I feel like I am in a holding pattern with data collection.

The vast majority of actors I want to do the survey with have been contacted and for the most part agreed to take the survey, but or the data is incomplete or I am still waiting on getting a firm scheduled date (or people cancel (for good reason) and need to reschedule).

I don’t want to harass actors that have agreed to participate, but at this rate august and september might be extremely busy with follow-up meetings to finish started surveys, as well as first-time meetings with organisations and individuals who agreed to do the survey at the beginning of the summer. We are definitely in “summer mode” with gardens starting to produce lovely fruit, but I don’t yet feel like my research is bearing fruit.

Although I know I am trying to get surveys answered in the summer, which is everyones busy time in UA, the alternative, the winter, was not a great option as the data I am collecting will not be fresh in the memory of actors. It seems to be a fine line between sending a friendly reminder and seeming pushy. I want to tread carefully…..

Thankfully its not like I don’t have other work to do while I wait a bit to recontact relevant actors. My lab just launched a new website today about Montreal’s ecosystems at your service and I have been busy writing posts about some of the other benefits of UA other than just my normal P cycle questions. I have also been working on a guest lecture about P sustainability and an other talk in french to explain my project to gardeners at one of the organisations I surveyed. I also met a journalist today who would like to do a little piece about my P research that would appeal to a horticulture crowd.  I am happy to have an opportunity to do some science communication for different audiences and in different languages.