Graduate Student
To the Residents of Brant Lake and Horicon,
Hello all! My name is Alejandro Reyes (A.J.), a graduate student in the Lake Management program at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. I have selected Brant Lake as the location for my master's thesis, which is the development of a comprehensive lake management plan for the sustainable ecological and recreational use of the lake. I am extremely excited to begin this project with the lake and to be collaborating with all of you!
I am originally from Putnam Valley, located in the southeastern corner of New York State, however I have frequently visited the Adirondacks more specifically, Curtis S. Read Scout camp. I spent at least a week up at the camp for seven straight years, and every year I would pass Brant Lake on my way up. I was amazed by its beauty and pristine condition and always wanted to learn more about the system. It's funny how things often come full circle, and to be back in the area which spurred my interest in the field in the first place seems fitting.
I received my bachelor's degree at the State University of New York College At Plattsburgh in Ecology. During my time at Plattsburgh, I worked as a Research Technician for the Lake Champlain Research Institute which involved lake monitoring, electrofishing, data analysis and report writing. My undergraduate project consisted of developing methods to assess fish stress during competitive bass angling tournaments. Along with this project, we tracked fish using radio telemetry all across Lake Champlain.
Once I graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh, I took a position at the United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman, Montana as a Biological Science Technician. I was charged with assisting in projects aimed to evaluate invasive species eradication and suppression techniques. Such projects included using sound to stop northern pike movement in Alaska, using ultraviolet light to clear intake pipes in the Hoover Dam, Nevada of zebra mussels and evaluating the effects of electrical barriers on trout movement and survival. After my time at the U.S.G.S., I took a position at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition as a Fisheries Technician tracking lake trout movements in Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming. This project was aimed at aiding gill-netting efforts to reduce lake trout numbers.
After taking about 10 months off to see family and work in Putnam Valley, I decided it was time for me to go back to school for a Master's Degree. Oneonta was my top choice due to the strength of the program and the resources available for graduate students. Despite traveling to all of these wonderful places out west, I knew that my home was in New York, and that's where I wanted to study. And that's how I ended up here!
Once again, I am extremely excited to be working with Brant Lake and its community of dedicated stakeholders. I will work as hard as I can toward a comprehensive lake management plan that addresses your concerns for the lake and gives the community guidance toward the sustainable ecological and recreational use of the lake for years to come.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to working with you all!