Retreat in Hallig Hooge

A group of PhD students in the Earth Resilience Science Unit (ERSU) traveled to the Hallig Hooge in the Wadden sea from May 12th to May 16th. This excursion took place in context of the International Max Planck Research School for Modelling the Anthropocene (IMPRS-ModA), in which some PhD students of ERSU are enrolled, mirroring the important role of the ERSU as a bridge group between the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA).

The newly established IMPRS-ModA, led by MPI-GEA, brings together doctoral students on topics related to human-Earth system interactions in the Anthropocene, from global land-use change, over World-Earth system resilience to multilayer governance analysis. It is a unique opportunity for doctoral students to work together on these topics in a transdisciplinary manner, bringing together bright minds from diverse educational backgrounds. Courses within the IMPRS will offer insights on systems dynamics and different modeling approaches, enabling students with the skill set to pursuit new forms of modeling that can be adequate for addressing the challenges of the Anthropocene.

During the retreat, the group stayed with the "Schutzstation Wattenmeer" in the national park, enjoying multiple excursions in the very special natural space of a Hallig. During these excursions, for example a mudflat hike, an ornithological tour or a round trip in a boat, students were able to learn and experience how dynamic, intertwined and co-evolutionary connected human and natural system are on a Hallig. This fits very well with the general scope of the ERSU and the theme of the graduate school, where so called "Social-Ecological Systems", for which the Hallig is a prime example, are a system of great interest for studies, as they represent the Anthropocene in a particular fashion on a local scale. 

Members of ERSU that took part in this retreat are: Max Bechthold, Marlene Rimmert, Hanna Prawitz, Luana Schwarz, Nellie Wullenweber.

We enjoyed this experience very much and want to thank the IMPRS-ModA and the ERSU for this unique chance.