Counting or Documenting Observations, According to Authors

¶ … counting or documenting observations," according to authors Maxfield and Babbie. The descriptive study in this paper relates to a controversy in a small town near my home, in which a barbed wire fence has been erected to keep people out of a forest of pine trees. The problem emerged when The Nature Conservancy purchased an 800-acre easement on 1,400 acres of woodlands. People in the community had used trails in the property (it has always been private property) to get downtown, or to the high school. Suddenly a 6-strand barbed wire fence blocked the trails citizens had used for 80 years or more.

What is the purpose of this research? The research is to document and explain how neighbors and other people in the community responded to the erection of a 6-strand barbed wire fence (with barbed wire wrapped around the top of the gates that were installed).

The descriptive study is also intended to show the dynamics at a meeting that the group in opposition to the barbed wire fence organized. The local parks and recreation board met and heard the complaints and suggestions from citizens who had organized a petition drive to try and get The Nature Conservancy to open up the fence so the trails could be used again.

How were the concepts defined? First, this survey measured the responses of people walking up to where one of the trails used to begin. Second, the neighbors were surveyed. A meeting was attended to record the comments and protests. How did I measure these concepts? How was it done? I counted the people arriving at the fence and surveyed their responses. I observed one afternoon for 3 hours near a gate that had been open for walkers. Four young boys on mini-bikes arrived and quickly lifted the 4rd stand up and the 5th strand down; they entered the no trespassing zone and rode into the forest. They said nothing. Two senior citizens arrived; they were more sad than angry. "I've been walking these trails since my daughter was born, twenty-seven years ago," said a man with a walking stick. "We are going to sign the petition," his wife added. Three neighbors came to the gate. "It looks like a gulag now, doesn't it," said Amy. "I cry every day. It makes me sick." A total of 21 people came to the gate. Some were aware of the fence and others were startled. "The Nature Conservancy came in and never asked the community if there were trails that were part of the master plan," a bearded man in his 30's said in a loud voice. "This is arrogant and we want this fence to come down," his friend added.

At a meeting of the local parks, recreation and open space organization 17 people showed up in the veteran's building to air their thoughts and grievances. "These trails had spiritual meaning for local native Americans," said a man with gray hair and a long ponytail. "We have contacted the Environmental Defense Fund," said a younger man wearing a hooded sweatshirt. "They may file a lawsuit in our behalf based on prescriptive easement laws," he added. An elderly woman spoke up: "My husband can't walk very far anymore, he needs hip replacement, but we use the short trail often. We are birders. There are so many species in those woods -- it is a wonderful place of natural world diversity. We want the fence removed!" A board member asked the group if anyone had spoken to The Nature Conservancy. The leader of the petition drive, "John," said he talked to the conservancy supervisor and he insisted "…it was wildlife friendly…but how can a fawn or a coyote get through six strands of barbed wire?" he asked, with anger in his voice. A woman said she and her husband were caught walking a trail after the fence went up and a sheriff's deputy was called and warned her and her husband that the fine for trespassing is $175 and next time they would be cited for trespassing. The board chair was calm, and limited each person's presentation to 3 minutes, a very business-like approach to a meeting that could have been more about emotion and rage rather than solution-oriented.