Chase W. Fleece
Hello! I'm a second-year master's student in the Department of History at Bowling Green State University. As an environmental historian, my research explores the intersections between agricultural production and ecological degradation in the United States. More specifically, I'm interested in the connections between vegetable cultivation and wetland drainage across the Midwest.
My thesis project "Mayhem in the Muck: An Environmental History of Ohio's Scioto Marsh," examines how onion production on Ohio's Scioto Marsh, a once expansive wetland in northwest Ohio, rapidly degraded the region's muck soils; a prodigiously fertile but non-renewable resource. In addition to this study, I'm also working on a journal article that illustrates the devastating effects anthropogenic pollution had on Lake Erie's mayfly populations in the mid-twentieth century.
A passionate public historian, I'm always seeking collaborations with communities and organizations outside the academy. In doing so, I currently serve on the Board of Directors at the Hardin County Historical Museums in Kenton, Ohio, and assist regional students on Ohio History Day research projects.
If you'd like to contact me, please use the attached form below. You can also learn more about my research and professional experiences by using the site navigation above.