October 20, 2008

Field Journals
by Zach Wallace

When last I wrote, the students were about to depart for their home stay weekend with local families in the valley.  On Sunday night, all of the students, staff and home stay families got together for a potluck celebration at the barn.  We all introduced ourselves, shared a spread of tasty food and reflected on what everyone had learned from the experience.

Laura, with the Mercer family.

Maddie, with Maynard and Delores Freyholtz.

Megan, with Max and Ellie Greenough.

This week marks the end of classes and the beginning of the students’ weeklong independent study, called the Community Conservation Research Project.  Before diving into their CCRP’s, the students are putting the finishing touches on their journals.  Journaling is a major tool in all of the courses the make up the semester.  Here are some pages of the students’ work.

Flynt’s Biogeography journal entry on the pileated woodpecker.

Katherine’s Forests and Communities journal entry illustrating a non-lethal fire regime.

A mountain lion from Landis’ Biogeography journal.

A detail from Jon’s journal explaining pollination in the pea family.

Maddie’s Biogeography entry of a dragonfly.

Jessie’s description of the characteristics of a vernal pool, from her Watershed Dynamics journal.

Laura’s illustration of two closely related species of false Soloman’s seal.

Krystina’s quick sketches of every species that she recorded on our Community Bird Count day.

Fiona’s entry on the giant water bug.

Megan’s grizzly bear entry.

Two mushrooms from Jed’s Biogeography journal.

With less than two weeks left in the semester we’re all getting nostalgic.  Maddie offered a poetic reflection on our daily routine for this week’s blog.  It’s called “A Day.”

The sun still stirring,
Our alarms are silent now,
A pitter-patter of sock-covered feet welcome their casual shoes by the door.

The cookhouse becomes alive,
Bruce’s voice greets us at the door,
Hot drinks complete our welcoming to this get-to-be-explored day.

“How is everyone doing?”
The comfy, misfit couches circle us together,
We are now 12 strong.

Waders, policy notes, guidebooks and pens.
Our bootlaces are tied, and the green machine rumbles to life again.

Hands touch the earth,
Ears hear the calls,
Eyes see the truth of our Mother forested with walls.

Light slowly fades,
Darkness safely envelops,
and the stars quietly lighten,
as our minds elegantly drift.

The group, visiting with Swan Valley elder Bud Moore.