September 2, 2010

Let the Fall Begin... Meet our 2010
Landscape and Livelihood Students!
by Erika Edgley

Fall is upon us. We are covering our tomato plants at night, wearing wool sweaters, and finally, what really makes it FALL: we are WELCOMING our 2010 Landscape and Livelihood students! The clouds shifted just enough to see the peaks of the SWAN MOUNTAINS and we gathered in the LOWER MEADOW for a morning of introductions. Meet our 2010 students, and stay tuned for our bi-weekly blog entries that will capture the highlights of the semester!

Welcome and introduction of staff, students and courses in the lower meadow

Ashton Fink
Ashton is our L&L intern and will soon be our official L&L blogger! Ashton was a student herself in 2007, she is from Livingston, MT, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana in 2008. Her goal is to create educational and recreational opportunities for Montana kids to get into MONTANA WOODS and learn more about their local ecosystem. She recently led a group of students on an eight day backpacking trip where they ate BROOK TROUT caught by a student fisherman. Ashton likes to rock climb, backpack, drink TEA and eat popcorn!

Alissa Anderson
Alissa grew up in Seattle, WA and is Resource Conservation major at the University of Montana. Alissa spent the summer in Arizona on a research crew studying SONG BIRDS where she did NEST SEARCHING and monitoring and vegetation work. You might find her sitting around a CAMPFIRE with friends, or WANDERING aimlessly in the woods. She may even be reading Aldo Leopold essays or Harry Potter.

Jillian Brown
Originally from Bath, Maine, Jillian went clear across the country to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She is a sophomore studying environmental sociology and her passion is SUSTAINABLE agriculture. Jillian loves walking through BLUEBERRY fields, and picking apples at local ORCHARDS.

Sean Donovan... aka SeanDon
Sean is from the WHITE MOUNTAINS in New Hampshire and is a junior at the University of Vermont studying Natural Resources. He aspires to travel, meet extraordinary people, SEE AMAZING THINGS and to BE HAPPY going to work every day. He gorge jumped every single weekend this summer in New Hampshire and has a passion for DANCING to life music.

"You have your life, I have mine. Maybe we’ll meet again some other time down the long road, on another plane."

Erik Elison
Erik is from Billings, Montana and is an Environmental Studies sophomore at the University of Montana. Erik's favorite activity is rock climbing and he recently climbed a 270' multipitch climb in the BITTERROOT named Iron Moagner.

"When the POWER OF LOVE overcomes the love of power the world will know PEACE."

Kaitlyn Farrar
Kaitlyn is from Shaftsbury, VERMONT and is a wildlife biology major at the University of Vermont. Kaitlyn wants to research human development impacts on wildlife populations, perform wildlife rehabilitation for RAPTORS and mammals AND she hopes to have her own mushing kennel with ALASKAN HUSKIES! She recently worked in Alaska with 150 sled dogs and in her spare time likes to play hockey.

"Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something" - Henry David Thoreau.

Brian Fauver
Brian is from Boulder, Colorado and his close friends say that he is "fiercely addicted to small intimate group settings." He is a junior at the University of Montana studying resource conservation, and his life goals are to DANCE, to LOVE and to PLAY. A fun adventure he's been on recently: transcendental, existential journey of the mind involving three young men, the Blackfeet Nation, and four days of sweat lodges and SOUL SEARCHING.

Michael Harrhy
Michael hails from Kelolwna, BRITISH COLUMBIA and attends college at the University of British Columbia. His goal in life: grow a bigger beard. This past summer Michael LIVED IN A BARN without electricity or water.

"Society is built by those who PLANT TREES they know they will not sit in the shade of."

Krista Kaarre
Was BORN in Edmonton, Alberta but has spent the MAJORITY OF HER LIFE in Whitefish, Montana. She is a junior at the University of Montana. A goal of Krista's is to always LOOK AROUND... nothing is ever more important than the people you are surrounded by. A favorite pastime activity: Friday FAMILY adventures, whether it be MOONLIGHT SLEDDING or fishing trips.

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

Catherine Kana
Catherine grew up in Glens Falls, NY and is a senior at Evergreen State College in WA. She studies environmental JUSTICE and hopes to work on ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP and facilitate environmental justice. She spent the summer taking 8-year olds on day adventures into Olympia, WA and Seattle city parks. Catherine loves to COOK, dance and finds inspiration in the works of Aldo Leopold, Saul Williams, and Louise Hay.