Group Corridor Begins

In about a half hour my three teammates and I are heading back to the Warren family farm to meet Randy, whom we hope is as excited as we are about the kick-off of our project. The few hours we have today to spend at the cusp of the farm and the Barrington Headwaters will probably be spent learning more from Randy about the land's history, and then exploring some sites in hopes of finding some animal presence, that we may come back tomorrow and in future days to research and record more thoroughly.

Now that the team has some goals in mind, we're ultimately hoping to capture some hard evidence that will serve us well during our final presentation, and also may be used for educating future classes. Specifically, we'll be targetting animal tracks and using a special camera that surveys the area overnight, in hopes of catching a wandering animal while we are away.

This kind of research is akin to what I can imagine myself doing for the rest of my life. Animal behavior is so interesting and special to me. Though I may be getting ahead of myself, I imagine that, should we be fortunate enough to capture wild animal pictures or prints, they would be memorabilia I would be so proud to show my children and grandchildren someday. I think educating budding students is most effective when you can stimulate and engage them; and I know that presenting such concrete examples of animal life could really evoke curiosity.

While the day began cruelly for us students living in Babcock hall, (The fire alarm drove us out of the building and into what was a frigid morning from 5:40 - 7 am), the morning picked up immediately for me as I facilitated class dialogue and activities surrounding my assigned readings. I tend to get a bit nervous before presenting or speaking to a group, but quickly warm up as I see the agenda progressing. My peers and instructors always have so many enlightening things to say, and I could not have been happier with how the facilitation turned out. The experience, including the enthusiasm that my fellow EE'ers responded with, really solidified my love of teaching and sharing with others.

I began my facilitation with a poem by David Wagoner. Here it is:

Lost

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you,
If you leave it you may come back again, saying
Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

This poem puts me at ease!

Time to meet my teammates for our trek to the farm... I hope to have exciting news to share when we return!