Spring 2004: Iris Levin, Bowdoin College
I have studied a fair amount of biology in the field, the classroom and the lab, and have always had books, journals, and lecture to guide me and tell me what to expect.
In the first week here at EcoQuest, we spent two days on the Coromandel Peninsula beginning the process of learning to really see. Without prior lectures on what we would encounter, without hours of tedious reading, and without any briefing on the history of the area, we had the task of observing the ecosystem in great detail, and piecing together the environmental history. Instantly, biology became a puzzle, not pages of facts to memorize; learning was limitless, not confined to chapters in a textbook, and the experience was unique because it was shared by 24 students of different environmentally focused backgrounds, where each pair of eyes saw different patterns and interpreted them in different ways.
The journey has continued to be eye opening, as new and interesting ecosystems are explored from the kayak, on foot, waist-deep in mud, and from various policy perspectives. Six days a week in the field offer an angle that no classroom or lecture-based course can. It demands a certain sharpness of observation, thoroughness, and group work ethic. And, it’s lots of fun!
Perhaps the one thing that has made the greatest impression on me is the Maori culture and their connection to the land and to place. They introduce themselves as being from a particular mountain, river and sea. The sense of belonging is inspiring and almost foreign to someone like myself, who has moved over five times throughout my childhood. Their sense of stewardship is seemingly selfless. In a lecture in the first few weeks, we were reminded of Descartes "I think, therefore I am", and were told that the Maori equivalent is "I belong, therefore I am." This attitude will aid us, and those whose lives we will touch, in protecting the environment that is so special to us all.