Spring 2005: Cheryl Horton, Cornell University
Week two of the Eco-quest program was pivotal for me. We had just arrived back from the Pinnacles and I was excited and anxious to find out what the next week would bring. Looking at my program told me that we would be traveling to Opoutere and that our focus would be on estuarine ecology as well as landscape scale assessments of the habitats and environmental risks associated with the coastal zone. I wondered what phrases like, "management of multiple use areas and resource management in the coastal zone," actually meant in the New Zealand context.
My first glimpse of the Wharekawa Harbour was, simply put, stunning. The people in Opoutere are lucky enough to live in a settlement on the shores of this estuary. The road along this body of water was lined with coastal Pohutukawa forest. Many of these giant trees were leaning over the banks with branches dipped into the water, like ancient arms outstretched through land, water and sky. The sun was glistening on the water and the surf was just visible over the tip of the sand spit to the east.
Our accommodation was along this stretch of the harbor, next to a hillside of native bush habitat. We stayed in the original school house of the settlement that had been converted into a luxurious bunk room on the grounds of the YCA Opoutere Hostel. Newspaper clippings and old photos on the wall detailed the building's past and its role in the community. The manager was very proud of the building and its history sharing stories about her grandfather who was educated there.
Our first class took place on the beach a short walk from this incredible place. We were to be learning about contour mapping, profiles, and landscapes. Consistent with the hands on style of the program we were thrown into an exercise that required critical thinking and team work. What better way to learn these skills than to actually construct land forms from a map, increase the scale, draw a projected profile and then actually cut the land mass to see if we were right? Under the watchful eye of the sun and curious vacationers, we broke into groups of two and made some sand islands. The constructive critique and contemplative atmosphere afterwards made the experience worth while and even more fun. It really brought home the point that "everyone is a teacher." The students making up this program come from a variety of disciplines and universities thus adding insight from many perspectives. The staff here is also incredibly creative! They take topics that would otherwise be daunting or mundane and figure out ways to make them fun and interesting. There is always an added component to exercises or coursework that teaches interpersonal skills with applications for life.
Perhaps my favorite part of the week was kayaking in the Wharekawa Harbor. We always have integrated learning objectives at EQ that enable effective team work and something for everyone. This activity included practical skills for kayaking such as basic paddling and rescue techniques. It also focused on ecological components and observational skills. We were out there to typify vegetation communities, understand the habitat each provides and the assemblage of species each supports. Basically, it was our job to figure out the inter-workings of this estuarine system and how the surrounding land uses affect the estuary. This could then be placed in the larger category of catchment management, which we also touched upon this week. Although all of these things could have been spoon fed to us in a classroom or in assigned reading, it was somehow more meaningful to figure them out on our own through discussion and observation. Instead of adding more disjointed facts to my knowledge base, I've integrated experiences and real skills be used later on in my career.
We were later to take our kayaking field notes and use them to make a vegetation map of the area. To help with this, we needed an aerial view so we hiked through the bush on a path from our hostel. We stopped on the crest of a hill that was a pa site or a historic site of Maori settlement. This was evident from the terraced ground, the ditch where a stockade like fence once stood and the middens or shell piles we passed on the way up. Another part of the program's inclusive style centers on Maori culture and history. Although the program is very science and policy based, how these components affect people is also stressed. As per EQ's style, the journey up was just as important as the work to be done at the top. We observed evidence of fire, discussed the impact of production forestry on the estuary, looked for indication of pest species, assessed the overall health of the native bush and imagined what life must have been like for early Maori inhabitants.
Our lectures over the course of this week happened in a variety of settings. Whether we set up the portable white board on the lawn overlooking the estuary or in the mudflats, had discussions while hiking, stopped under the shade of a tree to sit and furiously scribble in our field notebooks or spent the day kayaking and listening to the wisdom of field leader John Longden, with notebooks tucked into our life jackets, the learning never stopped. I love the fact that education is a constant process here, not just something reserved for the classroom. For most of us, it is engrained from and early age, that learning is only for the lecture hall. As a result, we effectively "turn off" our brains when not in a traditional academic setting. At EcoQuest our brains are always "on" and learning is a constant process inherent in everything we do. This attitude has enabled me to appreciate and truly gain from my experiences here. I've never felt so engaged or so alive.
In the field of natural resource conservation, an integrated approach including the natural environment, as well as people and their cultural and socio-economic needs are essential for successful outcomes. Lecturer and program director Ria Brejaart, embodies this approach and reminds us that we cannot forget about the human sides of things or human histories associated with our work and locations. This is a concept that will be even more important in our directed research projects and life after college. A poignant issue in the scientific community today is that of the way in which western civilization deals with indigenous knowledge. It is important to acknowledge cultural practices and intellectual property rights. Meeting with Maori and learning about their culture first hand has been one of the highlights of the program. I am thankful for the relationship EQ has fostered with both local and South Island iwi or Maori groups. The staff bridges gaps that would otherwise be present without such integral relationships. They also stress taking into consideration all stakeholder interest during the planning process and strive to provide examples and experts from all sides of the issues we discuss. This leads to an unbiased approach and a well balanced curriculum.