Reports from the Field: 2002

Southwest 2002 Photo Album

February 11, 2002
by Karen Hibbard-Rode

Field Report-

Hello! These 11 students, 3 instructors, 1 child, and 1 baby to be, have spent the last month becoming familiar with the Southwestern United States—its places and its people.

We came together on January 6th for a few days of planning at Earlham before departing for Big Bend National Park in Texas on January 10th. We arrived in Big Bend on the 12th after a long but interesting trip west. While in Big Bend we learned about the natural history of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Big Bend area through hikes, reading, and talking with experts. We also spent a week Whitewater canoeing the Rio Grande, which took us through many canyons and rock formations, including the deep and beautiful Santa Elena Canyon. These experiences were enhanced by learning from and about each other through lessons and by building a sense of common values, goals and friendship as a group. We also took time to visit Boquillas, Mexico, relax in a natural hot springs, and take hundreds of pictures with our favorite toy, affectionately known as “digi” .

After a slightly extended stay in Big Bend due to needing repairs on one of our vans, we were on the road again to Tucson, Arizona. We arrived in Tucson on February 2nd and spent the next 2 days exploring the spectacular outdoor Sonoran Desert Museum, where we met with a desert ecologist and taught each other lessons about the organisms and systems displayed at the museum. Then, we set up residence in the Pima Meetinghouse in Tucson and spent the next 5 days studying sustainable architecture and started studying our Native American history. We met with several pioneers and innovators in all areas of the sustainable architecture field, who were wonderful resources and inspirational individuals.

There have been many memorable moments for us thus far. One of my favorites was paddling out of Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande. It was the last day of our week-long whitewater canoe trip on the Rio. As we paddled out between the tall, sheer walls of the canyon, we were silent, listening to the birds and the swish of paddles in the water. As we rounded a bend the 500 meter tall cliff walls dropped off suddenly so that all we could see was clear blue sky with the almost-full moon framed between the golden cliffs. We stopped paddling and floated, still silent, soaking up the moment. It was truly magical, and a part of this trip we will remember for years to come.

One student wrote in her journal about the whitewater canoeing trip “ It is fun to be a part of something so universal so deeply a part of every eco-system as water. To hear its voice as it rush over rapids or strokes the shores, to feel its power as you float or paddle along, to give yourself over to the river as you enter a rapid, and yet retain enough control to carry you through, diving into the spray of a standing wave and letting the water rock the boat feels like I'm in the heart of something greater. The river trip was more than eight days of whitewater, it was a chance to hear and live by the inner pulse of this eco-system and this land.” Hannah Putnam 04’

Now we are enjoying the mountainous forests of Madera Canyon and looking forward to our adventures to come!

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