Off-Campus Study – Paul Jackson

Projects at the Asian Rural Institute

One of the distinct advantages of working with undergraduates, is the creative, inquisitive energy they bring to the table. This month I threw them into the deep end. I asked them to develop some collaborative research projects, define their contributions to the project, and work with a community partner in a country other than their own. Our hosts at the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) graciously accepted the idea of pursuing lines of inquiry that would assist them in delivering their own rural leadership training program and provide insights into the operation of their organic farm on about 9 ha of campus and rented lands. Thus far I have been quite impressed with their determination to pursue lines of inquiry and be challenged by limits on the technology that could be applied to their questions.

The crew of seven students spent the first few days at ARI exploring the landscape, brainstorming project ideas, and talking about their individual and collective interests. What came out of those interactions was two overarching ideas: 1. Systems, subsystems and transfer to of processes and ideas to new locations; and 2. Landscape recovery from the 2011 Daiichi event, with particular interest in the forest-soil relationship.

Men's residence and guest residence. — Men’s residence and guest residence.

Some member of the first group are exploring how ARI systems for quick composting (Bokashi) can be modified for a larger African participant group, who use more wheat and maize compared to rice. They created new bokashi recipes from ARI materials, log temperature development in those piles as a measure of their effectiveness, and want to help staff and future ARI participants visualize the organisms that make the system function, including indigenous microorganisms. A few others are creating system diagrams and supporting narratives. One plans to illustrate how all components of maize can be used in different ways at ARI, and the other is examining past participant information regarding system components readily transferred to other countries for small scale hog/pig rearing.

Gathering and grinding wheat for the bokashi compost.

The landscape team got very interested in the continued recovery post the March 2011 Daiichi event. In particular, one student who went to a full-day session on Fukushima at the 2015 American Geophysical Union meeting, was very interested in movement of radioactive material in the soil system. Others wanted to know how much of these radioisotopes were still present in the forest canopy. Rather than climbing tall trees, we retooled to look at the forest floor litter – upper most surface (recent growth) and the litter-soil interface (older growth). Our Japanese colleagues at the ARI Becquerel Center have provided valuable assistance to use in sample preparation and specifications for using their equipment. It is a wonderful story – how local retired scientists with expertise in nuclear medicine have been partnering with ARI to analyze food and landscape samples for the last four years and plan to operate for at least ten years. Lastly we have set up a few camera traps to help our ARI friends understand other organisms that use the landscape or that might be of concern for their animal rearing programs. Within a few days, we captured some predators lurking near one of the chicken houses!

ARI Becquerel Center staff providing an introduction to their work for ASES 277 and 396 classes.

Cutting forest litter for sample submission to the ABC.

I am quite excited to see what kinds of stories the resulting data, analysis, and synthesis reveal. Right now I think our community partner will be very pleased as will these young women and men doing the work! Enjoy the images of our collaborative learning journey.

Quick image from a tour of the Watarase Retarding Basin with both classes (ASES 277 & 396)

Red fox caught on camera near chicken house

Raccoon dog caught on camera near chicken house

Returning to the new familiar

I felt a profound sense of connectedness and spirit in this place. I listened to the fluttering of birds on wing, the pace of fellow travelers making music with footsteps in the small stones, the wind moving branches and leaves, and to the warmth of the sun shining into my spirit.

Having arrived in Japan on 11 January and meeting up with the ASES 277 group and Asian Con crews this evening, I thought I would take the day to return to some places I traversed 19 months ago when Ann Marie, Kathy, Mike Thai, and Gabriel Trejos-Duran spent two weeks in-country. On today’s docket – sunshine, Meiji Jingu, and the fashion district around Harajuku. Fascinating thoughts and contrasts kept rushing into my head during my walking excursion today; I will share a select few.

When I last spent time at Meiji Jingu, it was mid-June, light rain, and a beautiful swath of blooming irises graced the grounds. Today was bright sunshine, a stiff cool breeze, and a mix of blue sky with browns and greens coupled to the celebrations associated with the New Year, weddings, and an ice sculpture exhibit. As I was meditating in the gyoen (inner garden), designed and built for Empress Shoken by Emperor Meiji I felt a profound sense of connectedness and spirit in this place. I listened to the fluttering of birds on wing, the pace of fellow travelers making music with footsteps in the small stones, the wind moving branches and leaves, and to the warmth of the sun shining into my spirit. Opening my eyes, I delighted in many people looking to engage other organisms by capturing imagery (thanks birders!) or simply out walking without being engaged on one’s mobile device.

How often do we really stop to listen to our surroundings? When did you last delight in temporary art and the dance of sunshine and shadow across the canvas of frozen water – watching a new shape unfold as the initial form changes due to melting (and falling bits)? How often do you celebrate life’s events in communion with one another and with the rest of nature? The shared sense of calm, spirit, and connections form the sounds and ideas that still linger in my head hours after leaving Meiji Jingu. I hope you enjoy these images and look forward to your own sense of discovery and connectedness in spirit whether you are near or far from where you call home.

Musings on Green…

During the last two weeks we have enjoyed the Melbourne area during a break, journeyed to Canberra to see Parliament, discussed how environment plays into the political process and we now find ourselves in Sydney. The break allowed us to muse on various “Green” ideas, topics or just free form thoughts. As we reflect back on our first six weeks in country we ask, “Did we need to journey half-way around the world to appreciate how we are inextricably part of nature and to fully appreciate its wonder, diversity and beauty?”

From EnvSci Australia – 17 Mar 2012

As we reflect back on our first six weeks in country we ask, “Did we need to journey half-way around the world to appreciate how we are inextricably part of nature and to fully appreciate its wonder, diversity and beauty?”

Yes. How can we not see a place where over 50% of the plants and animals are endemic – found no where else on the globe? Along the southern coast of Victoria, the endemism of marine life is estimated at over 90%. You can’t find that characteristic of life near home. The country is dry – usually. The second La Nina year in a row is bringing

Hdwe_Lane — Cafes, including Affogato, along Hardware Lane, Melbourne

mild temperature and lots of rainfall to the SE region, which translated means moving from drought into flash flooding. Australia is perched in a unique climatic zone, so it is highly sensitive to small changes in global climatic cycles.

No. Our travel makes an impact. Certainly the 9500+ miles traveled from Minneapolis to Melbourne left a big carbon footprint, as does our coach travel around the country. Taking lunches, with all their packaging, also leaves behind a substantive energy and materials footprint. What can we do to change some of this and minimize our impacts? Last spring one of my EnvSt seniors did an audit of the program for her senior project. Certainly, one can apply offsets to our air travel or even do work in and around campus to mitigate this. We have pushed for more reusable containers and seek out eating establishments that have strong relationships to small, local farms. One of our favorites in Melbourne was the Affogato Cafe, located on Hardware Lane. The husband-wife team that operates this place were friendly, welcoming and big fans of the United States, especially New York, San Francisco and Memphis. Yes, they loved the music scene in Tennessee and the eclectic mix playing in the cafe was a delight to experience each day. The food was simple and delicious.

Another prompt to being green was not too far from our QUEST accommodation on Flinders Lane. Here you could walk about 30 meters to a few alleys filled with what I will call social, public art. Graffiti artist alter the visual landscape daily – putting layers of spray paint on top of previous work. This ever changing scene provides social commentary, highlights cultural differences, and expresses profound personal perspectives. The spray paint is not very green, but the response of other artists, citizens and tourist make it worth the look.

graffiti3 — Graffiti art along alley near Flinders Lane, Melbourne, VIC.

graffiti1 — Graffiti art celebrates cultural influences and people.

graffiti2 — The alley squid with painters crates in Melbourne, VIC

It would be difficult not to end a few green musings with policy. In Australia the federal government does not have environment or environmental issues written specifically into its constitution. These responsibilities primarily rest with each state government. What the Commonwealth does have are constitutional provisions for addressing foreign affairs, trade and international financing as specified by the external affairs section of the constitution (Section 51). Throughout the last 50 years the Commonwealth has been advancing environmental protection largely through being part of international treaties and multi-national environmental declarations. This was reviewed on a number of occasions by the High Court and subsequent common law gave the federal government more authority in this area. Our visit to the Commonwealth’s Parliament House was excellent. We were fortunate to see “question time” in the Parliamentary system (click link for a comparison with the USA). The images below show the provisional parliament house (white buildings in foreground) and the current parliament house (background with large flag spire and grassed roof). Inside the colors and materials reflect the Australian palette. In particular, the color of the House of Representatives is a grayish blue-green; the leaf color many acaias and eucalypts in Australia. For example, check out the leaf color of Eucalypts globulus (Blue gum) when it is young.

parliament_house — Looking at both the old and current Parliament House from the War Memorial in Canberra, ACT.

house_chamber — A view from the public gallery into the House of Representatives. Note the “front bench” areas for the government and for the opposition.

Culture is Knowledge – Knowledge is Culture

From EnvSci Australia…09 Feb 2012

Today’s theme was “Ways of Knowing” as it relates to observing and recording culture. Our guide for this experience was Dr. John Bradley, simply an extraordinary, gifted teacher, anthropologist and human. John has worked with the Yanyuwa people of the Northern Territory; home country is the SW coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. He challenged our thinking about observing and recording cultures other than one’s own and underscored the importance of language, culture and knowledge as inextricably linked. During our four hours together we heard and appreciated the complexity of Yanyuwa life and connection to country (for a good resource about what “country” means, see the internet book Nourishing Terrians by Rose). Here I must stop to thank John, Stephanie and Elizabeth for all the conversations about different ways of knowing country. What would the world be like if we all embraced an ethic about home or country that encapsulated just a fraction of knowledge held by original land owners or guardians? Would we hear the ecological stories in the songs and dances shared among one another? Would we see earth, sky, land, sea, all creatures as a living, breathing, sentient presence and our ancestors? We can learn much if: 1) we have the courage to allow each person to embrace their full humanity rather than elevate one particular way of knowing above another; and 2) we see life and spirit in all elements of the world around us, not just the human part.