New Zealand/Australia 2019-20

Hi everyone! Although we got sent home from the trip early, it was amazing while it lasted. One of the most memorable experiences for me was when we had lectures on the New Zealand dairy industry with researchers from Lincoln University. I had always thought that the dairy industry was fairly simple, where you just let cows out into the pasture and then bring them in every day to milk them. 

However, the process towards making the dairy industry more sustainable is a much more complicated process than I thought. According to Dr. Omar Al- Marashdeh, the main goal of the research being done is to “find ways to reduce environmental impact while maintaining profits”. One of New Zealand’s main exports is dairy products, so the research being done has a very large impact on its economy. While at the research center we were given a lecture on the research being done, and then were taken out on a tour of the fields. For example, the researchers had found that the ideal ratio of pasture is 80% perennial ryegrass and 20% white clover. This ratio both gives the cows the nutrients that are needed while also fixating large amounts of nitrogen. They also taught us about some interesting ideas that did not work out so well, such as having a plastic sheet that is attached to the underside of the cows in order to spray their pee and decrease the concentration of nitrogen in their urine patches. They also discussed with us how dairy farmers are expected to reduce nitrogen output and how this will be regulated. After this busy day at the research center, we had a discussion on the bus ride back to the hostel about our thoughts on the dairy industry. What made this day so important for me is that it encouraged me to think more deeply about what I considered to be a simple and straightforward industry. It has encouraged me to think deeper about environmental problems, and how compromises sometimes have to be made in order to satisfy profit goals or allow people to keep their jobs. Overall, I have learned how environmental issues might be more complicated than they first look.

-Sam

 

 

I am an exuberant lover of water. I am blessed to live by a river and the mass of lakes that makes up the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Since I’ve been home I’ve gotten to enjoy watching the ice slowly melt and the blue of the Seagull river appear. I’m anxious for the day when it’s warm enough to swim in.

   One of the features that astounded me the most in New Zealand and Australia was the water. There was so much beautiful, vibrantly colored water. When we landed in New Zealand all I could think about was getting in the water. I couldn’t wait to jump into the salty, cool water of the Pacific Ocean. On the second day we were in Auckland a group of us took a bus to a nearby beach. We ran into the water as quickly as we could get our shirts off. It was the first swim of the trip and it was Justin’s first time in the ocean! I was excited to swim as much as I could on our trip.

After our swim came many beautiful oceans and beaches, rivers, and lakes. My favorite memories from the trip happened in water or by water. In Paihia we ran in and out of the surf chasing each other and throwing sand. At Rotorua, after a hike, we jumped in the most beautiful freshwater lake I’ve ever seen. At Tongariro National Park we enjoyed an impromptu swim in a freshwater pool underneath a waterfall. At Mt. Cook I stuck my toes in the freezing, mountain water for as long as I could manage. At Bimbi Park we played tag with the waves as we ran down and up the beach. 

I have all these memories that I’ll cherish in and around water, but what made them really special was the people. Now whenever I see a body of water I think of Ivy and the smile she would have on her face as she dives into the water. The people who I spent time with on this trip, and the memories that I created with them have made water even more meaningful to me. 

-Abigail P.

Hey everyone! It’s been eight weeks since we were together. I have recovered a bit from the devastation of ending our time abroad early, and one thing I can earnestly say is that I miss everyone so greatly!

I gained a lot from our time abroad. I got to see beautiful landscapes, gain some new passions, explore potential careers paths, create a field journal that is now priceless to me, and learn about the world. One of the takeaways that has impacted me the most, however, was all of the friendships I have gained. Before ESANZ, I had taken three trips with St. Olaf students, two spring break trips, and one interim abroad. I made friends on those trips, but not on the scale of our trip.

I feel like I walked away from our trip with a whole new community: 21 new, true friends that I could call on if I ever needed it. We were together through so many strange and wonderful new experiences and we got to travel all over the “bottom of the world” together. Each time we finished a hike or set off to see something new (usually on an idling tour bus), we would always commence and conclude with a count off, signaling that we were all there and ready to go. 

At first, everyone was unfamiliar with the process of counting off. As number two, I was often caught off guard and would forget to say my number. Over time, as we settled in, we began to notice who was always late (you know who you are!) or who would say their number too fast or too slow, and who needed reminders. A month in, I knew everyone’s numbers. Proving that we were all together all the time was, to me, a comforting and bonding ritual.

When we found out that we were leaving early, I was so sad. Luckily, we still had several days on Phillip Island to buffer the end of our trip with. Those were some of my favorite nights. We would all wander onto the bus from some wonderful activity like penguin watching or wallaby hunting, exhausted, and, for me, a bit sad, but still all together. I was worried that any count off could be our last. When we did have our last one, in Melbourne, before going to the airport, I cried. Our bus driver, who we had never met before that day, promptly got on the speaker and announced to us that he had driven lots of groups over the years, but never any group that had shown such great affection towards one another. It made ending our trip more difficult, but I am so happy that we all grew to be so close. I love you guys!

I remember that the song “When the Saints Go Marching In” was often sung at my Catholic elementary song. Since leaving the trip, and reminiscing about our count off, a symbol of our adventures and togetherness, I have a new love for the lyric “Oh how I want to be in that number…” The other day, during a zoom lecture, we counted off as a form of attendance, and for such a seemingly benign activity, it made me emotional. Oh, how I want to be in that number!

Being stuck at home has been rough, and absolutely no fun compared to the adventure I was on, but it has given me time to build some new dreams, one of which is returning to Australia. I am so thankful for the rich experience I had; most of the time I am unsure what to do with my deep gratitude. Thank you for reading this, and thank you for caring about us. I care so much about this community we’ve built. There is so much left to see in this world. As soon as we can, let’s count off, hop on the bus, and go!

-Abby Becker

Throughout our time in New Zealand and Australia we saw so much beauty— mountains, crazy geysers, fields of kangaroos, and rainforests. But while exploring all of these incredible places, the ocean was always the central force pulling me closer to uncover its many mysterious layers. This connection to the sea was formed by many special moments frolicking in the waves. One of these moments was a lunch stop on our way to Paihia, New Zealand. We groggily disembarked from the bus and were transported into a magical seaside adventure. The waves playfully swooped us up and down and the sandy bottom was littered with pink shells and sand dollar treasures. The sea brought out our childlike energy and swept away our facades, revealing more genuine versions of ourselves.

In Paihia, the ocean continued to connect us to others. A group of us were swimming after a busy morning celebrating Waitangi Day and we befriended a couple of Kiwi children playing at the beach. The kids helped us create a kiwi bird decorated with shells as I addressed the little boy’s most pressing quandary: “Why do they put salt in the sea?” This experience reminded me that the ocean is a powerful force of environmental inspiration and curiosity that entices people of all ages. And it inspires me to use marine education as a way of connecting children to nature and instilling in them a desire to protect the environment.

We saw this method of inspiring conservation a few days later while snorkeling at Goat Island Marine Reserve. Before getting into the water, we visited the Goat Island Marine Discovery Center for some marine biology lectures. We learned about the conservation struggles that the marine reserve is facing, primarily because of fisheries just outside the limits of the reserve. But another important part of this visit was meeting people with jobs in marine biology, which helped us get a better idea of what it looks like to be a marine biologist. I was able to picture myself doing marine research and ensuring that tourists experience both the beauty of the marine reserve and understand the conservation issues facing the ecosystem. It is easy to see many environmental jobs as consisting of one main duty, but in reality most environmental jobs are very interdisciplinary and involve aspects of education, policy/management, and science.

Towards the end of our time in New Zealand we had another chance to better understand marine biology opportunities by touring the Portobello Marine Laboratory in Dunedin. Apart from dissecting some squids, we got a tour of the lab with explanations from PhD students and professors about how their research contributes to marine conservation efforts. This helped me see how my growing passion for marine science can be shaped into a meaningful career. In this way, our time in Australia and New Zealand didn’t just bring me closer to the ocean, it also gave me a better understanding of where I can go from here and where I want to end up. Not everyone on our trip wants to be a marine biologist now, but we all found our own special interests and got a glimpse into the lives of many inspiring practitioners. I will always be grateful for this life-changing experience that I shared with such a special group of people.

– Ivy Arden

I had hoped to be writing this from some poorly-lit and frighteningly disorganized hostel room in Brisbane. Or maybe I would have been drinking a flat white at one of the endless coffee shops that only serve espresso (no drip coffee??) and sometimes have odd drinks like hot elderberry juice. Alas, I must now brew my own coffee at home, and my experience in New Zealand and Australia exists only in memory.

One of the memories that stuck with me the most was our visit to a Christchurch earthquake memorial. The piece had been set up to honor the 185 victims of the devastating 2011 earthquake. Standing watch in neat, orderly rows were 185 chairs of a huge variety of designs, all painted white. The families of the deceased had been consulted to learn what sort of chair each person would have wanted to be represented by. Office chairs, dining room chairs, recliners, a high chair, and a beanbag chair all stood forlorn vigil over the city. I found it remarkable that although none were secured to the ground and visitors were encouraged to wander among the chairs and even touch them, each seat stood precisely in its assigned spot. The fact that nothing had been moved out of place spoke to the deep respect that the piece commanded.

Other signs of the earthquake’s devastation were everywhere in Christchurch. Where tall skyscrapers once stood, many spaces remained vacant in the middle of the downtown. Many had already been repurposed, however. Sculptures, skate parks, and places of creativity had sprung up in these empty spaces, giving the city a unique personality. These “gap fillers” have provided the Christchurch citizens with an outlet for their imagination which would not have been possible without the earthquake. During a tour of the city, our group stopped for a spontaneous dance party at one such gap filler. A stage had been erected with bright lights and a jukebox, and we took fifteen happy minutes goofing off and enjoying this example of rebirth out of destruction.

Speaking of Christ and churches, another example of creativity emerging from the ashes was in a place of worship. The towering stone cathedral in Christchurch lost its steeple in the quake and is only now being restored. In the meantime, a replacement church was erected using the most efficient materials possible. Designed by Shigeru Ban, an expert in disaster reconstruction, the cardboard cathedral was constructed in just a year and a half. It has grown into of the city’s biggest attractions. The walls are clear plastic and the supports are cardboard tubes, with side offices made from old shipping crates. A minimal amount of metal was added for reinforcement. The structure is predicted to last several decades.

Since the spread of the coronavirus, many of us feel regretful at what should have been and anxious for what may happen next. I certainly miss my time abroad and worry about the state of the world over the next couple of years. But I also have to wonder what sorts of new growth can come out of this tragedy. Christchurch shows us that good things can result from even the worst situations. Perhaps we will see some of that in the near future. Rahm Emanuel said we should “never let a good crisis go to waste.” Will people in heavily polluted areas relish the improved air quality they’ve been experiencing and take action to keep it that way? Though the virus has brought so much distress and suffering, humans are remarkably creative. How can we learn from the citizens of Christchurch and use this situation as an opportunity for growth and improvement?

-Matt

It has been over a month since I have seen everyone and it has not been easy. Zooming with everyone just isn’t the same as sitting down for group dinners or being on the bus for 5 hours. I have been reflecting a lot on the lectures and educational experiences I had during the 7 weeks. While grateful for all the I learned, what truly changed me and helped me accept who I am were the 21 other people I was with. People who turned into friends as quickly as ice cream turns into melted ice cream on a hot day in the southern hemisphere.  

I remember the first time I met everyone, it was cloudy and cold out, we were in Tomson, jammed into a room, and forced to talk to one another. We played a game where you tried to find 3 things in common that you had with your partner the fastest. I was with Abby (Becker) we lost. By the time (I think Laura and Emily, maybe) found 3 we barely found 1. I remember leaving that three-hour orientation more excited than I have ever been for an opportunity. I didn’t know anyone’s name except for Abby and Marcel, I also knew Grants name, but that is only because he didn’t make the meeting and people kept repeating it. Little did I know that everyone in that room was going to change my life. 

My first vivid memory was when Meg asked me to switch seats with her so she could sit next to Anna. That meant I got to sit next to Marcel. I sat next to Marcel for 16 hours and I can’t imagine what I would’ve done if I didn’t. The whole way he was smiling, laughing, potentially drammed out sleeping, or dealing with me having to get up to pee for the 10th time. When we arrived in Aukland I remember Hannah going through customs without anyone else. After an hour-long customs wait we sat outside absolutely dumbfounded we were there, except for YiWynn who was already tan and looked well-rested. We couldn’t believe we made it. Exhausted and disgusting, but we were there.

When we got to the hostel we all stuffed our things into a little room ready to take on the day, then we looked at our phones thinking it was at least 10 in the morning, no, it was 8, 8 am. We took off for the day after showering to follow Jan and Susie around. I still don’t think at this point I knew everyone’s name. I spent most of my day trying to figure out why everything was so expensive until I realized there was a conversion rate. Wow, did I feel stupid. I remember it was the day of the SuperBowl. Alex kept saying “I am getting my base sunburn, ya know?” Sean and Ivy just wanted to swim and Abigal ate her first kiwi in kiwi land. 

By the end of the day, we knew a little bit more about each other. Like I learned that Justin hasn’t swam in the ocean, a crazy amount of people wanted to hurl themselves off a bridge with ropes tied around their feet (especially Emily), we really love lollies, Sean is allergic to just about anything fresh, and Ivy really really loves whales. For dinner, we sat around tables at a sub-par fish and chips place sharing laughs and stories. The next day it was blazing hot and we spent our day singing. I learned that Rachel has about 100000 talents and signing is just one of them. I also found out that Justin has the voice of an angel. I did my first Tim-Tam slam with YiWynn and Rachel. I learned that Alex and Meg love trees, like really LOVE trees. By the end of the day, it was no surprise that everyone wanted to go to the beach. It is also crazy how small a place can be, I am pretty sure I ran into Carolyn and Matt everywhere I went. Alex, Abby, and I strolled around Aukland hoping we wouldn’t get lost.

Flash forward to Mt. Cook. Snow-capped peaks crowded around us. For me, I felt like I was home. Not just because of the mountains, but also because of the people. We were all sitting outside watching the sunset, Grant, Sam and Justin were playing rugby, a common theme of the trip. Just before that, I had dinner with Abby, Emily, Laura, and Ivy. Sean, YiWynn, and Hannah were still gone, classic. Alex had set up a few blankets as more and more of us began to crowd in, Natalie and Laura’s contagious laughs were taking over the mountain valley, I was looking at Anna and Meg’s journals envious of their artistic abilities, Matt was cracking jokes (even if we didn’t hear all of them), and Marcel and I were showing off our scuba hoods. And that’s when we took one of my favorite pictures from the trip. As I left for my 9:30 bedtime, Sam begged me for a hug, like he did every night. 

The next day we were off on a hike to a glacial lake, I for obvious reasons of being me, took off sprinting at first with David and Justin, but soon David trickled back to be with Michon #couplegoals. Justin and I made it to the lake first. We sat there talking, as we always do waiting for everyone else. Once everyone else got there I was somehow surprised when Marcel and Ivy decided to jump into the frozen lake and were soon followed by Grant and Sean. I got the pleasure to walk back with Justin and Carolyn, two of my neighbors, we talked about home and what we were most looking forward to…

A month or so later we were in Australia, it was our last week, the point when I felt like I was finally opening up. I could talk to anyone and enjoy myself completely. Most conversations took us to wild places of favorite animals (given that any type of Marsupial was many people’s favorite), politics, and most importantly the Bachelor or Love is Blind. I learned a lot about everyone and was excited that I got a good response rate on my poll of “do you still want to be friends with me after we leave?” It is special to have a group of people that wants to change the world and will do anything necessary to do so. It is rare to have a group so selfless and open, but we had that. It is a blessing to have 21 new friends that will always be there for you. Through random selfies, necessary daily ice cream runs, beach days, smiling faces, wanderlust, happiness and sadness, and no judgment I learned how important it is to be happy with where you are because you do not know when situations will change. Everyone on this trip impacted me beyond words, and will hopefully continue to impact me, I mean 100% of people said that they will still be my friend. So for that, I want to thank St. Olaf for bringing us all together and giving me lifetime memories that have changed who I am.

-Rose

Hey everyone! Anna speaking. It’s hard to believe it has been over a month since we were traveling the coast of Australia. The quick turnaround to leave that beautiful place and my friends had me struggling for a long time to accept that we were really home. I know I share these feelings with a lot of my group, and a lot of the world right now, as we try to grasp onto normal, miss our friends and family, and remember how to be on our own. These last few weeks have been my time to try to do these things while I continue to learn with my group about the environment and culture of Australia. Being back in the beautiful Minnesota spring has been helping too. While looking at photos of places we could have gone to is a bit hard, every time I do I am reminded of each experience I did have in my time in New Zealand and Australia. Every one of them was a little microcosm of life, filled with so much emotion, friendship, growth, and new knowledge, I feel like my time there was truly endless. 

One of my favorite evenings in Australia was one night while at Bimbi Park in Cape Otways, when our group got to go on a glow worm walk with Mike, our teacher for the time we were at Bimbi. We walked for over an hour in the pitch black, holding hands like we were on a preschool field trip through the wet forest and over the boardwalks. As we wandered aimlessly following Mike, he pointed out the shells of giant ancient trees and many types of fungi and animals in the woods. It reminded me of our New Zealand glowworm experience in the cave floating below them, but this time we were much closer and in a less touristy environment. Although we were on a popular walking trail, the darkness and my unfamiliarity with the area made my experience of these tiny wonders much more personal. The soil banks alongside the trail lit up with constellations of glow worms, the more our eyes adjusted, the more we saw. Mike taught us a bit more about why glow worms were in the area. Glow worms like wet environments but there is no strong pattern to reported glow worm sightings. The good thing is that they are great at finding the moisture and cooler temperatures they need to thrive during the 9-month larval stage, and the Otways is the perfect place for them. We laid under the stars for a while after ending our walk and coming into a clearing. I remember thinking that I had never had so much fun stumbling over tree roots in the dark or stepping in mud puddles before. I think that learning through experience with our group made me appreciate where I was so much more and enhanced my ability to take in new information. I’ll never forget how much fun I had learning as we traveled through New Zealand and Australia. Learning with and from a group of passionate, creative, and caring stewards of the environment provides a whole new type of understanding.

We didn’t disturb the glow worms with our cameras, but we did take cheesy pictures inside a huge hollowed out fallen tree. It was hundreds of years old, extended all the way down a hill, and was an enticing photo-op.

-Anna

Hometown Reunion and Looking Closely

Looking back from the predictability of stay-at-home Minnesota, our time in New Zealand and Australia is a chaotic blur of food, friends, education, laughter, and of course beautiful scenery. The days all run together in my head and I still can’t put together a timeline of the trip without referring back to my itinerary but memories with my friends, lifechanging lessons, and the amazing natural places we visited are seared into my brain forever. After watching the setting sun shining on Mount Cook, snorkeling among jellyfish, riding waves into picturesque beaches, and falling asleep under a new sky, I expected the parks in my hometown of Duluth to feel drab and boring. Instead, I’ve realized that the parks around me have a different purpose in my life and that I’ll never run out of new things to explore in them.

View of Mount Cook at sunset

I’m lucky to live within walking distance of four city parks. The kind of parks that make you forget you can walk home in five minutes or climb a small hill and look over the city. My entire life I’ve walked and run in these parks and every bit of trail is full of memories with friends, family, and just me. Instead of wondering what I’ll see around the next turn like I did while abroad, I think about walks with my siblings and runs with my dad.

A small footbridge over a waterfall in lower Chester

On the trip, I only got a snapshot of each place at one point in time. Back home, I can watch the parks change with the seasons but also change over the years. In Chester park, the pond at the bottom of the ski hill is gone and you can see where old trails dead end into the creek, changes from the flood 8 years ago. In Hartley, so many trees fell in a windstorm that an entire section of one of my favorite loops was closed for good. You can still bushwhack your way through and find saplings sprouting from the trail and up through the boardwalks.
These parks aren’t new to me, but I will never run out of things to explore in them. An emphasis of our field journal was to slow down and look closely at the little things. There are countless things that I have seen a thousand times but never really looked at.
Today I went on a run that turned into a walk that turned into me taking pictures of the melting snow. It still surprises me how the same old scenery can grab me and show me new things. I ended up spending a long time standing on a rock in the creek looking at a small cliff. The cliff was covered in ice at the top with bright green moss underneath. The water was dripping off points in the ice into the mat of moss below and everything was sparking in the sun. Between the moss, the ice, the sun, the sound of the creek, and the smell of spring, the scene was as captivating as a New Zealand beach.

Water dripping from a stick on to moss

-Sean

Hey there, Meg here! If I’m being completely honest, quarantine has really not been too awful. I actually love waking up to my dogs jumping on me, working with my entire family on the most difficult puzzle I have ever done (80% of the pieces were the same shade of green), and getting to know Adriene (the woman from the youtube channel, Yoga with Adriene) much better. We are currently on week 4 of social distancing and isolation, but the memories of New Zealand and Australia are still extremely fresh in my mind. Everyday I think about the unique New Zealand trees, Burger Fuel (even though I never tried it), the Clocks of the city of Melbourne, the beach at Bimbi Park, Giapo’s ice cream… The list goes on and on. While coming home early was a big bummer, I feel so lucky to have experienced so many incredible places with such unforgettable and amazing people! 

One place that was a big highlight for me was the urban ecosanctuary called Zealandia. We visited Zealandia in the beginning of week 3 of our trip while we were in Wellington, New Zealand. I remember being incredibly shocked when we arrived because it is so huge! The ecosanctuary is over 500 acres big and is fully enclosed by a 5.3 mile long fence that keeps introduced mammalian predators from entering. I just couldn’t believe that a 5 minute cable car ride and a quick van drive took us from the heart of the city to this beautiful space for endangered species to recover and for nature to thrive. 

Not only is Zealandia providing a place to restore Wellington’s pre-human ecosystems, but it is allowing scientists to conduct research to learn more about many of the fascinating species of New Zealand. One of our guides was doing research on a very interesting parrot called the kākā. She spent hours upon hours observing the kākā at the many feeding stations placed throughout the ecosanctuary. During her time of observation, she mastered her kākā call and noticed their high intelligence, which they use for mischief. She told us that many people have found kākās using their beaks to tear off house siding! We saw many kākā birds as well as a beautiful bright green parakeet called the Kākāriki, and a unique, chicken-sized bird called the Takahē, plus many others.

This ecosanctuary was the perfect escape from the bustling city. I learned so much in one day! Reflecting on all that we did in New Zealand and Australia has truly helped me to understand the importance of learning through experience. We got the chance to speak with specialists and professionals about so many interesting topics, then actually go out to see, touch, and experience what can only be seen on a screen or in a book back at home. I have learned that getting outside and learning through experience is incredibly effective and important.

– Meg

As I sit in my little Massachusetts home right now and think back to my time in Australia, it feels like forever ago that we were playing at the beaches, hiking up Rangitoto in the hot southern sun, and indulging in numerous frozen desserts with Professor Ice Cream. Even though our time was significantly cut short, we still learned so much from the time we did have. Now that life consists of social distancing, quarantine, and paranoia, I think it is more important now than ever to remember some of the beautiful ways we have learned that nature recovers from trauma, and how other organisms care for one another. 

Looking back through my journal, one of my favorite lectures that we received was from Nelson, NZ, by two DOC workers. In their presentation, they told us of the struggles Nelson has faced in terms of having mass beaching of whales on their coasts. They discussed how the community has come together to try and address the issue by saving whales and aiding them in hopefully returning to sea. While they cannot save every whale, the act of trying to help them has brought the little community close together, and saved the lives of many of these beautiful creatures. The thing I found most inspiring from this lecture, however, was not how humans have gathered to help (although this is certainly good), but rather how other whales look out for each other. Whales have such strong social bonds and empathy for one another that oftentimes when a whale gets beached, its loved ones will also beach themselves to be with the distressed whale. This often leads to self-sacrifice for these complex and empathetic beings. Upon learning this, I wrote in my journal: “This sort of self-sacrifice is extremely touching in my opinion, and it almost seems to surpass a human’s capacity for empathy in some ways…”. In times of a global pandemic, I think it is vital now more than ever to remember how important our bonds to other organisms are, and continue to support one another in these troubling times when humanity itself feels “beached”. Although at the time of writing my journal I felt skeptical about the human capacity for empathy, I am starting to see some truly remarkable acts by fellow humans during the dark times of this pandemic. From healthcare workers working day and night, to community members making masks, and even delivering groceries to elderly members of the community, people are risking their safety to help others. I think this is truly inspiring, and I hope our global community remembers these values long after the pandemic subsides.

Another lecture I look back fondly on from our time abroad was our lecture at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, NZ. Our energetic and positive leader Tahu showed us the stunning ecosystem of that area, which plants to consume, and how the forest has adapted over many years to what it is today. The earth has been through volcanic eruptions, ice ages, droughts, floods, extinctions, and so much more. It seems that there is a resilience about our planet, and if we make the necessary choices to respect the land, there is hope of a better future. Tahu also emphasized to us the importance of having gratitude in our everyday lives. It may seem hard to feel grateful for the situations we find ourselves in now, but I am certain there is always something to be grateful for.  if we choose to appreciate the earth and each other as profoundly as they taught us to at Orokonui, I think there is hope.

– Carolyn

 

Greetings from isolation! While our time in Australia may have been cut short, it’s been amazing to reflect on all the wonderful times we had together. On March 18th, we drove to our final activity, all sleepy and emotionally exhausted from the week before. When we arrived at the Koala Conservation Centre on Phillip Island, we all expected to be greeted by a lecture, and at most, a walk around the Centre. What we got was completely the opposite. We were greeted by Ashley, a ranger at the park who we had met earlier at our vegetation lesson. He took us down to the eucalyptus plantations, which they kept to ensure the koalas had enough to eat. We met another ranger, who Ashley introduced to us as Bob, though his nametag said “Stefan.” They explained to us that wallabies had found their way into the plantations and we had to flush them out to protect the vegetation. What did that involve? Us, spaced out across the field, walking through the bush to push the wallabies towards the gate. This was a huge surprise to us. We had no idea that we’d be walking through the bush in this final activity, and most of us were wearing shorts and sandals. Nevertheless, we all got into position.

After lining up in the first field, we started walking. We’d only made it a few steps when we heard “There’s a snake!!” Everyone stopped and waited for the ranger. Sure enough, one of our comrades had almost stepped on a copperhead. We continued on, giving the snake a wide berth, and all reasonably freaked out. 

After flushing one wallaby out of the first field, the rangers decided we might as well go to another field. We spent the next hour or so walking across the field, stopping when we saw a wallaby and yelling nonsense at the top of our lungs. We walked back and forth across the field about eight times before we retired, flushing out about six wallabies.

Making our way out of the plantation and onto the bus, we laughed about what just happened and how much fun we had being totally ridiculous for the past two hours.

-Emily