Bryson and The Colony

Today's discussion of Bryson's A Walk in the Woods and the idea of how people become so dependent on technology reminded me of a show I'm keeping up with on the Discovery Channel, called The Colony. The Colony documents a ten-week experiment that involves ordinary people from all spectrums of life and how they cope with a worldwide "disaster" context. As part of the experiment, a fairly-large section of Los Angeles is sectioned off and designed to resemble what the city would look like if a viral outbreak killed much of the population (think I Am Legend without the zombies). Here's a more thorough explanation from the official website:

"What would you do in the wake of a global catastrophe? How would you find food? Water? Shelter?

The Colony is a controlled experiment to see exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild under these circumstances. For 10 weeks, a group of 10 volunteers, whose backgrounds and expertise represent a cross-section of modern society, are isolated in an urban environment outside Los Angeles and tasked with creating a livable society.

With no electricity from the grid, no running water and no communication with the outside world, all the volunteers have to work with are their skills and whatever tools and supplies they can scavenge from their surroundings.

Experts from the fields of homeland security, engineering and psychology have helped design the world of The Colony to reflect elements from both real-life disasters and models of what the future could look like after a global viral outbreak.

Over the course of the 10-week experiment, the Colonists must work together to build the necessities of survival, such as a water-filtration system, a battery bank that powered their electricity, a solar cooker, a shower system and a greenhouse – and even some niceties (a coffee maker!)."

The show categorizes the struggles the colonists go through for the viewer by breaking up portions of the episodes into "Phases" and the "Contexts" that accompany that phase (for example, the "Traders" phase has a context of "Negotiation Skills"). As the days progress for the colonists, they go from vital phases such as "Arrival and Survival" and "Sustainable Energy" to non-essential tasks such as "Creature Comforts", where they build a rudimentary shower. Wikipedia does a pretty good job explaining the progression of events as the series goes on.

The show is (in my opinion) fascinating because it really highlights how dependent people have become on technology and societal luxuries and, because of this, how much they have forgotten how to live in a "natural" or "primitive" fashion. In the very first episode, for example, some of the colonists complain about the fact that the toilets don't flush (they must be manual activated by dumping water down the drain), that there are no beds, that there is no power or water (and, they later discover, they need a type of water-filtration system), and only a limited number of canned foods. Because of this, from the very beginning they are forced into "survival" mode and must make due with what they find in the warehouse they live in or can scavenge from the outside world. It is clear from the start that in this type of situation, there is definite benefits in numbers as one person alone could not possibly know how to accomplish all of these deeds on their own; one of the colonists, for example, used to work as a solar panel installer/handyman and is therefore proves to be an expert when it comes to power generation, while another has a marine biology background and is therefore useful when the group explores the surrounding area for food and must fish.

However, scavenging and innovation are not the only challenges the colonists must face. As part of the experiment, the producers have hired a dozen or so of "marauders" that try to steal the colonists' supplies, infiltrate the colony, and in general do other things that would threaten the security of the colony and thus remind the colonists of the true hardships of a survival situation. They begin to realize that they are not the only ones in need of things to survive and that many "outsiders" have no qualms or morals when it comes to survival. Putting this in a camping perspective, the colonists are like the campers with food, and the "outsiders" are the bears and other creatures who would steal it during the night if it were not stored properly. Similarly, the colonists quickly realize that not only must they acquire resources, but once they do, they have to take measures to protect them. The sense of security they possessed when in society is gone; here, they are truly in the "wild."

If anyone else is interested in the show, check out the first link, you can watch full episodes from there. Also, it is still playing Tuesday nights at 10pm on the Discovery Channel.

~Meg

Greetings from the Jersey Shore

This summer has been somewhat different than the ordinary, at least for me. I spent the first six weeks of my summer break recovering from extremely invasive surgery (during which portions of twelve of my ribs were cut!). So, needless to say, I knew I was in for a relatively subdued list of summertime activities.

However, I started work in July at Wells Mills County Park, where I’ve volunteered and worked every summer since 2004. It is a beautiful, 900 acre slice of the unique New Jersey Pine Barrens ecosystem. The park serves as a passive recreation site, where people are encouraged to enjoy themselves hiking, canoeing, and birdwatching without impacting the natural beauty of the area. The park has to be one of my favorite places in the world. I consider myself very lucky to be paid to enjoy myself in a beautiful natural area for eight hours a day. I spent my time at work this summer renting canoes, illustrating songbirds in watercolor for a display, drawing ink sketches of waterfowl for the park’s Decoy and Gunning Show literature, and eating wild blueberries. Time well spent, in my opinion!Just the other day I went down to the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge where

I was actually working that day s a tour guide on a birdwatching van trip with a fellow coworker and bird nut. We spent about five hours birding on a fantastic stretch of tidal salt marsh with a view of the Atlantic City skyline in the distance. In total, we catalogued 58 different species of birds, including: terns, gulls, plovers, sandpipers, herons, Black Skimmers, Clapper Rails, Glossy Ibises, and an extremely rare (and frankly unheard of) juvenile Roseate Spoonbill. We got some good looks at the AC Utilities Authority’s five windmills, too.

Recently, some friends and I took a day trip to Cape May to spend some time walking along the streets and seaside promenade looking at the local gingerbread Victorian homes – in full costume! It was about ninety degrees that day, and there we were, in full length Victorian-style dresses and suits, posing for pictures and ducking into shops to soak up the air conditioning. Needless to say, we decided to spend a few hours at the beach afterword to cool off!

I had a great summer, but I am very excited to return to Richmond!

Adaptation: the key to survival

Those of you who joined me to scout out our campsite for this year's retreat will notice that this image shows that the lake we planned to swim in is even lower than it was when we saw it in May! As you can see below, I did swim in it with some Summer Scholars, but the mud was deep and it was no fun getting in and out of the water, so we're adapting our plans...















I will be scouting out two possible alternatives the week before we meet and I'll go for the one with the most water and the promise of a cooling dip. The St. Mary's Wilderness Area is supposed to have a small falls and a swimming hole. Originally the plan was for a short, easy backpack into a campsite from which we could swim. We can still backpack into the woods, but the trail will be a bit more challenging. Alternatively, we could "car-camp" on Bald Mountain and take a short day-hike for our mountain swim - without our heavy backpacks. But no matter where we choose, any spot near the Blue Ridge Parkway is likely to be a good one.

Think about the options and we'll decide when we meet on Friday the 21st - see you then!

Travis's Summer

Hey guys!

Immediately after returning home to Baltimore from Richmond, I enjoyed three weeks of nothingness: lying around the house, eating too much, getting sunburn, catching up on reading. To keep up with my 4-year plan (who could afford a 5th at richmond??), I enrolled in a summer calc II course at Towson University for the next five weeks, while also working at Morris Meadows Recreational Farm as a lifeguard and cook. I took a weekend trip to Ocean City, MD with some friends after I finished the class. I continued working, and in mid-July made my way to Connecticut to visit fellow Richmonders, Shelby Brown (Parker's girlfriend :) ) and Lauryn Esposito.

Since my trip to the nutmeg State, everyday brings more hours of staring at a 5-foot deep pool of yapping soccer moms and their toddlers; is it bad that some days I wish someone would need saving? In three days I'm tagging along with my friend's family to Ocean Isle in North Carolina for a week-long beach vacation!

I have yet to go camping this summer, and can't wait to hit the trail in two weeks. More importantly, it'll be great to finally get to know all of you!

Enjoy your last days of summer '09, and take it easy!

Travis

summer time when the weathers fine

hey everyone!

I hope you're all enjoying your summers and are excited for the return to Richmond. This summer I have been working about 5-6 days a week as a hostess and counter server at a gourmet French/Italian restaurant called Sovana Bistro. It's just a mile away from my house so it's really convenient. The owner/executive chef there, however, is pretty cool because he uses local produce and dairy whenever possible and changes the menu seasonally, so the food we serve is fresh and local. One part of the menu is a 100-mile menu meaning all the dishes are made from foods sourced within 100 miles of the restaurant. Pretty neat.

Besides my job, I have been keeping busy by enjoying this gorgeous weather. I joined at summer frisbee league (as Sally said) and she and I have games every Monday and Wednesday night. Playoffs are next week so I'm really excited!! We'll let you know how our team does. I have also been kayaking on the Brandwine River, which is a pretty big river about 15 mins from my house. My dad's real big on kayaking so he tries to recruit me to go with him almost every weekend.

My big summer trip was a road trip to Canada with 4 of my friends from high school. We drove up in a minivan and stayed at my friend's grandmother's guest cottage in St. Gabriel. It's absolutely gorgeous up there. It was my first time going to Canada and I loved it! I hope I can go back again soon.

I can't wait to get to know everyone! It sounds like we have a really great group of people. Unfortunately I doubt I'll be able to make the camping trip because I'm an OA this year and we have a packed schedule. I'm really bummed about it because the trip sounds like so much fun and it's been too long since the last time I've gone camping, but I hope you all enjoy it and you'll have to fill me in on all the details.

See everyone soon!!

-Kelsey

summersummersummer!

Hey guys,

Just to follow up on the summer update, I'll give you a quick blurb about mine!

For the first half of the summer I was working on a local farm as a farm hand for three days a week, doing everything from weeding to planting and picking. I was also interning for a business in Chicago three days a week for a company that sells custom sustainbly made, handmade packaging to different businesses.

Now, though, I'm working at a summer camp in Northern Wisconsin. I'm a counselor for thirteen year old girls, and I just got back from leading them on a five day backpacking trip in the Porcupine Mountains.

Everything's been a blast, I've met tons of awesome new people, learned a bunch, and been able to catch up with family and friends from home as well. Looking forwards to being back at school though!
Sorry for the quick update, i barely get any computer time. Hope your summers are going wonderfully.

Jerry's Summer

So far my summer has been pretty busy. Shortly after the end of last semester, I went to an ecolodge on Costa Rica's Osa Penninsula. Home to diverse wildlife and lush rainforests, I learned about the local flora and fauna, a new culture, rainforest conservation efforts, and eco-tourism.

My Summer

Hey Guys and Gals,

I though you might enjoy hearing a little bit about my summer and in the process might get to know me a little bit better, so here goes:

This summer I have been working at a racehorse breeding farm called Smokey's Run Farm. There I do all of the barn work for about 20 horses. Also I am in charge of taking care of the babies and the mothers at the farm. There are 5 newborns, 3 yearlings, and 2 two year olds, which I have the pleasure of playing with constantly. They are all wonderful and full of energy and unexpected surprises.

At home I have 2 two horses that my sister, mom and I are riding. One is from Smokey's Run Farm, his name is Puppy and he didn't have a job for the summer so he is on lend. The other is Little Eagle, who a friend of the family gave to us to train and break for the summer. I am also working for another lady riding her horses because she is pregnant. There are 3 that I am in charge of riding with my sister.

I also joined a frisbee team over the summer. It is coed and part of a large league in my area. Kelsey, another member of Earth Lodge next year is on the team with me. It is a blast! Another way that I spend my time is playing pick up games of soccer about once a week with kids from my old soccer league.

That's about it for what is keeping me busy there have been a few other things in the middle but they are not permanent. I went to a Dave Matthews Band concert. Also my family went to Nantucket, an island off of Massachusetts, for vacation for a week. It was fun and the town is all cobblestones so it is actually faster to bike than to drive around the island. I spent two weeks volunteering at a 4-H pony camp as a helper for the kids with their ponies. Also I have spent a good bit of time canoeing and tubing down the Brandywine River with one of the owners of Smokey's Run Farm.

Hope that everyone is having a fantastic, spiffy summer. ~ Sally

STRESS, Learning & Performance

Pursuing a liberal arts education at a celebrated university can be STRESSFUL - but it need not be. Though the EARTH Lodge program certainly offers its members a variety of challenges (intellectual, creative, social and physical), it is specifically designed to help students devise practical strategies to navigate these challenges with increased enthusiasm and less stress.


How can digital technologies invisibly increase our stress, and how can we find a better balance for our use of them?

Like all high-demand environments, the campus atmosphere at UR can sometimes seem to encourage stress and dismiss the damaging impact stress can have on our minds and bodies. However, recent research by Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky demonstrates that it may be worthwhile to reassess our dismissal of stress if we want to live happy lives and maximize our performance.

Inspired by our readings, especially "The Eureka Hunt" by Jonah Lehrer, some 2008 Lodge members have suggested that creativity can be a key to reducing student stress as demonstrated in their brief digital essay "The Creativity Project."

So, next time you're tempted to surrender to the storms of stress that naturally come our way, think of the cost and remember that you can take a break and recover your peace of mind.

Welcome 2009 EARTH Lodgers!

The new Lodgers and a few grizzled vets off to a great start having already gathered for a movie & pizza night and a scouting trip for our pre-semester retreat in the fall. Though it was a bit over the top, Idiocracy by Mike Judd was a hilarious vision of a future whose frightening seeds can be recognized even now.

Our trip to Mill Creek in the Blue Ridge mountains was enlighting and an unexpected challenge that y'all met with impressive cheer and ingenuity - and a few wet feet! Though I had honestly forgotten that we had about four stream-crossings (one way), and the challenge proved the mettle of this group!

In my decades of trips to this lake, I've never seen it this dry:

But after skirting the lake on a rough, unmarked trail....



Molly leads across clear flowing water with a delicate balance....our first crossing of four!
....and we saw plenty of small, clear swimming holes on this creek.



Along the way we saw signs of man...

...and beast

Sometimes crossing on the rocks....

and other times attempting construction....

time for a much-needed refeuling!

Stay tuned for details about our camp out in the mountains before classes begin in the fall....
Until then, please share some of what you are doing this summer by posting some of your adventures to this blog.

education and our classroom

When we think about it, for most of human history Nature has been our "classroom" where we learned and developed as a species. Our ancient clocks were to be found in sun, seasons, solstices and equinoxes, and thus we lived our lives at a more "natural" pace. Until the Industrial Revolution and consequent urbanization, education involved significant time spent outdoors in a variety of activities depending on social class. Farming, hunting, working with animals, martial arts and exploration would engage all of our senses and require a complex array of embodied intelligences.

As changes in technology caused massive demographic shifts, rural workers displaced by new agricultural technologies, moved from open fields to factories in cities rigidly controlled by the ubiquitous but nearly subconscious clock.





"hurry up please,
it's time!"




Naturally, with such massive socioeconomic changes it would be reasonable and necessary to deploy some kind of organizational plan to encourage smooth social interaction, but the priorities of industry came to dominate the worker and the landscape as factory life and home life became increasingly Taylorized and our lives became gradually infused with measurement in the name of an unquestioned "efficiency."


In one of the film-texts we discuss over the semester, the 1936 semi-silent classic film Modern Times in which Charlie Chaplin creates a hilarious (sometimes horrific) exploration of the impact of technology on the body of the worker. Though the film could have had full sound, Chaplin significantly chose to give voice only to certain "characters," a touch pregnant with relevance for today. The link above contains the whole movie and the first 15 minutes is worth a peek, but the whole movie should be seen on full-size DVD for best results. Though EARTH Lodge emphasizes the necessity of outdoor education, when in class we also engage with a variety of Web 2.0 technologies both as critical viewers and thoughtful creators rather than merely passive consumers of web content. This blog is an example of the variety of our explorations and one example of the media we use.



Today, though many progressive teachers are breaking old patterns and deploying new ones, the impact of the Industrial Revolution still echoes in our emphasis on tightly scheduled clock time, obsessive productivity and rigidly arranged classrooms with rows of desks all facing forward, facing the sole source of authoritative information. This is not an arrangement that encourages engagement or honors the knowledge brought by the student. Often this arrangement can stifle creativity and promote passivity.


This is the limited model EARTH Lodge seeks to transcend.


There may or may not be such a thing as Nature Deficit Disorder, but it's not hard to see how disconnected we are becoming from Nature since most of us cannot build a fire, construct a shelter or grow our own food as our ancestors have done for most of human history. It may be worthwhile reconsidering whether our current relationship to technology enhances or detracts from our evolutionary potential. If adaptation is the crucial behavior for survival and evolution, are we becoming more able to adapt?

These are some of the questions, ideas and issues we explore in our American Literature course "Natural Reflections in Fiction and Nonfiction" where we examine a variety of texts in terms of their literary qualities as well as their contribution to our reflections about humanity and our relationship to nature and technology. These readings and discussions are enhanced by outdoor activities and other events specifically planned and executed by Lodge members.

We have had City Naturalist Ralph White come to speak to us about the significance of the geology of the falls of the James River and the importance of grassroots involvement in the parks. In the second semester of the EARTH Lodge year we work on projects througout Richmond's 500+ acre James River Park System. Sometimes we meet for class down by the river, or take a dip on a hot day after classes. The nearby Pony Pasture Park section is 130 acres of riparian woodland that is home to deer, fox, raccoon, beaver, turtles, squirrels, possum and dozens of species of birds. To the close observer, the area is full of intriguing signs and information relevant to our readings...and our other courses!

swimming, fishing, boating, birdwatching...

reflecting on seed
deployment technology

remnants of a meal??

can you spot the
paw-paw fruit in
the leaves below?

Mallards cruising up river

EARTH Lodge begins the semester on the Friday before classes start with a pre-semester retreat to learn new skills, get to know each other and discuss our readings for the course. The 2008 crew rented a CCC cabin at Doyles River in Shenandoah National Park and discovered just how comfortable life can be in the absence of modern technologies....well, except for the outhouse - now that was heinous!





Note: EARTH Lodge is not for everyone and it may not be for you if you:
*only want to be in Lakeview but don't care about the Lodge
*are over-scheduled so you cannot make most of the trips
*are not interested in forming community
*are resistant to regular outdoor experiences
*prefer to take direction than initiative
*dislike being challenged intellectually, socially and physically


If you're interested in learning more, come join me for a Fire Circle at "Owl's Nest" on Friday 2/13 6-7PM. We're at 7313 Longview Drive just above Pony Pasture. Cross Huguenot, take 1st right after bridge and turn Right on to Riverside Dr.
Continue past Pony Pasture parking lot (on left) and bear Right at Yeild sign to take the next Left on to Longview Drive. We're at the crest of the hill on the right, past Longview Ct.
Look for the Spider flag.

Hope to see you there!
(hot drinks will be provided)

creativity, survival & evolution

Though we don't often think about it, creativity is essential for our survival and evolution, both as individuals and as a species. One of the functions of the EARTH Lodge program is to provide an environment for creative expression and the inspiration to pursue it. For example, in the original Lodge (then called "Outdoor House") local artist Cristian Koshock came by to teach us about hand-building clay pottery, and this past equinox local teacher and community activist Ram Bhagat educated us about rhythm and drumming in the gazebo on Westhampton Lake.

And, in EARTH Lodge, "Creative expression" is a broad term that includes conversation, writing or dance as well as digital creations such as this group video composed by '08 Lodge members:"The Creativity Project." Lodge members also pursue more material creations such as linoleum block printing. This print, created by '08 Lodge member Jimmy Rague, is a good example of such a print. As we race into the digital age, elder technologies often slip away unnoticed and we are the poorer for it. Is there a good reason why we cannot retain the best of the old as we more thougtfully select and embrace the new? Why shouldn't we know how to build a fire as well as a website?

One of the unique aspects of EARTH Lodge is that the goal of more thoughtful engagement with technology and nature for the purpose of collecting a full quiver of skills, both old and new, that have joyful as well as practical purposes. In a time of crisis when the "experts" and promoters of orthodox economic,social and intellectual practices have been proven so wrong, it can be empowering to develop and exercise creative thinking for truly new solutions while learning practical new skills, both primitive and high tech - a mixture that enhances our ability to adapt and survive in a wider variety of circumstances.

Real learning involves far more than just reading and writing, although these are obviously essential. In his 1837 address to the Phi Beta Kappa Society at a Cambridge graduation, Emerson noted that the three main influences upon the mind are that of nature, books and action. He says that "the first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature," and that although books are important neither they nor the ideas they contain should master us since "Man Thinking must not be subdued by his instruments." It is the actively engaged life, the one that takes risks, intellectual, emotional and physical, that is rich with learning from direct experience rather than hearsay.

Emerson explains why action is so important for the scholar and he describes how it functions to substantially enhance our more academic learning: "There goes in the world a notion, that the scholar should be a recluse, a valetudinarian,--as unfit for any handiwork or public labor, as a penknife for an axe. .... Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential. Without it, he is not yet man. Without it, thought can never ripen into truth....
The preamble of thought, the transition through which it passes from the unconscious to the conscious, is action. Only so much do I know, as I have lived. Instantly we know whose words are loaded with life, and whose not.

The world,--this shadow of the soul, or other me, lies wide around. Its attractions are the keys which unlock my thoughts and make me acquainted with myself. I run eagerly into this resounding tumult. I grasp the hands of those next me, and take my place in the ring to suffer and to work, taught by an instinct, that so shall the dumb abyss be vocal with speech. I pierce its order; I dissipate its fear; I dispose of it within the circuit of my expanding life. So much only of life as I know by experience, so much of the wilderness have I vanquished and planted, or so far have I extended my being, my dominion. I do not see how any man can afford, for the sake of his nerves and his nap, to spare any action in which he can partake. It is pearls and rubies to his discourse. Drudgery, calamity, exasperation, want, are instructors in eloquence and wisdom. The true scholar grudges every opportunity of action past by, as a loss of power."


It was hard to remember this while squatting beneath a 1000 lb. horse, but I have no doubt of the wisdom of Emerson's insight!