Before enrolling in Geography of the James during the first semester, there was a night where Kenta, Brian Strehlow, and I went to Manchester climbing wall to hang out, meet people, and climb for the day. Towards the end of our day, we all climbed on top of the wall to see a spectacular view of the sun setting behind our city. As we were sitting there staring at the beautiful site before us, we exclaimed and rejoiced at how much we love Richmond and how interesting the city is. As with most exclamations and realizations that I have had about the city, it has always been a pleasant surprise to feel the way I do. Coming from St. Francisville, I do not think I realized what it meant to be proud of the place that you come from or are living. I understood that St. Francisville was a neat little nook of the world, but never have I had the same compassion that I have for Richmond, Virginia. Part of this is due to Earthlodge and Geography of the James. Learning about the relevant and interesting history of the place that I am living while learning about its’ watershed and its’ relation to other watersheds makes me feel more in touch with the city and more connected to the world around me.
Looking back at last four blog posts, I realized that my main focus has been on connectivity. In my second reflection post, I talked about Ralph White and his vision of the park system and how it relates to the city. In my community based learning post, I described the first hand experience I had in seeing mountain top removal and the direct consequences that coal mining has on the communities that surround it. Thirdly, I used my free post to relive riding around campus after the release of the green bikes and to explore the future effects of what the University’s planned construction will do. Lastly, in my final reflection post, I spent time attempting to make sense of why we, as a student body, are not more aware of the environmental impacts that we have and the causal relationship that should not fall far from the other lessons the University strives to teach us.
The idea of connectivity has been one of the most important lessons that the Earth lodge experience has helped me realize. Connectivity is something so simple in concept, yet it is often the very thing that people do not realize. When I speak or write about connectivity, I feel like I most often reference it in terms of our connection with nature around us, but I think it is important to also see the connectivity we have with each other. As I was walking along the river with Grace at Pony Pasture today, we saw some fellow UR students. As we passed, we excitedly said hello. After a minute, we both laughed and realized that those very people that we were excited to say hello to were people we had never actually talked to. We had only seen them around campus. It was the connection that we both had to the University of Richmond that spurred us to engage each other. You and me, on an individual level, make up the greater community that is UofR. As Helen Keller cheesily, yet beautifully put: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” In a community where I think a lot of people often feel out of place, I think this quote is reflective of our effect on the greater.
When we met with Michelle Kokolis, we looked at ways in which people often look to reduce the footprint they have on the watershed. Whether it be through the installation of rain barrels, rain gardens, or more planting of native species in a garden, arguably, her most important and extending message to the people she educated was that even though they alone may not make a huge impact on improving the health of the watershed, it was with the participation of others in their community that change would be achieved. Through being connected with nature and with the surrounding community, one is able to make a difference.
In George Appling’s post about community based learning, he talked about his experience in volunteering with Ralph White to cover up some graffiti. At the beginning of his post, he mentioned how he normally does not think of volunteering as particularly exciting. His incident with Ralph White proved otherwise. The crossing of the train tracks, the exciting conversation, and the extensive understanding of what they were doing and why allowed for George to have a positive experience. It was the ability to communicate, his passion, and his knowledge (the ingredients for a good environmental leader) that allowed Ralph to reach out and create a positive change and connection. His connectivity with the park system he was in charge of and his ability to relate that back to others who were not as aware is part of what made Ralph White become such an instrumental role in developing the park system in Richmond.
When we leave the University of Richmond, this lesson of connectivity that Geography of the James has taught us will hopefully stick with us. Yes, we will have expanded our knowledge on watersheds and the history of Richmond, Virginia, but the ability to realize where people come from, their path in life, and being able to empathize will be one of the more valuable skills in life.