It is overwhelming and somewhat incredulous to think that if I was asked what a watershed was one year ago, I would not have an answer. I wouldn’t be aware Little Westham Creek flows into campus and empties into our lake. I wouldn’t know the identity of our beloved loblolly pine, or that the paw-paw fruit sung about in “The Jungle Book” are not only real, but grow right along the James.
The concepts gained from learning more about the James River Watershed clearly manifest in our reflection pieces such as Abby’s post “A Final Reflection.” Here she reflects on how field trips and volunteering enabled her to better appreciate the impact the James River has on both human and organismal life, and vice versa. It was truly amazing to look back on everyone’s posts and trace their growth and development. As Forsythe desired, we have undoubtedly gained awareness, looked at situations in a new light, and acted on our beliefs.
For instance, in her post “A Glimpse of Spring” Anne discusses how she has come to appreciate beauty in less noticeable places, specifically concerning the lake in winter. The lake has an obvious sort of beauty in the spring. Its shores are blooming with new growth and the soft fragrance of budding flowers hangs in the air. However, it is no less beautiful in the winter, just different. The fact that this transformation from glistening ice to sparkling water occurs only makes each season more magnificent.
In my second reflection blog post “Dive Beneath The Surface” I too tried to capture the wonders of the frozen lake that I was previously unaware of. What appeared to be a continuous grey-black sheet of ice from afar contained vast underlying intricacies. Linking geometric shapes and crystallized neural networks were just a few of the designs the lake had graced the UR community with that day.
This increased connectivity with the lake caused me to reflect on my interaction with the lake freshman year. Last year I spent the majority of my time on the Westhampton side of campus. Despite my intentions, I never took the time to stop and really look at the lake. In the spring I ran by the flowering trees and soft green undergrowth at least once a week. I loved keeping my eyes out for small changes that would occur and each transformation never failed to amaze me. I believed I was truly appreciating my surroundings, but because I was always running past trees I could never walk past sycamores, sweet gums, and river birches. I still love running, but I have also come to welcome the opportunity to meander around the lake at a slower pace. It is only then that these obscure treasures can be unearthed.
Here are some pictures from my latest exploration around the lake (this was inspired in part by Kevin Hargrave’s blog post “Reflection 3#.”
Learning about the James River, has clearly had a tremendous impact on our class. People are visibly more knowledgeable and excited about further discovery. In addition, volunteering gave lodgers a chance to translate their passion into actions, and offered insight into situations we normally look at from an outsider’s perspective.
The two volunteering opportunities that had the largest impact on our group were cleaning up the homeless encampment with Ralph White, and volunteering at the William Byrd Farmlet. Countless posts such as Natalie Pollard’s “A Difficult Problem” and Bill Leach’s “William Byrd Center Volunteering” can attest to this.
Natalie and fellow lodgers who participated in this volunteer opportunity discussed how they left with conflicting views. While they succeeded in cleaning up part of the James, they also enabled the homeless to continue living on the river, which will only lead to future pollution and trash accumulation.
Bill discussed how the center provides fresh produce and recipes to low income families, and allows them use food stamps at farmer’s markets. In addition the volunteers used tools and structures made by UR students in the past which shows even a small group of students can leave a visible impact.
Like looking at the lake or trees from afar it is easy to appreciate the purpose of volunteering from a distance. It is undeniable that cleaning up the river, or working on a farmlet are both noble causes. Yet when people really take the time to immerse themselves in this work, they can come to appreciate the subtle differences that contribute to these unique experiences. Cleaning up the homeless encampment may lead to further trash accumulation, but by doing so the volunteers enabled someone to live a little more comfortably, they helped make a home.
This course has made me fall even more in love with the James River Watershed and want to do everything I can to protect it. While this more holistically geared passion for the outdoors is exciting, it has made me question where I am going (career wise). I have wanted to be a doctor since I was eight years old. Anything remotely medically related was seemingly by default the most intriguing concept I had ever learned about. However, I now find myself just as, if not more interested in environmental management, research, and promoting positive human connectivity to natural settings. For the past 12 years I have never wavered with my career choice. I changed my preferred field a bunch of times, but there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to be a doctor. Now, for the first time I am unsure. On the same topic of jobs, I just realized when I was really little (pre-school – early elementary school age) I told people I wanted to be a marine biologist. Now, a childhood of experiences later, I am spending this summer at UR doing marine biology research on the symbiosis between sponges and algae. I seem to have come full circle. Maybe this is simply a strange coincidence or maybe I should have a little more faith in three year old me.
Like people rivers are dynamic. They embody change, and radiate resilience. Water levels fluctuate wildly. I have witnessed the James at extremely low levels, when the rapids at Pony Pasture were too low to swim in, yet have also seen it at flood stage, where muddy brown water strewn with debris raced by at an impossible pace. It is unfeasible to fathom, but the water levels I witnessed aren’t even half the highest or lowest the river has ever been. Yet, despite the violent floods, and bleak droughts the water levels always have a way of finding their way back to the norm. Even when rivers are polluted beyond recognition, it is possible for them to regain their health and vitality. The James River is a testament to this fact. It was once deemed unfit for human recreation, yet after Ralph White and other’s dogged commitment and hard work the poor conditions are beginning to turn around and the river is once again becoming a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.
Despite the river’s seemingly unmatched strength and tenacity, I would like to stress that every log that falls, liter of fertilizer used, and piece of trash picked up has an effect. Everything we do has an impact on the surrounding system. We may have once settled in the James River Watershed because we needed the river, but now the river needs us. It is undeniable that every person on this planet will leave an impact, however it is their choice whether it will be positive or negative.