![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/james\/files\/2013\/11\/1110131611.jpg\")
<\/a>Now that I’ve gotten back to being Nature Girl, I can’t stop taking picture of the water.<\/p><\/div>\n
Once I read my Community-Based-Learning Entry, though, did I figure out the real concept that linked together all of my entries. Learning. This blog talked about the links between our out-of-class service and our in-class curriculum. Cleaning up Huguenot Flatwater, I kept seeing debris and thinking of how they got there due to an increased number of impervious surfaces. Working at William Byrd Community house, I pondered the farm-to-table connection that the owners are fostering in these children. While my other blogs to talk about noticing the previously unnoticed within nature, this one made it clear to me why the concept kept coming up, and what was significant about it. But let me keep you in suspense for just a little longer.
\nIf I accidentally wrote about the same concept of \u2018noticing small things\u2019 multiple times, I think that it is same for us to assume it\u2019s a pretty important idea. Well, at least it is to me. But why is it important? I didn\u2019t keep writing about it for no reason. You probably know, but I\u2019ll give you a hint; it\u2019s the same reason everyone only used Forsyth\u2019s Awareness-Appraisal Model in their project proposals. This is the most important concept; awareness. Because in the end, awareness of something leads to caring about that thing. You know what they say; the first step is admitting you have a problem. If I notice the little things about the environment around me, that means I\u2019m going to start caring about these little things. Eventually, these little thing stack up, cause it\u2019s only when all the smaller portions come together can the big picture be made. Only when the debris is out of the water can the sturgeon population be back. When we start seeing water that can really support sturgeon, then we\u2019ll see water that can hold oysters. When the oysters come back, maybe the James and the environment will really have a chance to succeed.
\nNow this is all inspiring and lovely, but we\u2019re missing something important. So let me get back to our topic from before: education. The reason why noticing small things is important is because it gets you to care. Then caring about small things becomes caring about the big things. But you can never really notice or care unless you\u2019re educated on these things.
\nI never would have noticed the debris on the water if I hadn\u2019t learned to look for it. Nor would I have realized that the debris was a problem if I hadn\u2019t been taught all about impervious surfaces. When I wrote in my community-based learning blog about the farm-to-table connection, the education really is the critical aspect. We heard all about how that area is a \u201cfood desert,\u201d with no real access to groceries for many residents with limited money and transportation options. Additionally, it provides fruits and vegetables and other healthy options which are normally more expensive and harder to access. If the children were not taught about the food they were growing, they would never know why growing that food was important, and never value it or try to protect it. With this added educational aspect, both the volunteers at William Byrd and the former students of William Byrd are informed enough to work to protect this ability to grow food. Volunteering at William Byrd I thought about how many people have never seen where their food comes from before, so this link is so important.<\/p>\n
You want to know why this guy is happy? He knows where his food is coming from!<\/p><\/div>\n
In my blog entries, I wouldn\u2019t have noticed the small details of my little ditch without learning about them first. It would have never occurred to me to note the little insects around, or the tiny fish in the water. Now, I look because I know they are a sign of the health of the water.
\nThe one example that I find most powerful is part of my \u201cTwo Rivers\u201d blog entry. I wrote about how we measured the turbidity of the Potomac, which gave us very poor results. I talked about how I had never in my life seen water as clear as the target amounts we were given. I, as well as many others, probably just assume that things are mostly how they are supposed to be. Without knowing any better, you\u2019d never imagine how wrong your perceptions can be.
\nWithout being a member of Earth Lodge, I don\u2019t think I would have ever really gone to the James River much. Before taking this class I didn\u2019t know about all the great things that the James River has to offer, and how varied and interesting the units of the James River Parks System are. Now, I have a running list of all the things I want to do in the City of Richmond, and I plan on going to the river as much as possible. I know so much about this environment, the city, the parks, and the James. Now I want to enjoy it, and hand in hand with that comes my desire to protect it. Hey, I guess knowledge really is power.<\/p>\n
Like really, how could you not want to go snorkeling one you knew you could (right in your backyard)?<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In my last synthesis blog, I discussed how joining Earth Lodge brought me back to my \u201cNature Girl\u201d roots. Now I\u2019m the lady in a ditch, but I am noticing the little things of the natural world around me that … Continue reading