QUESTION: How does your experience on our camping trip in “the backcountry” connect with our action project and your life back in “civilization?”
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Grading and Expectations: The standard 4, 3, 2, 1 grading scale outlined in the syllabus will apply to these required journal entries. I expect you to put at least 15-30 minutes of time thinking about the question, writing and editing your response, and posting your comment. Comments that contain 2 paragraphs of well articulated thoughts with no spelling or grammar errors will receive a grade of a 4. If your journal entry is only 1 or 2 sentences you have not spent the time, energy, and level of thought I am looking for and will receive a grade of a 2 or 1. Because this is a public forum, proofreading, spelling, and grammar are key!
Selie Rhapsody
Well, the connection is fairly simple — having good “expeditionary behavior” is essential not only in the wilderness but in the CAP classroom, if not one’s life.
Having a good attitude is essential, as is being open and empathetic to other peoples’ needs. It can be hard for me in the wilderness, because I’m concentrating so much on staying healthy and well, but in the classroom that kind of behavior is vital.
Also, drawing off the weekend backpacking trip experience… it made me understand my classmates’ perspectives and their personality much better, as well as how to communicate with them on their level with less friction.
And how that aforementioned experience can be applied to the action project? Well, staying focused is always helpful and, being an Action Leader, knowing how people get enthused is very useful. Also, seeing first-hand the beauty of nature, and the environment that we are trying to save gives me inspiration and drive to make this Action Project successful.
Ryan Lee
I mean I have camped before, and camping again (albeit in a worse spot then the one we camped in before.) when we’re having such a structured trip, (mind you, though, that I do realize it was that way because this is a class and all.) doesn’t exactly make me a ton closer to nature.
I should note though that I am totally psyched for the action project, and as for a connection to the “civil world” I don’t think I could ever look at gatorade again in the same way.
I think having great expedition behavior connects a lot to our action project. Basically you need to have a good attitude to get things done. Do what you need to do to hold up your part. I feel like most things that are important in the world take effort and concentration. So put in all you have to make a better world.
After the camping trip I found and learned different personalities. I think that everyone in our group can participate and be successful. In order for this group to work, I think everyone needs to encourage each other. Our action project will turn out really well with if we have great attitudes.
Rosa
Well, I didn’t go on the camping trip so Paige just told me to answer this question toward another trip that I have taken in the past.
I think that by spending time in nature everyone really gets to realize that all the beauty of their surrounding is what we are trying to help, to save, in civilization. Seeing nature at it’s best is what we are trying to preserve. I guess what I am trying to say is, the experiences that we have in nature are so amazing that, for our acton project, we are trying to make sure other generations after us are still going to be able to experience them as well and in the same way. Our action project is, when it all comes down to it, our part as a class to help save the earth, yeah, in a very small way but that is our final goal. Although it is impossible to save something you haven’t experienced on your own. So by spending time on these camping/backpacking/hiking trips it inspires everyone.
That is my final answer, that by spending time in the wilderness it inspires us to make change with our Action Project in civilization.
Elena Wilkins
I think having great expedition behavior connects a lot to our action project. Basically you need to have a good attitude to get things done. Do what you need to do to hold up your part. I feel like most things that are important in the world take effort and concentration. So put in all you have to make a better world.
After the camping trip I found and learned different personalities. I think that everyone in our group can participate and be successful. In order for this group to work, I think everyone needs to encourage each other. Our action project will turn out really well with if we have great attitudes.
patrick
I think the backcountry is fairly simple to connect with our action project. The back country is almost what we are striving for: no cars and just living off the land. Back going up there we didnt use technology or cars for about 24 hours which is a small step to whats our action project is.
WTM
While we were in the “backcountry” I really felt a deeper love for darkness. when your in a tent all sprawled out for the night you can really see absolutely nothing. no light, no noise(modern day annoyances)really a true feeling of being nowhere. that seems to be quite a harsh bland statement but its a nice break from everyday life to experience. Even when I fall asleep in my room the light on my computer tower really blinds me when i try to pass out. with no light at all thats when you get a long fulfilling rest. campings cool
Will
I learned on our camping trip that we can live on our own in the wilderness and have fun doing it. There are tons of things to learn and ways to live sustainably that people aren’t aware of. I think that learning ways to live “green” is a good because it can rub off on other people and encourage them to do the same.
I like being in the wilderness because it makes you think about the things in life that really matter(food, shelter, water) and it makes you work harder for the things that make you happy. This connects with our action project because it shows that you dont have to do things the easiest way with the most consecuences for the environment.
When im in the wilderness i don’t take things for granted and i think it makes me a better person. When i come back to “civilization” it makes me appreciate everything alot more and helps me realize how easy our lives in boulder are.
Xandawg
I think that there are many ways that our camping experience relates to life back in civilization and our action project. I fell one way is that we did our main goal, which is to use a better form of transportation than cars. Sure we drove up to the trail head, but the rest was all walking, and it felt good to do that. Just as far as civilization goes, we had no big technology. Like when it got dark, it got really dark. Maybe you had a head lamp, or the fire. But when you went to your tent and settled down for the night, it was pure thick darkness. Which is good to experience.