Joanna Grab '09
Bryce Canyon
College is a time to try out new things. This May, several of my peers and I got an opportunity to do just that by participating in the first ever Partners in the Parks program. C.W. Post Honors Director Dr. Joan Digby was enjoying the beauty of the Rocky Mountains and wanted to share her love for adventure with Honors students nationwide. A few months, and many e-mails and phone calls later, the Honors Program at Southern Utah University and Bryce Canyon National Park stepped up as the program's first co-hosts. Two dozen students from several schools across the country gathered in Cedar City, Utah. For me, the adventure began right away as I survived an 18-passenger plane ride to get there. This would be first of my many new experiences on the trip.Our weeklong mission was to offer help to park rangers, document our learning, and have some fun along the way. Learning experiences were abundant for both the out-of-town and local program participants. We slept in two person tents and prepared all of our meals on camp stoves. We saw Saturn's rings through a refrigerator-sized telescope. We aided park rangers in observing prairie dogs for park records and in documenting an active archaeological site. An expert in "soundscapes," or the auditory psychology of a park visitors' experience, offered rare insight into the behind the scene workings of a national park, and a geology professor led us through the spectacular "hoodoos" unique to Bryce.
The most thrilling part for me was an overnight backpacking trip through the backcountry, a vast isolated area of the park which about only one percent of visitors trek through. After a five mile hike down into the canyon, we set up camp for the night. For the first time ever I slept outside under the darkest sky in North America without a tent. I must admit being in the middle of the desert without the usual amenities nearby was both awe-inspiring and a little bit nerve wracking at times. But without a doubt, it was an experience to remember. During the eight mile trip back up the canyon the following day, one of my peers even snapped a photo of a black bear, an extremely unusual sight in the park.
I learned a lot on this trip. I learned how to tell time without a watch by just doing what was natural according to the time of day. I learned that if you really listen, silence is more than the absence of sound. I also learned that I can survive with taking just one shower the entire week, something I never would have fathomed before the trip.
The trip proved to be a test of limits. For many, it was a chance to gain a different perspective on natural surroundings, but for some, it was a first encounter with nature. It certainly offered everyone a chance to try something new. A spring 2008 trip will be hosted by Lamar University to Texas' Big Thicket National Preserve. Based on the group's experience this trip, I strongly encourage Northeastern Honors students to partake in this and future Partners in the Park programs.
-Joanna Grab '09
