Final Reflection Paper, by Misra Cohen-MacGill

The quarter has passed by in a flash and already it’s the end of the school year. Throughout the class we have experienced and learned so many things it would be impossible to recount them all here. For me the most valuable lessons were acquired during the weekend overnight trips and our four days in may action project. These are the times we got out of the classroom and had a hands-on experience of the information we were learning.

Over the course of the quarter the class participated in two weekend overnight camping trips. Long before we were able to hit the trail, we began preparations for the trips during school hours. We learned about high and low tech alternatives to the mountaineering gear available today. We set up shelters using a tarp and a poncho, and watched how to make a backpack using only a blanket and some cord. We discussed leave no trace tactics and how to make minimal impact on the environment while in the backcountry. Also, we planned out what food we were going to bring and looked over all the equipment necessary for the trip.

All the preparations finally paid off when we set out into the wilderness to put our skills into practice. We slaved relentlessly over the friction fires, and although nobody successfully created a flame everyone now has a greater understanding of the effort it takes, and knows what to do when they finally get a coal. I have learned a lot about friction fires during the overnights and think I am on the verge of success. Natural shelters were another skill we mastered. The class built a single person debris shelter on the first trip to see how it was done. One the second overnight we made the same kind of shelter but it had to be big enough for seven people. We were unable to finish this before dark but I did get the experience of spending the night in it.

I learned many other various skills as well. Like how to make a burn spoon and cordage out of yucca, and what foods I do not want to bring camping. I learned what to do if I ever find myself in a survival situation. I know what my priorities are and how to get drinkable water without purification. I can find the four directions without a map and compass and I know how to put together my own survival kit. Aside from all the outdoor survival skills I also learned a few life skills. Working with large groups of people to build a shelter or even set up camp can take a lot more effort than you think. Everyone has to take on responsibility to get the job done. In addition, I have learned how to be more aware of the environment around me. From now on I will take off my blinders and use my wide-angle vision to notice things I would have normally passed by.

I can use all of this knowledge in my everyday life and on camping trips of my own. If I ever find myself in a survival situation I have the knowledge and skills to get myself out of it. I can use what I have learned to make a minimal impact when I go camping, and some of it I can do for fun and to teach others. The life skills I acquired can be put to use in my everyday life, when working with others or off by myself.

The second part of this class that has taught me a great deal this quarter was the action project. To begin this project there was a lot of planning and discussion involved. Before we could start anything we had to brain storm a list of local environmental issues and vote on one. Once we knew myrtle spurge was the one we got to work finding information, organizations, and contacting people. More time was spent researching, planning and writing then actually putting our project into action. Finally 4 days in may came and we spent the entire week pulling spurge and canvassing the New Vista neighborhood. I was surprised at how big a deal spurge really was and how many people a seemingly small thing like this can affect. Learning about the long-term effects of invasive plants was frightening. All the issues on our original list could potentially have a huge impact like that if they are not dealt with properly. I have realized how important it is to address these problems now.

I was also amazed at how much we actually managed to accomplish. When we calculated the pounds of spurge and the money we saved the city, they were huge numbers. I know we have only made a dent in the enormous issue of invasive plants, be we also accomplished more than I thought possible with our limited amount of time. With out a doubt high school students can make a huge difference if they put their minds to it. In the future I can use what everything I have learned from this project. I learned how to make contacts and organize people for a project like this. I experienced writing public service announcements and contacting different media organizations. I can apply this to other parts of my life as well as action projects. Also I now have an extensive knowledge of myrtle spurge so I can continue to contribute to the solution by educating others. If a CAP class in the future chooses to address this issue again we have an excellent foundation laid for them. We have all the initial research on the topic done and we have many good connections. The class has formed a great relationship with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, which can be used for countless other topics as well.

Throughout the entire class we have covered a ton of ground. On a whole we have contributed a small part of the solution to a huge environmental issue, and learned numerous out door survival and wilderness skills. This class is unlike any other you can find at another high school. Things like this are not normally taught to teens and not offered in many programs. I feel grateful to have had this opportunity to experience what I have. I have learned even more in addition to what I have addressed already, and all of it I can incorporate into my life. Unlike a history or science class where half the information learned ends up getting forgotten, the knowledge I obtained from this class I will be able to use again.

I feel very passionate about the issue of invasive plants. I think I know the most about this issue than the others I have thought of. Our action project got me revved up about it and now everywhere I go I can’t help noticing myrtle spurge. I would love to know what other invasive plants there are and what is being done to stop them. This is the issue I want to take on over the next three months. I can research other noxious weeds in the area and find out the people who are already working with the problem. I have many good contacts already from our action project and I’m sure the City of Boulder Open Space would love my help on the topic. I can volunteer for the city or work on my own. I could even get a group of people together to help tackle the problem by weeding or collaborating with the park service. In the very least I will be able to educate as many people as possible about these invading plants. Hopefully we can make a difference!

Overall, I loved the class and I have learned a great deal about not only the outdoors but also other skills in life, and I will use all of it again. We had left a great foundation for future CAP classes and new action projects. I can’t wait to get back out into the wilderness!

Quote for May 31, 2005

“The world will not evolve its current state of crisis by using the same thinking that created the situation.” – Albert Einstein

Quote for May 26, 2005

“We realize our dilemma goes deeper than shortage of time; it is basically a problem of priorities. We confess, We have left undone those things that ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.” – Charles E. Hummel

Quote for May 24, 2005

“What to do if you find yourself stuck in a crack in the ground underneath a giant boulder you can’t move, with no hope of rescue. Consider how lucky you are that life has been good to you so far. Alternatively, if life hasn’t been good to you so far, which given your current circumstances seems more likely, consider how lucky you are that it won’t be troubling you much longer.” – Douglas Adams

Quote for May 23, 2005

“A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.” – Henrik Ibsen

Student Journal Entry, by Misra Cohen-MacGill

This past weekend we set off on our second overnight camping trip. After an entire week of nothing but each other we had one day to ourselves to recuperate before we all got back together again bright and early Saturday morning. We hiked down the trail only a short, lame mile before we found the perfect campsite. I would have preferred to continue down the trail a ways after we took off our packs, but it was the consensus of the group to set up camp. Everyone ate some quick snacks and we set up camp after doing a sit spot. For a while people tried out their bow drills again and other methods of making fire, and Ford also introduced the clothes pin game.

Around mid afternoon our packs were savagely torn and ripped apart by a bear and Dorian had wisely slipped and broken his ankle. The group had to STOP and survey the situation. We split into teams, some people tended to the fire problem while others got started on a shelter. Someone also stayed to tend to Dorian’s leg. We successfully created fire using a magnifying glass and pulled together a kick ass shelter big enough to fit all seven of us. As the tasks were completed (or at least enough for the time being) our things miraculously repaired themselves and our food was returned to as it had been. People got out stoves and we all sat around the campfire to eat dinner and roast marshmallows. After dinner we hung our food and I told everyone about the winter constellations in the stars. We ended the night with songs on the guitar before everyone retired to their tents, shelters, and tarps.

The next morning everyone awoke to a clear, sunny day and we debriefed the survival situation of the previous day over breakfast. We learned how to make burn spoons and cordage out of yucca. Then, half the group, including myself, hiked to the end of the trail before we began to break up camp. It was very sad to see our beautiful shelter get destroyed, but everyone did an awesome job of scattering the remains. After a final sit spot we hiked back up the trail and piled into cars/trucks for the long ride down the mountain.

I can take a lot out of this trip. If the survival situation would have been more realistic or better enacted I think I would have gotten more experience with it, but now I know what I would do differently in a real situation. I still didn’t succeed in creating a friction fire (I will definitely practice more) but I got more practice making debris shelters and this time I even got to sleep in it. I learned just how hard it is to be aware of every part of your body all the time, and how to be stealthy enough to catch other people off guard. I also learned how to make a burn spoon and cordage out of yucca. And, some new riddles to frustrate people with among much, much more.

I can use every skill I learned on this trip in my life out side of class. I hope to practice all of them again, not to mention they will come in very handy if I ever find myself in a real survival situation. On my next camping expedition I will try to finish my burn spoon. The weekend overnights have also taught me how to be more aware of my environment wherever I am, and notice different noises and things around me. Oh yeah, and one last thing, is how to use a compass to orient a map to be exactly what we are looking at in the real world. Over all I had a blast! Thanks Ford!

Quote for May 19, 2005

“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” – Cesar Chavez

Quote for May 17, 2005

“One of the great undiscovered joys of life comes from doing everything one attempts to the best of one’s ability. There is a special sense of satisfaction, a pride in surveying such a work, a work which is rounded, full, exact, complete in its parts, which the superficial person who leaves his or her work in a slovenly, slipshod, half-finished condition, can never know. It is this conscientious completeness which turns any work into art. The smallest task, well done, becomes a miracle of achievement.” – Og Mandino

4 Days in May Action Project Update…

We just completed a wildly successful Action Project this quarter and I am so proud of the hard work and determination everyone displayed. By working together, the 4th Quarter 2005 CAP class at New Vista High School was able to remove approximately 2,250 pounds of the invasive plant Myrtle Spurge from City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks and helped saved the city approximately $2,760.00 in labor costs for our education and removal efforts last week. Everyone should be proud of these students and the project they coordinated to help increase an awareness of and remove invasive plants from our community!

Creative Journal Reflections, by Alys Hansen

Alys Hansen prefers to apply her graphic design wizardry to her journal entries instead of turning in a written journal, so here is her interpretation of the Community Adventure Program class and our first weekend overnight camping trip. Excellent work Alys!

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