A Summer of Discovery

“Well you wouldn’t know, you weren’t on Discovery.”

Perhaps few people have ever actually said this, and perhaps it is often in jest, but for many at EMHS, this summer’s Discovery trip seems a strange experience that can never be fully understood by those who weren’t along for the ride.

Every other summer a group of upper classman and faculty from EMHS plans a tour of the country studying environmental and social issues along the way. This summer twenty nine students and seven faculty members committed to the third consecutive trip EMHS has offered, following an itinerary dense with activities to west coast and back. The theme this year was “Creating a Land Ethic,” drawing heavily on the writings of Aldo Leopold, the father of conservation in the United States. The shared objective of this troupe of travelers was to figure out what defines a land ethic, and discover what kind of views and relationships people around the country have with the land.

A prime example of Discovery’s exploration of perspectives, practiced during the entire trip, came during the group’s second day, while passing through Kansas. The group heard from Ken Warren, a geologist at the Land Institute, where a group of scientists are researching and developing more sustainable systems of agriculture. The next day, Ron Schilling, a resident wheat farmer, spoke to the representatives of EMHS about the challenges of modern farming and his view of agriculture.

The group continued examining case studies, settling down at camp for the evening and discussing the issues, or even voicing opinions over the coach’s microphone while on the open road. One particular study during the three week exploration presented the bison population issues at Yellowstone National Park. After hearing from a rancher with cattle bordering the park, the Buffalo Field Campaign, an advocacy and activist organization for the bison, and finally a park ranger involved with the park’s bison management program, students and teachers alike struggled to formulate a specific stance on the issue.

“This type of case study may have proved confusing at first,” said junior Brook Hostetter, “We watched  a documentary about [the bison issue], and I thought it made a lot of sense, then we talked with the rancher who said something different and he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, then we talked with the Buffalo Field Campaign and I didn’t know what to believe. But group discussions on the bus and at camp helped to resolve some of these issues in our minds and that sense of community was part of what made Discovery such a great experience.”

This sense of community forged during the trip is what Rose Jantzi, a junior, valued most. “Discovery allowed me to get to know a lot of people I hadn’t really interacted with much before.” For Mark Ferguson, the learning experiences of the trip were expanded by the diversity of the organizations and individuals the group spoke with. “It was fascinating to see how people could hold such different beliefs about the same issues and all sound like they were absolutely right.”

All agreed that Discovery 2007 had an impact on their lives. Nels Akerson said, “I’m more aware of the consequences of all the little things I do. When I start a car I think of global warming and our experience in Glacier National Park, when I turn on a light I think of mountain-top removal coal mining in West Virginia.” James Souder, a junior, now saves dispensed shower water to flush his toilet, Helen Furry, also a junior, has maintained her discovery mindset by monitoring the water consumption at her house and, as a result, noticed a drop in her family’s monthly water bill.

- Nathan Hershberger