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Reflection time

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After having a few days to reflect upon a wonderful experience so many memories will stay with me forever. So many things were done in such a short space of time.  The music, the cool interesting people, the swamp, all of the learning….. There were so many experiences i will never forget. Sharing this experience with my intelligent and open minded peers made all of it even more enjoyable. I never thought it would be possible to fit all of what we did into to ten days,  but if there was one guy that could do it, we had him with us. Thanks Dr. Anderson!

When i first heard about this trip I thought about how this trip could help me as a learning experience. I thought how it would eventually help me in the future, as I pursue a career in the field. But a few days into the trip i realized how our work out in Louisiana is much more then just about us.  I realized how our work that is done actually touches the lives of others and how gratifying that actually feels. I still learned so much and was able to help others at the same time, I laughed and had fun aswell. I would highly recommended this trip to anybody!

Thomas Mirzakhanian.

Remembering NOLA: Spring 2015 CSUCI service learning

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Posted from Camarillo, California, United States.

Time was insufficient, and the need to continue our service learning is still lingering in my mind as I picture elderberry recruits. The smell of gas in the air, and the feeling of NOLA humidity is now reminisced by us all. The sound of trumpets and street performers still buzzes in my head, as like the pesky mosquitos ate us alive in the swamp.  The tasty PO-Boy that brought a smile on everyone’s face after a long day in the field. These were all great experiences of NOLA, and will be a part of the story of my life that I hope to pass to my children and grandchildren in the future. But most of all, the smiles and good vibes of those who showed great appreciation for our help will never be forgotten.

Upon arrival I was nervous and was scanning the land just as a raptor looks for its prey. I kept calm, and as the days went by I began to feel like I was a part of NOLA. The first few days we set out to learn about the history of NOLA, and got to learn why Katrina was such a disaster through local individuals who shared their stories and knowledge of the event. We did all this in order to help us understand why we are here, and in doing so it seemed to have sparked a light that pushed us to work as best as we could.

Always at the 100 (m) mark of a transect I paused and looked around. The feeling of being so small out in the wilderness made me feel alive, and awakened my senses. Human civilization was all around us, and yet being in there felt like it was none existent.  We worked hard at cutting our way through those transect sites, and always had some kind of painful encounter with three meter high blackberry bushes. Woodlands trail and Delacroix preserve are the two sites we worked on. While woodland has some areas that were flooded, Delacroix had no mercy and was completely flooded. However, Delacroix offered more of a view of what the swamps of NOLA looked like in the past. Both sites beautiful in their own way, and by studying them we can help them survive the test of time for our well being.

Irvin Mayfield gave a wonderful performance, and Tevin a service learning class mate of mine still brings a smile to my face as I recall him showing up the ladies on the dance floor.  Paul Sanchez left us with the feeling of being appreciated for our hard work, and his stories had everyone going. Overall, words cannot describe how thankful I am for have been given this opportunity. I’ve spent most of my college life working to pay the bills, and attending school without any sort of internship experience. This program made it possible for me to experience just that, and I know it will continue to do so for many others in the years to come.

Remember,

“In Wildness is the preservation of the world”

-Henry David Thoreau

Thank you to everyone who made this possible for us, and thank you Dr. Sean Anderson for making this adventure remind us of why we are fighting an uphill battle and keeping the hope alive.

Jonathan Fausto, CSUCI Senior ESRM student.

-Cornbread!

I Got the Blues for New Orleans

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Posted from Camarillo, California, United States.

The 10 days that were spent in New Orleans were nothing but good times, with great people. Unfortunately it has been 4 days since I was last in NOLA and I will cherish every minute that I had there. From Jackson Square in the French quarter where you could walk for days looking at all the art and listening to the unique cultural music that is played there. To the swamp wetlands were we did our research laying out transects and identifying plant species to identify the health of the swamp ecosystem.

The culture that NOLA brings the United States is a unique one. Filled with people from all different origins. The food which is spicier then I was expecting is only unique to the New Orleans area. From the Po-boys to the crayfish boil that we had. The food in New Orleans will give any traveler the spicy kick they are needing to experience NOLA. Another important aspect to the city life is the music. John Boetta and Irvin Mayfield showed us what it really means to be from NOLA. As they played there music from the soul and sung out what they have experienced through the years of living in NOLA.

From the city to the swamps the experience was amazing. Sean Anderson worked us hard in the swamps. Cutting down blackberry and identifying every plant in each little transect. After days of doing this in combination with sleep deprivation. I realized that what I was doing for NOLA was crucial to keeping this city alive. We the students of CSUCI are one of few groups that are actively monitoring swamplands since Hurricane Katrina. Understanding the health of the swamps is key as these swamps are the last natural buffer to prevent natural disasters from destroying human life in NOLA.  The people of New Orleans were all very thankful for what we did and that touched the deepest parts of my health. Knowing that what we did over our spring break can and will save potentially the city of NOLA and many other people in the surrounding areas. I would go back and do it all over again because it was the most rewarding experience I have had in my college life.

Thank you Sean Anderson for bringing me along on this fun adventure and introducing me to everyone that you knew in NOLA. This trip was honestly a fun and memorable service learning experience.

 

CORNBREAD

 

ERIK STOREY

In Reflection…

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I cannot believe that I almost didn’t go to New Orleans!!! I was on the fence about joining the NOLA trip in my last semester before I graduate. I commute from Orange County and barely have enough time to fit everything in as it is let alone go on a two and a half week service learning trip during my spring break where I could be spending time getting precious homework and field work, and catching up on hours at my workplace(s). Against my better judgment, I decided to apply for the trip and let Dr. Anderson’s decision determine if I should go on the trip. Here I am four months later reminiscing on the absolute most amazing experience of my entire life. 

I have visited other states and countries before, I have done service/volunteer work before, and I have participated in research and data collection before. Nothing in my entire life could have prepared me for the experience that was New Orleans. Going in to the trip my knowledge of what I would be encountering in New Orleans consisted of: bring lots of bug spray, bring pants that will hold up to blackberry bushes, and get a lot of sleep before you come because you’re not going to get any while you’re there and it’s going to suck. Of those three things that I knew, my biggest concern was that I would be tired and not be able to perform in the field. I didn’t think too much about the bugs and blackberry because I was too preoccupied worrying about not getting enough sleep. Turns out that I actually never even realized how tired I was until I returned home and I’m embarrassed now that that was even a concern of mine. The work we were doing and experiences that we were having there were so non-stop and so fun and so rewarding and so emotionally and intellectually stimulating I didn’t have time to feel tired. So it turns out that the first two were true (so painfully true) and the thing that I was most concerned about turned out to be a non-issue… figures. 

I’ve never worked so hard in my life and I loved every second of it. I will never be able to recreate a trip with the amount of camaraderie, joy, fun, hard work, and culture. We were doing work that, although it might have seemed trivial and as if it was barely making a dent in the ominous future that New Orleans faces, it really makes a difference in the big picture. We were able to see the fruits of our labor while planting a community garden and were able to see the smile on Carol’s fac, the man whose property we used to build the garden, and the amount of relief he must have felt knowing that he wouldn’t have to plant the garden himself with a bum leg and that he would have fresh vegetables in the future to help ease the strain on his budget that lord knows is limited after losing everything he owned when the levee broke. 

I am so humbled and grateful to have been a part of this trip. The live music and delicious food after long days of hard work in the swamp, the fun times with professors and students alike, the relationships that were built between CSUCI and the people of New Orleans, getting to cook traditional New Orleans’ food with produce purchased directly from the people of New Orleans themselves, being able to connect with students from another university in New Orleans who may never get the opportunity to do the work like that that we were doing in Woodlands park again, and all of the other amazing experiences that we had on this trip all rolled together. I can’t even imagine that I almost missed this opportunity. 

Missing Louisiana is an Understatement

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Posted from Camarillo, California, United States.

Over the course of my academic career, I have had numerous opportunities to travel and visit culturally and environmentally significant locations. All had a significant impact me, but none like New Orleans. As I reflect on the trip, I am overwhelmed with emotions. We were able to participate in numerous activities that benefited both the people of Louisiana and impacted our perspective as well. I was 12-years-old when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I remember hearing snippets of news reports and information about the destruction and chaotic state of the region from flooding, but not enough to fully understand. Up until I enrolled in this class, I still had that same limited knowledge of Katrina. My eyes were opened to a disturbing reality once I began to comprehend what occurred in Louisiana following the storm. The people were left with nothing and relatively little emergency assistance. Levees burst, homes were knocked off of their foundations, lives lost, and families torn apart. Entire neighborhoods were flattened and debris littered the ground. This year is the ten year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. While visiting the area, more truth was revealed about the storm and recovery of the people, neighborhoods, and culture of New Orleans. There is still apparent evidence of Katrina as we drove through its cities and you can hear it in the voices of locals as they describe the effect the event had on their lives. What struck me the most was talking to the man from Buras, where we planted a community garden. His home lies directly between two levees: one holding back the Mississippi, the other the Gulf. When asked why he returned to such a vulnerable, low lying area that will surely be destructed again, he replied simply: “This is my home. I can’t imagine lively anywhere else.” It then hit me that what we were doing truly was service. We were serving the people of Louisiana who have a deep connection with the land and city. It is all we can do to protect it and save it for future generations.

The swamp, I realized, is one of the most unique ecosystems I have had the privilege of understanding and experiencing. It was all I imagined it would be and more. The species that inhabit the humid, warm, and inundated regions are unique to say the least, and different from anything I have seen before. It was breath-taking. When all was quiet, the forest was peaceful and a calm would come over me. Clearing my mind of numbers and science I could feel at peace with the environment and be able to think past the hard labor and know what I was doing was imperative to preserve the gorgeous ecosystem. In addition, the comradery among the students was strengthened on the trip. Previous friendships grew stronger and new friendships blossomed. These are people I will know and remember for the rest of my life. Our joint respect and passion for service, research, and learning was palpable.

The harsh reality is the swampland will most likely disappear in our lifetime. It saddens me to think my grandchildren won’t be able see the beautiful swamp. The opportunity we had to travel to this region of the country was a once in a lifetime experience. Though our visit was short, I feel I experienced most of what New Orleans had to offer, though that doesn’t hinder my thirst to explore the region more. I will never forget my time in New Orleans. And with that…CORNBREAD!

Hello world!

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Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?

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When you really get up close and examine a subject closely from a scientific perspective, I have found that along with the data collected you establish a deep connection with that subject. And when that subject is a place, a connection can be felt to the whole environment, its plants, animals, people and culture. I can say that this is true about my time spent in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Crescent City has a certain romance to it, it has a vibe. The people who call it home are so passionate about their city by the river. The English Turn Forest that we crisscrossed with transect tape and spent so many hours breaking down to the last Sambucus canadensis is alive and when one is still and patient one can hear it breathe.

But the city is a beautiful disaster, a place of paradox and a place of dilemma. A common theme in the history of humanity is our futile attempts to dominate natural systems instead of constructing our existence in harmony with those processes. Southeastern Louisiana is a great example of our folly in this regard. There are those that would claim New Orleans should be abandoned, that it is not worth saving and we should move to higher ground. By this reasoning, should we relinquish our homes in California because an earthquake might bring them crumbling down around us, or because a fire might reduce them to ashes? Yet we are so quick to judge those folks for living in a city beneath the sea. It will not be easy to save the forest, to save the city. But just because something isn’t easy, just because something is unpopular, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. The worst thing we can do is nothing at all.

As much as I have learned about New Orleans, about plants and snakes and music and food, I have learned more about myself. There are a few moments that stick in my mind, but one was particularly moving. When we planted a garden in Buras, the gentleman whose property we utilized said that for him, our spring visit was the most exciting time of the year. This man and his family, in a humble home by the river, was touched by what we did for him. In that moment, I realized that the service learning trip that we had embarked on was so much more than some field experience for ourselves to further our own education and career, it was a chance to contribute to something much bigger than ourselves. Where before I saw that garden as a small contribution, a tiny plot with a few peppers and corn and tomatoes, I knew then that for at least one man and his community, it meant the world. These folks in Louisiana, they love their home enough to return and rebuild even after losing everything. Their passion and tenacity is inspirational, and we owe them (at the very least) our respect.

What is the takeaway here? I have learned that as a student of environmental science and as a human being there is the potential to work for something greater than myself. I have learned that however easy it is to be cynical and pessimistic about our species and the choices we have made, the human spirit can still surprise you in a beautiful way– if only you can open your eyes and let it.

Race, Culture and Bias

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It seems that you can’t turn on the television without hearing another story about the death of a black man by the hands of a white police officer.  The deaths of Michael Brown, Erick Garner and other black men by the hands of law enforcement have been the topic of many debates regarding race, poverty and police brutality.  My own confusion and ignorance regarding identity, race and politics has impeded my ability to come to any sort of educated/informed stance on these issues.  Recent findings from PunditFact, a site which generates scorecards that measure the validity of the statements made by hosts, political pundits and paid contributors of major network news stations, has found that 60 percent of the claims made by Fox news were false, and 46 percent of claims made by NBC and MSNBC were deemed false.  Major news networks hold the power to perpetuate both simplistic and erroneous information, which inevitably distorts public perception.   I have become weary of those who have reached definitive conclusions about these multilayered and sensitive topics.

The election of President Barak Obama has led some to believe that we are now living in a post racial-America.  This widely held assumption is dangerous as it creates a barrier to conversation regarding race and racism.  According to Pewresearch.org, the unemployment rate of blacks is twice that of whites and has been so for the past six decades.  In a study conducted by the University of Chicago and MIT, 5,000 fictitious job applications were sent in response to 1,300 help-wanted advertisements.  The fictitious resumes were identical with the exception of one stipulation; some of the names were Anglo sounding names like John, while others had African American sounding names like Jamal.  The study found that even though both resumes contained identical qualifications, the ones who had Anglo sounding names were fifty percent more likely to get called back than their African American-sounding counterparts.  This finding does not suggest that the employers who chose against the black-sounding applicants were consciously averse to the prospect of hiring black employees, but that their decisions may have been guided by an unconscious racial bias.

Racial bias does not necessarily equate to deep seeded racist beliefs.  According to Howard J. Ross, author of Everyday Bias, humans are hardwired to be partial.  Ross goes on to say that our ancestors’ survival often depended upon their ability to make quick assumptions about strangers who may have proved threatening.   With this information in mind, we as a culture must acknowledge our individual capacity for bias, so that we can then thoroughly examine our unconscious biases and prejudices.  The news stations from which we gather information aren’t exceptions to this tendency for bias.  Art can be used as a supplement, which rectifies the inherent bias of the media and within ourselves. It is important that artists shine a light on these topics so that hopefully they may expand the perspectives of those who would otherwise be led astray by misguided messages.

 

Sources:

The Coming Race War Won’t Be About Race

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91653-race/

Here is my first graph

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Percentage of Basins with CPS
This graph shows the percentage of total trash capture devices that have been fitted with connector pipe screens. CPS inserts are installed in front of the catch basin’s outlet pipe – trapping trash and debris inside the catch basin while allowing filtered stormwater to exit into the storm drain infrastructure.

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