About the Author
| I am a Dickinson College senior environmental science major. My four
years at Dickinson have been good for me. I decided to come to Dickinson
after visiting the Carlisle area with my dad on numerous occasions. We
would come to Carlisle even before I knew about Dickinson to fly-fish
on the Letort Spring Run and the Yellow Breeches Creek. As a kid we would
camp at the nearby state parks and during the day we would fish. My dad
would give me instructions on how to keep my fly above the water and upstream
from the fish. My parents were my introduction to nature and I have always
been the one in the family that would turnover rocks to see what kinds
of macro invertebrates made their homes among the bottom of the stream.
I’ve enjoyed nature all my life and find it both intriguing and
satisfying to learn about interactions among the natural world. I guess
my interest in environmental science can be best summed up by a quote
I recently read:
"Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth
are never alone or weary of life." The quote by Rachel Carson, for me, sums up all that is inspiring
about nature. It is a place where your mind can be set free to wonder
about the creation and meaning of existence for all life. I sometimes
find myself overwhelmed with the stresses of life and much like my father
am quick to pick up my fishing rod and head to the nearest creek. I
do this when I feel the world has gotten the best of me and just need
a break from complexities of life. Now I understand why my dad fished
for so long even when he wasn’t catching anything. It wasn’t
about the fish or how many he caught; it was about the simplicity of
nature, the tranquility, and the solitaire. He has passed that vehicle
to me and now at 22 years old I realize what it meant to him, fishing
was his way of simplifying life, undoing the clutter of day to day worries.
For me I chose a life in the environmental science field because nature
is what soothes me. My first interest was always of freshwater ecology,
but after being involved in this research for the Luce semester my interests
have broadened. I spent a great deal of time understanding how landscapes
are influenced by human activity and hope that the Luce program here
at Dickinson will contribute to the cause in Louisiana. I’m sure
it will! |