Journal Entry #9


Our canoeing excursion was one of my favorite days of the semester. I had not been canoeing since I was in grade school. The last time I went canoeing was with my grandpa when I was probably 10 or 11 years old. It brought back a lot of old memories from when he and I would go out on the water together and spend hours out there. This was a great break from the routine of being a full-time student and the day to day monotony that comes with that. I think every student in our class had a smile the whole time we were out there. It is important that we are able to find the joy associated with being in nature and the environment around us. Experiencing nature is more than just going outside, standing and observing. Doing activities that require you to be outside, not only increase your overall awareness of the natural world around you but creates an association of entertainment and the natural environment. In doing this, people are more likely to go out and interact with their environment when its not seen as a chore or a task that must be done, but rather an excursion that is welcomed and fuels excitement. Doing activities like canoeing but attaching a service project with it how we did, allows people to also gain insight into current problems. Tying an activity people enjoy doing, with conservation efforts, will increase community participation and involvement with future maintenance efforts.

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