by Kyle Weber, of Truman State University
It’s only been a few days since the last blog entry, but in that time, it seems that so many lasts have happened. On Thursday we drove out to Consolation Creek to go on a car camping trip. It was a long drive on the windy and bumpy roads of Atlin, but the car sickness was worth it. Our camp site was in a vast alpine valley with the creek running right by our camp. We performed some of our last field work, a berry and ungulate survey, before setting up camp. Next, we wrote our reflective essays in solitary locations around the camp. This was a great time for all of to have quiet time to reflect on our experiences, what we’ve learned, and how to use it.
We then spent the remainder of the night hanging out around the fire cooking sausages, burgers (and zucchini for our more vegetable friendly group members), and marshmallows. We told stories, played games, and laughed well into the night in the hopes of seeing our first stars of the summer since the sun is now setting at an early 10:20 pm. We were successful as a few stars poked twinkling holes in the not quiet dark night sky.
The next morning, we woke up, packed up camp, and got ready for our Natural History Final Exam. It was like no exam I have ever taken. We walked around the valley identifying plants, tracks, scat, and birds like there was no tomorrow. It was amazing to see how much I had learned over the course of the summer. We finished up the exam before arriving at a beautiful alpine lake in a glacial cirque for lunch. Somehow, one of our instructors, Ben, was able to convince nearly all of us to jump into the lake to celebrate our last day in the field. It was frigid, but refreshing and luckily the sun was out to dry us off before our return hike.
We’ve spent our past few days completing our final projects and hanging out around Atlin. This has given me plenty of time to further reflect on my experience here and I want to take this time to express gratitude and say gunalchéesh (“thank you” in T’lingit) for the abundance of people, places, and experiences that have made my time in Atlin truly unforgettable. I’d first like to thank the Taku River T’lingit (TRT) for being so welcoming and allowing us to spend the summer in their traditional territory as well as the members of the community who took time out of their days to meet with us. I’d also like to thank Round River Conservation Studies for working so hard with the TRT in this region to make my experience of this place possible. More specifically I’d like to thank Doug for his hard work in this area, for being our fearless leader to the Nakina, and imparting some of his wisdom to us. Also, from Round River, our incredible instructors Ben, Shay, Adam, and Will for working endlessly to make this experience incredible. You all have taught us, challenged us, and made us laugh. You have been mentors like no other. I’d also like to thank my classmates Rain, Myranda, Joey, Calla, and Katherine. We have all learned and laughed together. On our paths, I’m sure we’ll meet again. I hope we do. Finally, I would like the place. The wilderness around Atlin is like something most of us have never experienced. It is both beautiful and brutal. I often am frustrated with my eyes because I am unable to look at everything at once. The land could be considered an instructor in itself. I have learned from the animals, the plants, the rivers, and the mountains. It is truly a joy to immerse yourself in the land and feel as a part of it.
Something that has been discussed in our group is how will we describe this experience. Too often the things I am experiencing hardly seem real to myself so how am I supposed to be able to explain this to my friends and family? So, if you are a friend, family member, or maybe even a prospective student that has been following these blogs know that these words hardly scratch the surface of what we have been lucky enough to experience. However, for those of us that have spent our summer here words aren’t really necessary.
