By Caroline Loescher from Carleton College
By Lilian Frank from Bowdoin College Our recent Khwai adventure was blessed with the presence of Professor Lance Newman of Westminster University. Our cohort was so thankful to have Lance around for 3 days of our trip, during which he…
In addition to the wildlife, this trip is a journey of growing close to a group of people in a way that feels so different from other relationships. We were all strangers when we met, only knowing each other’s names and universities. We still don’t know much about each other’s lives before this trip, but we know about each other’s reactions to camping, heat, bugs, and wildlife. That is to say we know each other emotionally even if we don’t know the conditions of others’ upbringing or grades in school. I like it this way.
One afternoon, a few of us went on an exploratory hike, and when crossing a stream, we met a park ranger who was fishing with a snare pole in a clear and crisp creek. He showed us how he poked the snare under logs and clumps of grass to chase fish into the sunlight so he could scoop them up. Even though it was early in the spring for fishing, the ranger had success. Jose had bought us a truly massive rainbow trout for dinner, and we watched as the ranger cleaned the fish with a single slice of his blade. This connection with local people who are at home in this landscape was a highlight of the trip. The fish made a delightful addition to our burritos as the evening wind picked up again.
The group fans out and I find myself drawn to murmurs and shouts of more scat peppered throughout this flat and open terrain. Dr. Watine visits each person and I notice a smile curling on her lips. She marches proudly to the front of the group and clears her throat “This might very well be a wolf rendezvous site…” An explosion of whispers erupts between us but is quickly silenced by Dr. Watine “…and therefore I will be performing a wolf call in an attempt to bring some in.”