tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14458643823983441752024-03-19T13:56:49.541-07:00River Reflections at the University of DaytonThis blog tells the story of the River Stewards at the University of Dayton. For more information about the River Stewards program or the Rivers Institute, please visit our website at http://rivers.udayton.edu.River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.comBlogger340125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-27594377257644731862022-05-03T10:44:00.004-07:002022-05-03T10:45:03.442-07:00Water Leadership by Kelsey Saylor, 2023 Cohort<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ever since I was a little girl, the water is something that has always inspired me. My entire life has revolved around various bodies of water that have shaped who I am today. When I was young, my family would go to Topsail Island, NC and my cousins and I spent hours of our lives exploring the shores of the Atlantic. As I got older my family spent most of our time around lake Pymatuning in western Pennsylvania. My sister and I spent more time in the water than out, completely convinced we were mermaids. The water has become an integral part of my most treasured memories.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLFSrUllWo6QPAJlrdvnPMfwtmV3CgpOXh5e7c-GyWnunWlnbjAa087c6N3pk91_z2slhNt9pIlNIzKuukxE2Swoi_Jd0h30la3VwcH6Y3NkYziKjx3saQneQnzfvj2ECSlZ_7issea1GIsNdgaKBcLdtJEyXx7GbrwpRJ1BxxZ7BNXzi0R-YDerVqg/s1312/IMG_0050%5B8725%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1312" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLFSrUllWo6QPAJlrdvnPMfwtmV3CgpOXh5e7c-GyWnunWlnbjAa087c6N3pk91_z2slhNt9pIlNIzKuukxE2Swoi_Jd0h30la3VwcH6Y3NkYziKjx3saQneQnzfvj2ECSlZ_7issea1GIsNdgaKBcLdtJEyXx7GbrwpRJ1BxxZ7BNXzi0R-YDerVqg/s320/IMG_0050%5B8725%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-99fcd93a-7fff-a1d6-251a-29ae4d9e8add"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As I have grown older, I have also come to value leadership and the hard work and dedication needed to become a person worth following. Currently, I am a member of Army ROTC Battalion on campus and will be serving as the fall semester Battalion Commander. With this role comes a lot of responsibility, loyalty, diligence, and honesty. These four traits are ones that I have come to value when learning and exploring how to be an effective leader. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I look at my experience on the water -- and the future leader I want myself to be -- I see many correlations between the two. The predictability and constancy of water has taught me that these traits – among others -- are necessary in a leader. Water has existed for billions of years, and we always trust that it will remain long after we are gone. That irreplaceable trust in water is what a leader hopes to inspire in those around them. In my future career, I want my soldiers to know that I have their back and that I will be as constant as water in my decision-making. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Within my experience as a River Steward at the University of Dayton I have learned a lot about myself, my cohort, and the water that shapes us. As a leader it is important to find things that bind a group together. Water is a perfect example of something that has the capability to bind and create deep and unyielding bonds. Everyone has a connection to the water; it is up the to leader to explore and expand upon them. The friendships I have created through River Stewards have strengthened my leadership ability ten-fold and I would not be who I am today without the organization.</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwi7IG9l6kLwqKTK6rjzf74wZEYDFssQG14EK9E_80soj9jx4noSUsi3wYrtDdIJ0wGpe6w6As0IxAyrjT5tajyfW0Ce_L0XJN97Cjo9WTD6DLMMOF8cYX9x0A6fPSA3GHCL73e2XYrkKhy7_70XLgOPek3V7zsyCvBaG9caWiN9Q-mIgP7yoyyK5a6g/s4032/IMG_3339%5B8727%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwi7IG9l6kLwqKTK6rjzf74wZEYDFssQG14EK9E_80soj9jx4noSUsi3wYrtDdIJ0wGpe6w6As0IxAyrjT5tajyfW0Ce_L0XJN97Cjo9WTD6DLMMOF8cYX9x0A6fPSA3GHCL73e2XYrkKhy7_70XLgOPek3V7zsyCvBaG9caWiN9Q-mIgP7yoyyK5a6g/s320/IMG_3339%5B8727%5D.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-36219030805018789372022-05-03T10:42:00.003-07:002022-05-03T10:42:45.263-07:00Water and Leadership by Emma Allington, 2023 Cohort<p> My experience with the Rivers Institute and water has helped me to bring more of myself to the table in roles of leadership. The most recent module of the Environmental Justice Academy (EJA) serves as an excellent example of this. Katie, another Stew, and I have assisted the steering team by planning and facilitating high-energy icebreakers to open the second day of the monthly modules.</p><p>This week’s activity was a Mad Libs about the academy, as the theme of the module was reflection. If you are not familiar with this game, basically you are given a list of parts of speech (ie noun, adjective, number) that you fill in without seeing the context, and then you insert them into a story. One of the participants asked me to explain what an interjection was, so, obviously, I started singing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ0696UhWrc">the song from Schoolhouse Rock</a> and then gave some examples. As I walked back to the front of the room Katie jokingly said something around the lines of: “Are you sure you’re not an elementary school teacher?” referencing my high energy level and exaggerated body language.</p><p>Just so everyone knows, I am not an education major of any sort; I am, in fact, majoring in civil and environmental engineering. This technical side of my brain has defined my leadership style thus far (the group-chat-making, Google-Drive-loving, meeting-minutes-taking type), and I feel weird deviating from this box. As Leslie always reminds us Stews, I am trying to bring my full self to the table instead of compartmentalizing into a myriad of “hats,” but this has involved a lot of unlearning, mostly based on what I think is appropriate (the meticulous, note-taking Emma) and inappropriate (the playful, singing Emma) for important spaces like the Environmental Justice Academy. This dichotomy is obviously not true, as both the EJA participants and steering team give us glowing reports of how much they enjoy our hair-brained icebreakers. All of this to say: I am trying to take Leslie’s words to heart and bring myself (in all my meeting-minutes-loving, preschool-vibing glory) to the table.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am feeling very reflective right now, so here is a poem reminiscent of my eighth-grade English class with Mrs. Marks:</p><p><br /></p><p>Water is water</p><p>Even if it boils,</p><p>Like the stuff for my tea</p><p>While I burn midnight oil.</p><p><br /></p><p>Water is water</p><p>Even if it freezes,</p><p>Although cold temperature</p><p>Often gives me the sneezes</p><p><br /></p><p>Water is water</p><p>Even if it is glassy,</p><p>Suggesting a stroll </p><p>Or a day full of relaxing.</p><div><br /></div>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-2296025799961077562022-04-26T08:36:00.004-07:002022-04-26T08:36:38.965-07:00Seeing the Fitz Center Principles in Action by Katie Dawson, 2023 Cohort<p> The initial River Stewards orientation exposed me to the Fitz Center principles. These principles</p><p>are a framework that guide leaders as they navigate through the community. The principles are as</p><p>follows: </p><p> Community assets: Communities meet needs and solve problems with their gifts,</p><p>strengths, and assets.</p><p> Social capital: Trustful relationships are necessary for community building and</p><p>strengthening.</p><p> Constructive public conversations: Balanced inquiry and advocacy is critical in all</p><p>dialogue.</p><p> Adaptive capacity: Change comes from learning together.</p><p> Widely shared vision: A collective community vision is more powerful than any</p><p>individual vision.</p><p><br /></p><p>Reading those principles on paper or hearing them verbatim doesn’t amount to the intentionality</p><p>of each principle and how it directly correlates to the work of a servant leader. As I’ve been</p><p>involved through the River stewards program, I’ve heard from community partners about their</p><p>work to revitalize Dayton. It’s evident that the principles guide leaders throughout the</p><p>community despite being unaffiliated with the Fitz Center. As the semester is coming to an end,</p><p>I’ve reflected on times throughout minicourses where the principles came to life.</p><p><br /></p><p>The principle of locating <b>community assets</b> was apparent as Hope Taft from the Little Miami</p><p>Watershed Network discussed our local rivers and how they attribute to our sense of belonging</p><p>in the community and benefiting our local economy through recreation. Her network ensures this</p><p>asset is maintained by cleaning the Little Miami river and advocating for its health.</p><p><br /></p><p>The importance of<b> social capital</b> is evident through the 2022 cohort’s senior capstone project.</p><p>Their installation of the little free library and the drinking fountain proposal in neighborhood</p><p>parks was guided by community conversation and ensuring trust between stakeholders.</p><p><br /></p><p>The ReImagining Symposium reflected the principle of <b>constructive public conversations</b>.</p><p>Community leaders were able to highlight their proposed projects in Dayton and initiate</p><p>feedback and conversations about the future of our community and what it ideally looks like.</p><p><br /></p><p>I personally was impacted by the conversation between the River Stewards, the Sierra Club, and</p><p>Guy Jones as our discussion reflected <b>adaptive capacity</b>. Learning from each other about the</p><p>power of language and local advocacy of the river requires us to step out of our comfort zone and</p><p>reflect on habits to decipher whether they attribute to the common good.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was evident through the City of Dayton’s Meg Maloney (River Steward alum) and</p><p>neighborhood advocate, Jerry Bolwing III, how valuable a <b>widely shared vision</b> is throughout</p><p>community work. Meg and Jerry collaborate to advocate for the superfund sites in Dayton to</p><p>ensure health and safety amongst the residents that live in those neighborhoods. Their shared</p><p>vision despite various backgrounds attributes to the success of the project.</p><p><br /></p><p>By reflecting on these principles in action, it’s evident how intentional and significant they are.</p><p>As the 2023 cohort is navigating through the logistics stage of their project with the Dakota</p><p>Center, we must refer to the principles to ensure we are modeling the Fitz Center values and</p><p>leadership that we’ve seen throughout the Dayton community thus far.</p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-85283746203209351102022-04-16T11:03:00.002-07:002022-04-16T11:07:36.235-07:00Learning About Dayton and Myself Through River Stewards by Lily Pestorius, 2024 Cohort<p> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As a first year student at UD I had no knowledge or connection to the City of Dayton. I did not know of any opportunities to learn and participate in service hours in the city or even where to start. In the past year, I have learned more about the City of Dayton than I have about my own hometown that I lived in for 18 years. I have more connections through River Stewards that have allowed me to learn so much more about service opportunities out in nature. I would have never learned about the Aquifer or the Great Miami Watershed if I had not joined River Stewards. I have always enjoyed nature. Being able to learn and volunteer my time for service projects has been a highlight of my time here at UD. I have always felt connected to nature and have always wanted to help the environment. As I have become more independent while attending UD, I have also been able to become more sustainable. Sustainability is such an important part of my life. So being more connected to the Dayton community and being able to learn about the sustainable efforts the city is making has been so amazing. I have been able to see that I do not need to always make a huge impact, it is just as important to make a small impact. River Steward’s service hours have allowed me to find opportunities to serve outdoors. I also would have never learned about the difference between “serving” and “volunteering”. Because it really is a mindset that you are not just “helping” the community, you are serving them. It is so important to understand the community you are interacting with so that you can make an impact on what the community is trying to accomplish. It has been amazing to help remove Honeysuckle and learn all about the importance of native plants. I have even helped a service group in my hometown to clear Honeysuckle. River Stewards has given me the most important lesson that I need to thrive where I live, which is how to have an active role in my community. The more involved in my community I become, the prouder I am to be a student at the University of Dayton. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIW3bnefieMCh0hp8hAVpp8EpvLMnmzp2aVkqCsiADB4Dlj6qoy2w7WQwaUHtvKM_DcGMS0EYQSHsAuNET-r44eO3_EHBiPXXICV6qGWKhI8Wx4ErOI3Qqs8LKuWQsbetxzdZtCyp1MtXdZZ5PWihyS6n6EuR6wzylnQ6AeDpO_d2MEItB-I76vaRZQ/s4032/IMG-6134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIW3bnefieMCh0hp8hAVpp8EpvLMnmzp2aVkqCsiADB4Dlj6qoy2w7WQwaUHtvKM_DcGMS0EYQSHsAuNET-r44eO3_EHBiPXXICV6qGWKhI8Wx4ErOI3Qqs8LKuWQsbetxzdZtCyp1MtXdZZ5PWihyS6n6EuR6wzylnQ6AeDpO_d2MEItB-I76vaRZQ/s320/IMG-6134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>Lots of River Love.</p><div><br /></div>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-23111926937434570862022-04-16T11:00:00.007-07:002022-04-16T11:01:55.457-07:00Dayton's Rivers by Grace Jackson, 2023 Cohort<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My favorite thing about the rivers in Dayton…sorry, but I can’t just pick one. I would say the first thing that comes to mind is that the rivers </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.daytonohio.gov/701/Great-Miami-Buried-Valley-Aquifer&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw1sCRJIlLD8ND43hG0xS0Zw" href="https://www.daytonohio.gov/701/Great-Miami-Buried-Valley-Aquifer" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">recharge our aquifer.</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This is extremely important for our access to freshwater for drinking, cooking, and for life. I have been studying at Chaminade University on O'ahu this semester, and let me tell you, Ohio is blessed to have such great access to freshwater. You see, the development of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.civilbeat.org/2013/05/ala-wai-canal-hawaiis-biggest-mistake/&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw3zo9U3knslDhWjWPCOi7oj" href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2013/05/ala-wai-canal-hawaiis-biggest-mistake/" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">canals</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and buildings has destroyed O'ahu’s wetlands, and </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.tpl.org/our-work/kanewai-spring&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw2aSDja1PpllbbC1L74E_tp" href="https://www.tpl.org/our-work/kanewai-spring" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">freshwater springs</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have been plugged up. Their aquifer recharges a lot less than </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_n/gif/N060.gif&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw2raMjCwkqIdt7JZAycye1l" href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/ha/ha730/ch_n/gif/N060.gif" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">it used to</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. There is also the issue of military occupation, causing </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/red_hill_groundwater_modeling_presentation_17_nov_2015.pdf&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw3o8BmiiC3olElGkKY2fWvp" href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/red_hill_groundwater_modeling_presentation_17_nov_2015.pdf" style="background-color: white; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">contamination</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of the groundwater. </span></span></p><span id="m_-7638484822789286451m_5753769996950931646gmail-docs-internal-guid-a1091fe0-7fff-d5e5-d86e-de6a07486977" style="background-color: white;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I just wanted to get you all thinking about what it means to have the rivers we have. Besides the fact they help to provide access to drinking water, my second favorite thing about our rivers is how easy it is to access them. I run the bike path near the Great Miami fairly often. (I used to run it a lot more often when I was on Chaminade Juliennes Women’s cross country team! It was our Thursday loop). I also love meeting friends at Riverscape metropark, especially when there are festivals, like the Hispanic fest or the Celtic fest. Our rivers are so healthy and full of life, with most obtaining </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mcdwater.org/water-stewardship/state-of-the-water/&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw2e-dli751Hco0jm_5OP67Y" href="https://www.mcdwater.org/water-stewardship/state-of-the-water/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“good” or “excellent”</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> ratings according to the EPA. After kayaking down a few of our rivers and streams, I can confirm that I have seen a lot of fish, turtles, and healthy oxygenation. Of course, we can always </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mcdwater.blog/2017/03/01/top-5-regional-water-challenges-for-the-21st-century/&source=gmail&ust=1650217726425000&usg=AOvVaw1JeOgf4Ujo09Eb1cUE2MXy" href="https://mcdwater.blog/2017/03/01/top-5-regional-water-challenges-for-the-21st-century/" style="text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">improve</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but all in all, I would say that we should be proud of our rivers, and continue to protect them.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></span><img alt="Cleaning off Grace J.PNG" class="CToWUd a6T" data-image-whitelisted="" height="359" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1?ui=2&ik=1d15ee84cb&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1730126866384988650&th=1802a537e73ca9ea&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ8NQ2CJU315t0WO6NkvpXSTC9nsctYxtjnlaA3A08lFkkQXFP7Axb3ge-vpH_HVn9UfLUH03TyqzX6NCRnJJmsDnVyUxKAtJMUdnH5e_23MQiw_DqsS-j5ucsM&disp=emb&realattid=ii_l1zlwivy0" style="background-color: white; cursor: pointer; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" width="454" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">A picture of my lab rinsing off after working in a local fish pond. There used to be many freshwater springs out in the nearshore, and there are old pictures of this place depicting horses drinking from what looks like the sea (really, the horses just found the springs!) <a href="https://gracehjackson.weebly.com/">I will create a blog post on my personal website</a></span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://gracehjackson.weebly.com/"> </a>near the end of the semester all about my experiences on the island. Keep tuned in!</span></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-43051170485332440462022-04-12T10:15:00.001-07:002022-04-12T10:15:18.969-07:00Lessons Learned by Elizabeth Vear, 2023 Cohort<p>I can easily say that the most important thing I have learned is from those around me. Before I even attended UD, I heard of Rivers Institute on a tour and was immediately eager to get involved with it once I committed. I interviewed, and got accepted in the program in early 2020, but as we all know, Covid disrupted this. My cohort got welcomed into River Stewards during quarantine in April of 2020. I was so excited to work with my cohort for the next three years but had no clue of what that would entail when a pandemic was dominating our lives. Our first semester and second semester of sophomore year was solely on zoom. At the time, I struggled to find my sense of belonging in this cohort, as most of us struggled to feel any depth in relationships built over zoom. At the end of my sophomore year, I felt defeated in the sense I had not been able to see any of these people in person, but hopeful for the next year. Finally, as we rolled into junior year, we had finally reached a stage where we were able to meet in person, and it was like starting all over again. Here we were, going into our second year of being a cohort, and yet it felt like our orientation was our first time truly meeting.</p><p>This year and semester have been a foundational moment of strengthening relationships within the cohort. It is impossible to ignore how Covid impacted our beginning, but I believe we as a cohort grew closer from it and learned so much from each other. I look around and know that I have formed a relationship with each person in my cohort. Which may not seem like a momentous feat, but knowing the journey we have been on, it truly is. Shifting from zoom strangers to a strong cohort was a dramatic shift, but it was necessary for the work that we do. Continuously learning about the Stews around me continues to amaze me, as we are each so unique and bring such different perspectives to the table. As I continue to learn about the people in this program, I am that much more confident in our abilities and dedication to our projects. One of the most beneficial ways to learn is from those around you, and I have learned so much from the people in Rivers Institute. Rivers Institute is not what it is without the strength of relationships within each cohort, and I can happily say each person in it has taught me so much. </p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-35396820772626075952022-04-12T09:44:00.001-07:002022-04-12T09:44:51.663-07:00The Truth in Building Community by Sarah Yaroma, 2023 Cohort <p> From the moment that I walked onto UD’s campus back in 2019, my tour guide brought</p><p>to my attention that for the next four years I would hear one word repeatedly, and that word is</p><p>community. Now after living at UD for the past three years, I have been able to explicitly see</p><p>the community that has been built and partake in community building through engaging in</p><p>parents weekend activities, for example, and seeing how many people come together to</p><p>celebrate the gift that we have of being a Flyer. This idea of community has been instilled in us</p><p>as Flyers since day one and has been something that I have continued to learn about and</p><p>discuss in length for the work that I do as a River Steward.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix4oJi--kn19Hj9-rw_NmNUumb8JQQC9yVUwO6mS9OR2Fe8GT_RjW_o9lUHtH_LzQXT9MuqReEbxPZ3vyykODBy9wCfE5I94eSFXH84jSoynwuVQRj6fbTpqVd6U-xc_DSO4MVQnzLAWJCwqmFx-5IQUxz9McBi-eAcxCtMn0QQBDnPX7XbvEUjtjlUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix4oJi--kn19Hj9-rw_NmNUumb8JQQC9yVUwO6mS9OR2Fe8GT_RjW_o9lUHtH_LzQXT9MuqReEbxPZ3vyykODBy9wCfE5I94eSFXH84jSoynwuVQRj6fbTpqVd6U-xc_DSO4MVQnzLAWJCwqmFx-5IQUxz9McBi-eAcxCtMn0QQBDnPX7XbvEUjtjlUg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>One of the most memorable meetings that we have had this semester was our</p><p>conversation with the Sierra Club, learning about their background as well as their ambitions to</p><p>continue building community and promote the restoration of the natural environment. In order</p><p>to create a shift in the mentality of millions of people worldwide about the environment and</p><p>how it is being cared for, we need to spread the word, and it starts with us. By doing this, the</p><p>message will spark passion in like-minded people to where they will come together, forming a</p><p>community, for this common cause to find solutions. We see this in the media as different</p><p>movements are portrayed, such as Black Lives Matter, that there is power in community; thus,</p><p>we have the power as a whole to take charge and redirect the narrative.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixuUuZG4DJvSnNiRzcYdPWeYSOvGo4IfBz96qn0JkFcpuc5cw91PwvDyETb7co-L8-ha-bHxSzcYkNE4C9AFAdYhAx0Zn1Ac8oxxsFLYPs9mhJ1mvtUbXtN3V54wEuzfHAVFRXPuURMTQmT_D8Wu4T_1KjtWQ0t6tNSVMLxOoYABZhxhFjSDWRsaNoHg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixuUuZG4DJvSnNiRzcYdPWeYSOvGo4IfBz96qn0JkFcpuc5cw91PwvDyETb7co-L8-ha-bHxSzcYkNE4C9AFAdYhAx0Zn1Ac8oxxsFLYPs9mhJ1mvtUbXtN3V54wEuzfHAVFRXPuURMTQmT_D8Wu4T_1KjtWQ0t6tNSVMLxOoYABZhxhFjSDWRsaNoHg" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>There is truth in building community even though it goes against the individualistic</p><p>centered culture that our society promotes. It is easy to force ourselves to fit the mold that</p><p>society has put into place for us. We need to remember to go back to the basics of simply</p><p>listening to ourselves and remember the reason why we all do not act, think, nor look the same</p><p>as our neighbor. We were all created to be different and bring different levels of diversity and</p><p>ideas into the world and into various situations. Therefore, if there is one thing that we can do</p><p>for ourselves and for the world it would be to show up authentically. I believe that concept of</p><p>authenticity has to be the most important lesson that I have learned this semester, due to the</p><p>fact that is it something most people are not reminded of and tend to forget. Also because of its</p><p>applicability to the rest of our lives as the communities we insert ourselves into change.</p><p>Regardless of where we end up in the future, we are forever River Stewards, thus we cannot</p><p>forget to be authentic, lifelong learners, builders of community, and a pursuer of interests,</p><p>which is what this program has taught me these past three years.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi51dgD3DtGiZBbZEqqU_8C1w4BFrxZAgNj-3aLqep94OUUfmgD-bgH8dFypczB592fnhUYncU3nnemt1qIiJ39U3OdwrhNZdH4AgVXcXD8Cf5pruK4R7TFnqzlMGdQNSPia5_cf7szpltCdlJS8ywolI5ZsRKayE80Mvb_NqwZMw3bNq19oovJi66iUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi51dgD3DtGiZBbZEqqU_8C1w4BFrxZAgNj-3aLqep94OUUfmgD-bgH8dFypczB592fnhUYncU3nnemt1qIiJ39U3OdwrhNZdH4AgVXcXD8Cf5pruK4R7TFnqzlMGdQNSPia5_cf7szpltCdlJS8ywolI5ZsRKayE80Mvb_NqwZMw3bNq19oovJi66iUg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /><br /></p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-87686734949859583162022-04-05T08:57:00.000-07:002022-04-05T08:57:00.216-07:00Leadership in River Stewards by Lyuba Benin, 2023 Cohort<p>The leadership aspect of River Stewards has become more apparent to me this semester as my cohort and I have been planning our senior project with the Dakota Center. Brainstorming and organizing the project have put things in perspective and validated that mine and my cohort’s time in River Stewards will foster a meaningful relationship with the community of Dayton. How do we work with real community leaders? How can we honestly address the needs of the Dayton community? Ultimately, after some reflection, my working definition of leadership is being able to share your gifts and talents for the good of others, and River Stewards provides the mindset and resources for us to be leaders. I am excited to continue collaborating and working on the project with my cohort and catalyze real change in Dayton. </p><p>A couple of months ago, I also joined the Sustainability Leadership Council, which brings together a variety of clubs on campus advocating for sustainability, such as the Hanley Sustainability Institute, Flyer Enterprises, River Stewards, etc. Although some stews and I physically represent River Stewards in the council, this position has felt like a leadership position to me especially from the behind-the-scenes work. For example, we recently were trying to gain a faculty advisor for the council, and the emails and meetings that were made to achieve that, cultivated a real sense of the effort it takes to be a leader. </p><p>Ultimately, I think what is powerful about River Stewards is that any stew can find their niche related to the river and be an effective leader in a unique way. River Stewards also teaches an important lesson that there is no one way to be a leader, and that the real results of leadership arise from us learning and being inspired from one another, as we do in our cohorts.</p><div><br /></div>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-33943243326044847252022-04-05T08:56:00.002-07:002022-04-05T08:56:13.936-07:00How do you see yourself as a leader in the River Stewards program? by Natalie Yersavich, 2023 Cohort<p> Leadership and service have always been a big part of my life and even since I was a kid, I have tried to seek out as many opportunities to lead and serve as I can. When I first started at UD, these two ideals were the driving forces that inspired me to get involved on campus and in various groups. I found some opportunities to lead and serve in campus ministry and in my faith, but I wanted more. I wanted to reach a larger population, not just those in my residence hall or those who shared my faith. </p><p>When I first applied for River Stewards, I was drawn to the focus of the group: leadership through service and community engagement. The program is centered around building and developing leadership through serving the Dayton community. I could not have asked for a better opportunity to grow and learn about these skills that I value so highly. </p><p>Now, after being in the program for two years, I have learned more than I thought I ever could about leadership and service. From a young age, I have always understood that leadership comes from service and that a good leader is one who serves, but after going through this program, I understand this to be true on a deeper level. River Stewards has taught me that in order to lead, you have to first listen and serve the people that you are leading. How can you lead people in the right direction if you do not know the obstacles and challenges that they are facing? If you do not take the time to listen and understand the problems, you cannot come up with successful solutions. Leadership ultimately is not about the individual. It is about collaboration in order to achieve a common goal and lift up the group as a whole.</p><div><br /></div>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-74263397172394127742022-04-01T11:15:00.001-07:002022-04-01T11:15:40.327-07:00Service Opportunity Reflection by Alison Hardie, 2024 Cohort<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>A service opportunity that really stuck with me was collecting prairie seeds with Five Rivers Metroparks. In the fall my mom, sister, and I signed up to collect prairie seeds at Huffman Prairie. Huffman Prairie is a historic landmark where the Wright Brothers flew their planes but also a remnant prairie that serves as a home for many different species. My family and I had been to Huffman Prairie on multiple occasions because it is one of our favorite birding spots. Unfortunately, prairies are becoming increasingly rarer so Huffman attracts many types of breeding songbirds. One of our favorites is the bobolink, a striking black and white bird with a metallic song. We also make sure to visit every summer while the wildflowers are in full bloom. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-538764c1-7fff-a62c-56e7-78d5b945db67"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 310px; overflow: hidden; width: 414px;"><img alt="A field of flowers
Description automatically generated with medium confidence" height="310" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4UHPgKzXOeLOHVqtCC3rjpvgwj9rHKsvebOlVOaz-eLWUaMhXTPrB_BrhwFpOTDPoAcdFVQJWXFbonY5vW0Az__7N0CUW7LkDSqOXswVUIZs_IHHp3pcUvrb60Bd5YEt4ke4hRua" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="414" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>We had gone seed collecting in the past a few years back at another park so we were excited to see that this time it was at Huffman. When we arrived at the park we were greeted by the leader of the activity who gave us a seed bag to tie around our waist, gardening gloves, and a pair of shears. As we walked down the path to the collection spot the leader pointed out and gave some information on all of the different plants in the prairie. Once we arrived at a spot he assigned each person to collect seeds from a different type of flower. I was assigned to the purple coneflower, which happens to be one of my favorites. Then we had to march into the tall brush to find the flowers that were ready. It takes a moment of braveness at first to step into the tall grass, not being able to see what’s under your feet. But you forget about that after the first step. For the coneflowers I was looking for heads that were dried but had not been completely eaten by the birds, they are a favorite snack of the goldfinches. We collected seeds for a few hours before the hot sun started to get to everyone and it was time to head back. On the way back some of the other volunteers spotted a green snake which I unfortunately did not catch a glimpse of. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 337px; overflow: hidden; width: 295px;"><img height="392.1568514108658" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bHbXVo3drEGaVZzkuPJRP4WEUe0vHiCYrmOFKwbi6AWDObCcrBfxRu7-PKqTdeiAClvKu7sOIWn8gy-JtCthiPh6B_s0_j3OKYEg2k9wHoht3w2SWvxWJDVLgKV4cTT1hmviWeR0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: -55.156856432557106px;" width="295" /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>They informed us that the seeds would be sent back to one of the other metroparks where other volunteers would remove the seeds from the flower heads and then they would be planted across the Metroparks in different prairies. This experience really stood out to be as it showed how much work has to be done in many conservation projects. It was especially cool to involved in helping one of my favorite places and getting to know the prairie that much better. I had always known they planted the prairies but I had never thought about how they got the seeds. There are also so many parts to this process that are all done by volunteers so it helped me to see how invested the community is as well and some of the direct impact of my hours. </span></p><div><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-64867819979442906332022-04-01T09:55:00.001-07:002022-04-01T09:55:56.521-07:00Describe a service opportunity that stuck with you… by Allison George, 2024 Cohort<p>As a second year civil and environmental engineering major, I see so much value and importance in introducing young girls to STEM programs. I have spent a few Saturday mornings working with one of my other organizations, the Society of Women Engineers or SWE to bring STEM knowledge and innovation skills to local Girl Scout troops. The programs have varied in content but one thing has remained constant, the girls are absolutely captivated by STEM and you can see the gears turning as they think about what science and engineering really are. </p><p>The programs have been structured age appropriately, as the girls are usually in elementary school, and there have been different difficulties to truly challenge the girls at different school years. Some of my favorite station topics have been building aluminum foil boats for pennies, teaching the basic logic needed for coding, learning about what each kind of engineer actually does, and learning how to build a simple structure.</p><p>This opportunity in particular has really stuck with me because on top of getting to see them start brainstorming and working together to problem solve, they begin to see the program leaders– who are all women in STEM– as role models and open up with their questions about why we went into engineering or what we want to do after college. Having young girls leave a program saying to their friends how they thought engineering was so cool or that they think one type of engineering was what they wanted to do when they grow up is so meaningful to me because as a young girl I didn’t even know what engineering was. Giving young girls even just the basic information about engineering is an incredible step in the right direction, and I hope to support more events introducing girls to engineering in the future in hopes that eventually there will be just as many women in engineering as men!</p><p><br /></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c7b56b10-7fff-e37b-6f5b-668da86bfdd3"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 680px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="680" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eeXiVc1UtP3mnnjEIQ4uRR_pxmJWQCIyGh1kOsO7YlTB3aK9wR92uVp6S7qU4EAyePwgABggjUjnnpGZ-yg613Yubw7DWdnEhNeAsxQUEZIAvmH4Wk1vjhd_uaXri5OFgfHo679y" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><p><br /></p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-72392527066443967442022-03-22T10:25:00.005-07:002022-03-22T10:25:58.631-07:00What is Your Favorite Thing About Water? By Elisabeth Arnold, 2024 Cohort<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Water is powerful. Without it, the landscapes we see today would not exist. For billions of years the same water on earth there is now has been forming the world we know. Whether it be a massive glacier or a small stream cutting through a valley, water has the power to leave a lasting impression wherever it passes through. From the largest mountains, to intricate valleys, vast canyons, and quiet streams, water is the main source of much of the natural beauty seen on the planet</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span>Water can also be destructive. Too much in one place at one time may lead to devastating floods. Too little may lead to just as devastating droughts. Floods are the most common and devastating natural disasters in the U.S. and around the world. They lead to billions of dollars in damages each year along with loss of life. Droughts lead to shortages of clean water, increased fire risk, and collapse of ecosystems. Even a small amount of water in a cracked sidewalk can lead to a major change over time. Life relies on water, and is yet sometimes restrained by it. </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a869636f-7fff-895e-9310-12d33c87912a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span>Water also has the power to bring people together. Of course we all need water to survive, but it also is involved in many people’s fondest memories. This is because water is the focal point of a variety of recreational activities. Kayaking, fishing, swimming, boating, and surfing are just a few examples. Even popular tourist destinations usually involve a beach, body of water, or impressive landform created by water. Everyone uses water everyday, probably without thinking twice about it. Many cultures and religions even see water as significant and use it as a leading role in rituals and practices.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> </span>My favorite thing about water is the power it holds. It is essential for life and can be destructive at the same time. This is why water deserves to be protected and appreciated. Water is in so many aspects of our lives that we undoubtedly rely on it. While we rely on water, water also relies on us to not misuse it and ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the same activities and form their own memories around water. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-28322393069103896042022-03-22T10:23:00.003-07:002022-03-22T10:23:36.685-07:00Water in my Life by Kerry Howard, 2023 Cohort<p><span> </span>Other than the obvious reason of needing it to live, water has made an influential impact on my</p><p>life and the way I view the Earth. One of my favorite memories regarding water was when I went</p><p>to camp in 2014 and 2015, where myself, along with 30 other campers stayed at a campground</p><p>called, Deer Valley in Pennsylvania. Our main hang-out spot was on a small peninsula, where we</p><p>would have fires, late night talks, sit out during the day, and so much more. Although, my</p><p>favorite thing about being surrounded by the water was taking baths in the lake. I felt connected</p><p>with the water because I had never cleaned myself in lake water before and it was such a</p><p>meaningful experience due to how genuine the world felt in those moments. During my time</p><p>there, the water connected everyone, and helped people bond over a similar interest.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>Moreover, the different forms that water can shape into is so interesting to me. It can transfer</p><p>into a gas, solid, and liquid, but does so for the well-being of the Earth. The Earth has water to</p><p>thank for its beauty – not only the beauty of lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans, but also the</p><p>mountains, canyons, and erosion in everyday life. After traveling to various national parks in the</p><p>U.S., I have learned to appreciate how water has shaped almost everything we do and see. From</p><p>the Grand Canyon to the Yosemite, to my hometown, Pittsburgh where the Point is located, there</p><p>is almost always serenity in these places. Hearing waterfalls, smelling sea salt, seeing wildlife in</p><p>crystal clear water are just a few things that I think helps everyone relax. We are all more similar</p><p>than we think in the sense of enjoying water, and just as I found at camp, brings people together.</p><p>Water will always be a meaningful way to get closer to the Earth, closer with people, and closer</p><p>to your true self.</p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-2390060757097521302022-03-09T09:00:00.001-08:002022-03-09T09:01:59.640-08:00What I see for my future in the program by Drew Kimes, 2024 Cohort<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Hey everyone, I am Drew Kimes and the only male member of the 2024 River Stewards cohort! I take pride in that and we all consider myself “a part of the girls.” I truly have become so close with these girls and If it was not for this program I would not have met my best friend, Cassie Rafter. So I thank this program and cannot wait to create more bonds, friendships and memories with this group. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Anyways the theme for this week's blog post is the future. The future is a very daunting thing to think about because it is something we do not know for certain. However, we all have certain hopes and aspirations for the future and for me and this program I see growth. Speaking from my own observation and experience, my cohort is the smallest this program has had in years, with only 10 members. So we are bound to grow. And sure enough we are already seeing growth with over 30 applications for the 2025 cohort. This is amazing news as I mean we have the opportunity to grow and continue to do great things in our community and the communities around us. I cannot wait to welcome the new River Stewards into the family! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Though I see physical growth in the future, I also see growth in the sustainable projects we will do for the community for years and years to come. By sustainable, I mean they will be continued and executed by future cohorts and by the community members themselves. That way our impacts are lasting and not simply putting a Band-Aid on a situation. Creating sustainable projects and impacts is something our program strives for and I am excited to continue to see this growth in the coming years! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">River Love! </span></p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-1463280667078906862022-03-09T08:46:00.003-08:002022-03-09T08:46:56.631-08:00My Future in River Stewards by Cassie Rafter, 2024 Cohort<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>I see a plethora of growth and learning opportunities for myself in the future of the program. My cohort and I have spent a lot of this semester and last becoming familiar with the Dayton community and learning about the Rivers surrounding us. I’m excited to start building more personal relationships with Dayton's community leaders, some of who we’ve already had the pleasure to work with. In the future, I see myself and fellow River Stewards serving the community by working towards fulfilling its needs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Not only will we serve our community through our capstone project but we’ll serve the community through education. Educational outreach is so important when it comes to our rivers and the sustainability of future life. Some recent educational outreach work my cohort and I have done is creating an informational video and worksheets for Dayton's Children's Water Festival later this month. In my future time as a River Steward, I’d love to be able to connect with the youth in Dayton. Like many other things during the pandemic, it has been difficult to organize in-person events. Although restrictions are being to be lifted it gives me hope that we will soon be able to work with after-school programs and continue to spread our knowledge and love for our watershed to the younger generations living in Dayton. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>Another thing that I’d like to accomplish in my future within the River Stewards program is to increase the student body's knowledge and awareness of our Rivers and how unique/important they are. In the near future, a fellow stew and I are trying to organize a river clean-up with the guidance of the river stewards 2022 cohort. I think trying to involve the student body in large hands-on types of volunteer work surrounding the rivers could be a catalyst for the River Stewards program. Although the most meaningful service the River Stewards do tends to be in our smaller groups where relationships can be created and mutually beneficial, I think we should utilize the reach we do have to potentially spread the river love all over campus!</span></p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-2930435818610013882022-03-03T09:26:00.006-08:002022-03-03T09:35:38.663-08:00What is river stewardship? by Tessa O'Halloran, 2024 Cohort<p> <span> </span>I am not sure if I have ever thought of an exact definition of river stewardship before. I have</p><p>heard this term used before obviously, but to put it in my own words seems to have stumped</p><p>me. As I turned to Google however, I found that the Oxford dictionary defines stewardship as,</p><p>“the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property”. River</p><p>stewardship is the direct action of taking care and supervising the river. Now who is a river</p><p>steward and portrays river stewardship at its best?</p><p><span> </span>Someone who I believe represents a perfect example of a river steward would be Phil or Katie,</p><p>two individuals who work for the city of Dayton’s water department. Two individuals who gave</p><p>the 2024 cohort an awesome tour of the wastewater treatment plant on 2/18/2022. Phil has</p><p>been working at the wastewater treatment plant for over forty years. For over forty years Phil</p><p>has been making sure that water used by the general population for showers, restroom</p><p>activities, and drinking is cleaned and properly put back into the river.They directly look over and</p><p>care for the river. They do this through innovation. Innovation is a key part to river stewardship.</p><p>Without hard work and innovative inventions (like the systems used in the drinking water and</p><p>wastewater plant), our rivers would not be able to sustain themselves.</p><p><span> </span>Honestly, I do not believe I am at the point where I can use myself as a good example of a river</p><p>steward. I still accumulate too much waste. I at times participate in buying from corporations</p><p>who do not follow river steward protocol. I recognize these actions as obstacles in my path to</p><p>becoming the best river steward. I would define river stewardship as a process and/or a journey.</p><p>I believe river stewardship relies heavily on innovation. We can try to understand the</p><p>psychology and habits of people and ourselves (post as many hashtags as we want), but</p><p>nothing will change without innovation. Innovation allows us to find connections and solve</p><p>problems. It has been awesome to learn about river stewardship and ways to reflect on my</p><p>actions that affect the river.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRQ2UODkFpOaJUCNkhdupHrKAYLtJCnpCYpSZFCkMjpt-9KZszkfnexTa3NYrvDUO2-ChN_oKsU61ujuVFtjqw6BJInIUhZQcth7rC7dHNSw1kL4Mq6LYXxQziXAlRvaoPX5BFZWCcsGcGNFf2zn4dcLmN_ClgnG3nnxVpR3oNUcx-hpfHq-T74_adEA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRQ2UODkFpOaJUCNkhdupHrKAYLtJCnpCYpSZFCkMjpt-9KZszkfnexTa3NYrvDUO2-ChN_oKsU61ujuVFtjqw6BJInIUhZQcth7rC7dHNSw1kL4Mq6LYXxQziXAlRvaoPX5BFZWCcsGcGNFf2zn4dcLmN_ClgnG3nnxVpR3oNUcx-hpfHq-T74_adEA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-82464303203753767962022-03-03T09:24:00.022-08:002022-03-03T09:38:37.850-08:00On River Stewardship by Gillian Leone, 2024 Cohort<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When posed the question of what is river stewardship, there are many words that initially come to mind. These include service, leadership, wellness, effort, community, bonds, water, protection and many others. But, there is one word that in particular stands out to me; understanding.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I believe that a large component of river stewardship is taking the gracious time out of your own day in order to understand. Taking time to understand facilitates an environment in order to make deeper connections that those who briefly walked by wouldn’t notice at first. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with so many different organizations in the past year. Being able to serve under organizations that all share the same source that provides life to us; the river, is such a beautiful and unique experience. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Understanding the river and its complexity is something that not only takes time, but a large desire to want to be a part of something bigger. After being a river steward for shy of a year, I’ve had a plethora of experiences that I would consider to be “full-circle” experiences. Being a river steward means being able to take in these “full-circle” experiences, understanding them, and applying them to other areas of your life so that others can benefit from them.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Being a river steward means understanding that our relationships in life are very complicated, but they are what hold us together at the end of the day. Recognizing the importance of these relationships and their connection to the river is a large aspect of river stewardship.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I had the opportunity to work for the Mission of Mary this past year. The Mission of Mary Cooperative works with sustainable urban development that is rooted in community. Mission of Mary manages a network of 6 urban farming plots and they grow over 100 different kinds of vegetables and fruits. After working under this organization, there was one main thought that came to mind; what is the one thing that allows this organization to thrive? Yes, a group of hard workers. Yes, money and land. But, most importantly, the backbone of being able to grow and provide for many community members is, you guessed it, water!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">When you are a river steward, everything flows back to the thing that gives us life; water. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">Having a larger </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">understanding </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">of the role water plays in our life (it provides us life, gives us recreation, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">gives us a place to meet</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">etc) is the root of what being a river steward is. </span></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN33UuRjnVaC3Woa8VFipNcl-0kl4pbcuZ_yrqnbGiTyrqlixQ-GZz6BmBE6NFekNn6UeAtLLoiqyE7gTGDaJhErvOraJHuOAfVZiQY0NRRv4gGtceixv9dX0WlLtWO5ITu_Kbyp5yW--b6XdmbrcOwhpX31OtuZiQ9gLT9IpPjuih4hThTBV9o_od5A=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiN33UuRjnVaC3Woa8VFipNcl-0kl4pbcuZ_yrqnbGiTyrqlixQ-GZz6BmBE6NFekNn6UeAtLLoiqyE7gTGDaJhErvOraJHuOAfVZiQY0NRRv4gGtceixv9dX0WlLtWO5ITu_Kbyp5yW--b6XdmbrcOwhpX31OtuZiQ9gLT9IpPjuih4hThTBV9o_od5A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bad909c7-7fff-f4a7-f188-ea6e4956c553"><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-44039139974028902152022-02-23T11:03:00.009-08:002022-02-23T11:07:20.672-08:00Describing the Significance of Water in My Life by Katie Horgan, 2024 Cohort<span id="docs-internal-guid-772f39c9-7fff-af8f-97a9-0d20b287647c"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Water has always been significant in my life. At the age of six I began competitively swimming, something I continued through the end of high school. Though the pools I swam in were strictly manmade, I still felt a connection to any body of water I came across. After graduation, I continued my streak of always being near water by getting a job as a traveling lifeguard for some pools and lakes in my area. The job had its’ challenges, but there was one particular aspect that kept me coming back for two more summers. I loved seeing how people interacted with each other. As a lifeguard, I was basically paid to people watch, but in a pool environment people seem to act somewhat differently. I have seen grow adults squeal with joy at their friend jumping off the diving board. I have experienced a baby saying some of their first words poolside and watched as the parents smiled ecstatically. Water provided them a space to congregate and make memories. I myself have had these same experiences. I have spent my summers swimming in quarries, lakes, and beaches. Water has provided me with so many happy moments shared with friends and family. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think the thing that fascinates me most about water is that it sustains life. It was in high school when I first became interested in sustainability, and of course I thought about how water factors in. Water ecosystems have an interconnectedness that still intrigues me. In college I began to learn about energy pyramids. An energy pyramid is meant to represent that every ecosystem has a flow of energy. When this flow is interrupted somehow, the entire pyramid suffers. Pollution, climate change, and a lack of respect for our environment are the main reasons why this flow would be interrupted. This knowledge furthered the passion I already had for protecting our environment. I started to think about how pollutants could harm creatures both on land and in water, and how this could lead to me not being able to make more memories in the beautiful outdoor spaces I was used to frequenting. For this reason and many others, I decided to join the River Stewards program at UD. I know the program has expanded my knowledge of water an immense amount. This knowledge will continue to grow for my remaining two years. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I excitedly look forward to the rest of my time as a River Steward at UD and beyond.</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq4Dne1GUtrvaZABt7itrmKzTUzKI2YmSWk20LnVvWEHQXgn17T5qgqejpat6QbCf5H2BDIawd4ob7dkQZ5YX7YcC3ZOurIjVNt168dTmmbu-ih624A7Bd43eSuGATfsKUyL7N_v_xVSRWhuE6JLXZfDdyvgoR9Fe7dObB_qbiL_Quu5UhXcC7wYKrdg=s4095" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2144" data-original-width="4095" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq4Dne1GUtrvaZABt7itrmKzTUzKI2YmSWk20LnVvWEHQXgn17T5qgqejpat6QbCf5H2BDIawd4ob7dkQZ5YX7YcC3ZOurIjVNt168dTmmbu-ih624A7Bd43eSuGATfsKUyL7N_v_xVSRWhuE6JLXZfDdyvgoR9Fe7dObB_qbiL_Quu5UhXcC7wYKrdg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-28038659054865330072022-02-23T10:57:00.001-08:002022-02-23T11:07:29.697-08:00Leadership Outside of River Stewards by Isabel Bartram, 2023 Cohort<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A key feature of the River Stewards program is a group of people who are all learning to be leaders, and these skills often come out in other areas of life. While I am a River Steward, I am also the VP of the Fantasy and Science Fiction Appreciation Club, a Resident Assistance, and the Director of Arts and Cosplay, or DAC for short for the Anime Club. Each leadership opportunity allows me to express different sets of skills and today I want to talk about how the DAC position lets me be a leader in creativity. </span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9e543329-7fff-53b8-cb6f-d3b05b34d332"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="UD Anime Club at Ohayocon 2022" height="468" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_wROk9WsbIyar-hQXtbRu8UwIeN_CW_fh9h3xUtCZUb-NmJPdSLJfVpPISN02QrXh801vqaVSMvuKFQcLVp6IMThiLp4oIG2I58KtKcE-kWxiDEuXspg22xBY79UEFcIUmXr7xAB" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="624" /></span></span></span></p><div style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">UD’s Anime Club at Ohayocon 2022, I am kneeling on the right with the blond wig</span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">UD’s Anime Club is so full of life and is truly a club of friends. We all help each other grow, learn about new things together, and we’re there to pick people up when they are feeling down. As the DAC, it’s my job to help people with their artistic or cosplay goals. In case you don’t know, cosplay refers to either making or buying a costume of a character from a show, comic, or video game and it is a great deal of fun! I have been cosplaying for seven years, so it’s been an honor to help pass my love of cosplay to the anime club members. I help people learn to sew, give advice about how to make a prop, or generally encourage people to try something new in a safe environment. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 480px; overflow: hidden; width: 360px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="A picture containing ground, outdoor, tree, person
Description automatically generated" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QhCgN6pppZKmFByAeHMTgMs4bjJWjFgRD0-rrDC_lhy2Dfe_eambtzr1ffbM57SVS_DMHMFTjGqaiFcCY5cNWBEMnlmxhsiiHZ38vVvOEO72Sq6QsdoSGQj9aoEPrCO7BfvPmrlh" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="360" /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">One of my favorite originals; the harvest fairy, which combines my love of nature with costume design</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I relate this experience to River Stewards in that similarly to how the Stews try to get people more engaged in environmental issues and show care for the community, I am there for the Anime Club and help them to feel more comfortable with themselves and be more active in things they care about. Just as the Stews are passionate about helping people grow more comfortable with the environment, I help people as the DAC to feel more comfortable liking what they like and loving themselves at the same time. A big issue within the cosplay community is body issues; and I try to help cosplayers feel confident with their unique body type when cosplaying. I have spent tons of time in my life working with people on accepting their body and feeling “good enough” to cosplay characters that are conventionally beautiful or have the “perfect body.” The truth is that we are all beautiful just the way we are and being the DAC helps me to reach people with that message and help my friends enjoy their favorite characters through cosplay while also learning just how beautiful each and every one of them are!</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span>River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-49024052685413545782018-02-06T04:54:00.002-08:002018-02-06T04:54:31.443-08:00Ecosystem Restoration After Hurricane Harvey<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>Ecosystem Restoration After Hurricane Harvey</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Celia Montemurri and Sarah Richard, 2019 Cohort</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sarah:</span></span></b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> It was about a month before the stress of finals, and anticipation of
Christmas break was upon us. I was scrolling through my emails when I noticed
an opportunity to attend an 8-day winter breakout in Houston, Texas. After the
devastation that Hurricane Harvey brought the city of Houston, one could expect
the need for house repairs and cleanups. Instead, this trip was seeking
individuals willing to help with conservation and restoration efforts. My
roommate, and fellow Stew, Celia, has taught me nearly everything I know about
the importance and great need for ecosystem restoration. I quickly forwarded
her the email stating quite bluntly, “DUDE. We have to do this.” <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celia: </b>Sarah’s email about this
breakout trip found me at the perfect time. My grandma lives just outside
Houston, and her house was three feet deep in water after the hurricane. I felt
very helpless being so far away during the devastation, and couldn’t stop
thinking about all the other people displaced, as well as those who lost their
lives. I wanted to do something. Participating in environmental service that
helped people at the same time was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. When the
morning came to embark on our 17-hour voyage to Texas, I was stoked!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFZS7AU9YdjnhPl9vwad7mQHmb_hkgtzjYh8upJhF5kSQM_gzE7Ki_I4EGjlKZd5VLObKOzPfEEMALJ_NariaVqzXMhcI5g8oIP8bAo5uynz9CfH0XRuZOq8zdxPGK9VlxqPImrB9-F8b/s1600/Photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1181" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFZS7AU9YdjnhPl9vwad7mQHmb_hkgtzjYh8upJhF5kSQM_gzE7Ki_I4EGjlKZd5VLObKOzPfEEMALJ_NariaVqzXMhcI5g8oIP8bAo5uynz9CfH0XRuZOq8zdxPGK9VlxqPImrB9-F8b/s320/Photo+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";">
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sarah: </span></span></b><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Environmental service is something I feel is often under-appreciated. A
frustrating facet for anyone in the field, the impact of direct services such
as disaster relief often receives more praise and support than preventive
services in conservation or regulation. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celia:</b> The journey to Texas was
long, but the company was good. Sarah slept for 80% of the ride (Sarah: Hey, I
was tired!), so I had the chance to get to know the six other members of our
group. We comprised of two chemical engineering majors, two mechanical
engineering majors, one sociology major, one biology major, one environmental
biology major (that’s me!), and our fearless leader Emily, a biology masters
student in Dr. Chelse Prather’s Lab. A modge-podge group, we were all excited
for the opportunity to learn, reach out, and make a difference. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sarah:</b> We arrived in Galveston,
where would spend our first night of camp. The fact that we were camping nearly
the entire the trip, was something that initially attracted me to sign up.
Truly immersing yourself in the natural environment you are working in provides
an opportunity that the luxury of a warm shower and hotel heater could not.
Sleeping, eating, and sharing fellowship under the stars with the water just
yards away offered a unique spiritual experience to reflect on the work of each
day.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4wG3oHk0LV_f_hed1CiH0YFrTYPnUH0J7sWEFCNQ3rkLH3M8_0mW_pGYN2OIyroduhRMA2wBsyRmImyDLj5_4-chVE_cwyCu9JJ8s1jS2ncPTrenyjEpoHkAJBjitkexRhcJ-ntgTXAy/s1600/Photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4wG3oHk0LV_f_hed1CiH0YFrTYPnUH0J7sWEFCNQ3rkLH3M8_0mW_pGYN2OIyroduhRMA2wBsyRmImyDLj5_4-chVE_cwyCu9JJ8s1jS2ncPTrenyjEpoHkAJBjitkexRhcJ-ntgTXAy/s320/Photo+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">Celia: </span></b><span lang="EN">While at camp we took advantage of our little free time to walk on the
shore of the gulf. The sunny skies and cool breeze were a nice break from the
below zero weather we had been experiencing in Dayton just days before. One
thing we immediately took note of, however, was the sea foam. There was a lot
of it on the sand, and when we bent to take a closer look, a strange,
iridescent shine was immediately apparent. A little research soon told us why.
Many of us remember the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010. As it turns
out, oil spills on offshore rigs are not an uncommon occurrence, although they
usually don’t occur on that scale. According to the Houston Chronicle,
“Galveston Bay has averaged 285 spills a year since 1998.” In addition to the
oil, agricultural nutrient runoff from the Mississippi River is contributing to
an 8,776 square mile dead zone in the gulf. Consequently, the immense volume of
decomposing algae contributes to the foam washing up on the shore. This was a
sad sight for all of us, and strengthened our resound to do what good we could
for the environment while we were there and after we left. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kEwyyzbxeHAlQzyTWVy2Uxq10rkuaMLmeDO6HLfyzrxWzFXDebOpbWzJFlz49TLUAOmQhOphzbkuib4n4hL5bSVY_NCJGHWYRvB5Ct1EPBu6DP9OwLRhRSNMixLRBZE3AU1RhirfgTe/s1600/Photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7kEwyyzbxeHAlQzyTWVy2Uxq10rkuaMLmeDO6HLfyzrxWzFXDebOpbWzJFlz49TLUAOmQhOphzbkuib4n4hL5bSVY_NCJGHWYRvB5Ct1EPBu6DP9OwLRhRSNMixLRBZE3AU1RhirfgTe/s320/Photo+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyDzXtJAXZJUo9Aaz25bTl1NapmPiaxS5ckVeURoOdVB5ZnCzPe1Kipl4wo1iBPFYJOUKqVYUIaKz5SReZdk9oc7pXXmAAHMF3fk0rHwB6CvNzf7V3wb6_Z0wVatmhdW2K7ysFvmSbJkk/s1600/Photo+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFyDzXtJAXZJUo9Aaz25bTl1NapmPiaxS5ckVeURoOdVB5ZnCzPe1Kipl4wo1iBPFYJOUKqVYUIaKz5SReZdk9oc7pXXmAAHMF3fk0rHwB6CvNzf7V3wb6_Z0wVatmhdW2K7ysFvmSbJkk/s320/Photo+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sarah:</b> This being said, we did take
the opportunity to take a swim in the gulf. I have certainly made better, or at
least warmer decisions, but after a long day of work, it was worth it, if just
for the giddy laughs. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celia: </b>The University of Houston
Coastal Center was an amazing site to kick off our week! The entrance on the
side of highway 2004 emphasized its majesty, as it greatly juxtaposed its
industrial surrounding. The coastal center consists of over 300 acres of
coastal tall grass prairie, just like the ones that would have covered much of
the state of Texas before European settlement in the 19th century. Now, less
than one percent of Texas’s coastal prairies remain, due to Texas’ agriculture
industry and urban development. </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnneElt-wQdCHBWCzh8AUc4hRdDNXc4wm0mzP63KVUmuakgqxYmdcf3k6h8uBOdqHsp07KhSG7u4RwfqzeAeeHmSM_adQA9TcksLfVXoM5d_mT9ai_8S3IMg35A_GyzA-ot1OFAmH3HtYA/s1600/Photo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1184" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnneElt-wQdCHBWCzh8AUc4hRdDNXc4wm0mzP63KVUmuakgqxYmdcf3k6h8uBOdqHsp07KhSG7u4RwfqzeAeeHmSM_adQA9TcksLfVXoM5d_mT9ai_8S3IMg35A_GyzA-ot1OFAmH3HtYA/s320/Photo+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Prairie interspersed with invasive Chinese
tallow tree</span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><br />
Invasive woody species also pose a large threat to the native coastal prairie
ecosystems. The prairie at the coastal center is being invaded by Triadica
sebifera, or Chinese Tallow. Chinese Tallow is a beautiful tree with white bark
and heart-shaped leaves. Native to Eastern Asia, it was brought to North
America for its use in the soap making industry. Our two days at the coastal
center revolved around stopping the advance of this tree into the prairie.
Armed with loppers, handsaws, one large, somewhat scary ax-like tool, and a
machete (Sarah’s agent of choice), we began our crusade. The work was difficult
and very tiring, but at the end of the day, taking a step back to observe the
full scope of our destruction was rewarding. Plus, I worked muscles in my arms
that I didn’t even know I had.</span><br />
<div style="font-size: 11pt;">
<span lang="EN"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iGHTRQF_uSIGY0qRJnlQSb6Z2_cZKfsCzlVEJETuzWS7F6ONsjX1Bznp8jQtpxRJFlmGe0AyroQ46LbL8lTZD2RNkbWLdP-WBeKGdOHrc1rcLr5okaVsYNUCgGzH21SOHFoLr6f-J45o/s1600/Photo+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="978" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3iGHTRQF_uSIGY0qRJnlQSb6Z2_cZKfsCzlVEJETuzWS7F6ONsjX1Bznp8jQtpxRJFlmGe0AyroQ46LbL8lTZD2RNkbWLdP-WBeKGdOHrc1rcLr5okaVsYNUCgGzH21SOHFoLr6f-J45o/s320/Photo+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5_7dN05CQD5ZIBsHmnNT4gLOXYeIeKc5P8_KFGGlkkwbJvxJjzNuxzLqzWyFbUMvr6VPC-t-1d7v-SYWCDLlUimxScAc82IrcsJc_yXEmEukYhgqxyF8V66Of86yXBvutmJsKMa0P3Ws/s320/Photo+7.jpg" width="320" /></div>
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">
</span>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Sarah:</strong></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">
During the first two days at the Coastal Center, I was overwhelmed with the
amount of information to take in. I admittedly never gave much thought to these
grasses, but in reality, they are environmental warriors. With root systems
reaching heights much greater than the average human, they are disputably the
best natural defense against abrupt flood waters. Not to mention a host of many
vital insects and animals. Having the chance to explore one of the largest
preserved prairies in the area was a huge awakening for the importance of
environmentally conscious zoning laws and regulatory policy. </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2LsCxwF3AzdrL84-iOVhjOH28d1iRtvi9_cyERiEHIZMxjSUH_eyBWzJiIPP1GwTO0DvZA_BbSlPdUaAW4XyMJiP1kqDQ2YDR_6yWqvlWQo3APeuqPiSmvYkjzM0O5uBKBZyTU6rXvUo/s1600/Photo+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1422" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy2LsCxwF3AzdrL84-iOVhjOH28d1iRtvi9_cyERiEHIZMxjSUH_eyBWzJiIPP1GwTO0DvZA_BbSlPdUaAW4XyMJiP1kqDQ2YDR_6yWqvlWQo3APeuqPiSmvYkjzM0O5uBKBZyTU6rXvUo/s320/Photo+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN">Intact non-tallow invaded prairie at the
University of Houston Coastal Center</span></span></div>
</div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celia:</b> Our third day in Houston, we
arrived at Kolter Elementary School and were greeted by the smiling face of
Ahlene Shong, the Kolter Pocket Prairie Guardian and a retired science teacher
at Kolter. Ahlene’s passion for the environment carried over to her teaching
when she proposed putting a pocket prairie on the school’s property to teach
children about native Texas ecosystems. What a cool lady, right?<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVTtG6gez7tCeI4fjJn54S_9rSJVL4nitMkKk5ArbsgDyK5FapKZa8KiJxyq6555w_f8yzQSqc3wuRo9kUHSJ5SY6O4QoQ5HjmmSe6Q0ltJFr8UCV8edA9fA5AXPoRj21w_N7N9q94x22/s1600/Photo+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVTtG6gez7tCeI4fjJn54S_9rSJVL4nitMkKk5ArbsgDyK5FapKZa8KiJxyq6555w_f8yzQSqc3wuRo9kUHSJ5SY6O4QoQ5HjmmSe6Q0ltJFr8UCV8edA9fA5AXPoRj21w_N7N9q94x22/s320/Photo+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Jennie Katharine Kolter Elementary School was
badly damaged by flooding during Harvey<br />
<br />
Luckily, Ahlene connected with Jaime González, the Community Conservation
Director at the Katy Prairie Conservancy, who helped her get support for her
project. Jaime combines restoration efforts with education at over 25 pocket
prairies through the Prairie Builders Schools & Parks program, so he and
Ahlene made the perfect team. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSINxtD8WDMx5CpuWU6Io1EtHnAIaLRY3-8JcCwWUjgQ8xvteL9_aYI2tgwUXkL-ABpc3ldsluGGMEn6PSOLduVCH7BvbaKBSQIvxzDwizpBr7N2riXMIpAUGuNnW1OseMKyNDbuVrP63W/s1600/Photo+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="978" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSINxtD8WDMx5CpuWU6Io1EtHnAIaLRY3-8JcCwWUjgQ8xvteL9_aYI2tgwUXkL-ABpc3ldsluGGMEn6PSOLduVCH7BvbaKBSQIvxzDwizpBr7N2riXMIpAUGuNnW1OseMKyNDbuVrP63W/s320/Photo+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBekde-fHJzWe7C8dnsetsbt-2_da_MM1xf3LgHbyzUCLC0Szj-BGheWEUKQkDDvj7_miZ8PzAzxEbsBzH6vTH7DftsIdamnmrrt46hpge0NW5Lf6JQmLA6G688kX0DUhI92Pz6LDJaKl/s1600/Photo+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1185" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBekde-fHJzWe7C8dnsetsbt-2_da_MM1xf3LgHbyzUCLC0Szj-BGheWEUKQkDDvj7_miZ8PzAzxEbsBzH6vTH7DftsIdamnmrrt46hpge0NW5Lf6JQmLA6G688kX0DUhI92Pz6LDJaKl/s320/Photo+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Buffalo Bob watching over the Kolter
Elementary Pocket Prairie<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Jaime and Ahlene taught us how to give the prairie a “haircut,” cutting down
the tall grasses to simulate grazing by bison, which would be a normal
occurrence in this ecosystem (but unfortunately no longer exist in Houston). <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sarah:</b> The second pocket Prairie we
visited was on the grounds of the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center. The
perfect model of what a Pocket Prairie can offer a city or community, the
prairie itself covers around 2 acres of land in the heart of Houston's medical
hub. It offers patients and their families a space for natural healing and
opportunity to briefly escape thoughts of their sickness. In addition, the
prairie constitutes a living classroom to educate the public on the importance
of natural drains in the hope to inspire future restoration in the concrete
jungle of downtown Houston.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RJxFynRLkzux2gOLMbHsAsH5yc1vHy_-4Cvt26E2YpCecwvgGxJ7e7cUjcBktG9CMGKcSWlxJZGb2HYUB7faSe5pDncUX9KmQuYxkCOIvlC7GF0d4gA27TvvDM4tHJoccnl7RsQy0IiF/s1600/Photo+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RJxFynRLkzux2gOLMbHsAsH5yc1vHy_-4Cvt26E2YpCecwvgGxJ7e7cUjcBktG9CMGKcSWlxJZGb2HYUB7faSe5pDncUX9KmQuYxkCOIvlC7GF0d4gA27TvvDM4tHJoccnl7RsQy0IiF/s320/Photo+12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Seeding and transplanting at MD Anderson
Cancer Center Pocket Prairie</span></div>
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";">
<br />
We were met by Jaime again, who led us in the pursuit to prepare for the spring
growing season- by seeding and transplanting native wildflowers and grasses. An
hour before our work day was to be over, it began to downpour. After running to
the van to avoid being the perfect target of a lightning bolt, I took this
opportunity to reflect on the strength of nature. Prairies are resilient-
essentially unaffected by the devastation that left many in despair just months
prior to our visit. Last semester we closed our River Steward seminar with a
lecture, or rather dialogue, with Professor Bien from the philosophy
department. We discussed the physical properties of water and its fluidity
contrasted with its incomprehensible strength. Water can be quite ruthless in
its destruction, leaving humans entirely defenseless. I strongly believe,
however, that like many other aspects of our natural surroundings, water is not
meant to be controlled, especially in the capacity it is today. This can be
seen in the destruction and disturbance of habitat due to rerouting and damming
rivers. How do we replicate water in our own daily lives? How can we challenge
ourselves to put better trust in the natural form of our water systems?<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Celia: </b>This is something that I
struggle with in our world today. There seems to be such a focus on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">controlling</i> nature, and our society’s
viewpoint of nature has changed from a nurturing, providing mother, to a wild,
uncontrollable force. Our patriarchal systems push us to micromanage, restrict,
and dominate our surroundings, and all the while we do this, we create
infrastructure which may bring immediate economic benefits, but which
ultimately leads to the destruction of not only human life and dignity, but the
lives of all other species.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial";">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sarah: </b>Our final day of service was
spent at the Buffalo Bayou Park, a beautiful 16-acre park stretching along the
banks of Buffalo Bayou. The park took a pretty hard hit during Harvey. Sediment
from upstream was dropped off on the banks of the Bayou (just a Texan word for
river) reaching heights as tall as me! The last few months have been spent
removing this debris and restoring the park. We were tasked with removing dead
trees with the help of an eager group of high school students from the
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
The mission of this park to connect to Downtown Houston around the river
inspired me to imagine the possibilities for the Dayton Riverfront Master Plan.
As former Mayor Parker stated, “Houston owes its very existence to Buffalo
Bayou. Today, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is taking a neglected waterway and
transforming it into an attractive and inviting gateway into downtown and
beyond.” How relevant to the work of the Rivers institute and stewards program!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><o:p><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: arial;">Last semester I took a class entitled Cities
and Suburbs with Dr. Felix Fernando.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">In
this course, we looked at cities as an environmental function. One of my
favorite sections within this unit was the exploration of Urban ecosystem
services. These services include: provisional, regulatory, cultural, and
supportive. Something I found Buffalo Bayou Park to model very well. It is
moments like this, where I see classroom knowledge come to life, that make me
adrenalized to be in this field. Cities have the possibility to be radically
sustainable places to live, work, and play. What an exciting position for
Dayton to be in as we consider the future of growth of our beloved city (the
inclusive, non-destructive, uplifting, kind of growth).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcuIgpzT3q4Ht9N6FWz_AgC5t_eHiqtYGaL0cQZM9VpLdEyrVJ0KiryjaXzR-BXFRrzOALKCYZL1rOkU8DYyyE-Wk2GHmMLELXrj2T4eScHDn8CtdwL5C5EYLNGB3LbEGL2grijXudOyj/s1600/Photo+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="978" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcuIgpzT3q4Ht9N6FWz_AgC5t_eHiqtYGaL0cQZM9VpLdEyrVJ0KiryjaXzR-BXFRrzOALKCYZL1rOkU8DYyyE-Wk2GHmMLELXrj2T4eScHDn8CtdwL5C5EYLNGB3LbEGL2grijXudOyj/s320/Photo+13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buffalo Bayou Park<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">Celia:</span></b><span lang="EN"> Our trip to Houston was an experience I will never forget. I gained a
tremendous insight about ecology, conservation, and community in a way that can
only be understood through experience. In addition, I gained a new sort of
hope- hope that there are people out there who are doing their best to save the
environment, and hope that there is a job out there for me where I can truly
make a difference doing something I am interested in and passionate about. In
the future, I am excited to take the new knowledge I have to guide my life
vocation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sarah</b>: I packed up my great list of
new perspectives, connections, and experiences and we began our 1,000-mile
journey back home. As a mechanical engineering student, I strive to have a
better understanding of the decision-making process. Opening my mind to the
importance of ecosystem restoration and conservation has allowed me to consider
the responsibility that industry and city governments have in designing and
supporting communities with natural systems at the center of conversation. I
challenge our readers to consider just slowing down and taking the time to
listen. Listen to one another. Listen to the concerned. Listen to nature.</span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AtK3KqUArOuOmo3bq8M-BFfPg4DpCb_8CZLdtiZcWZVu4pfQ6yWiQD1HtuT92qmQ5SQhsDn2T3dXLxfaZr9hQOtH7mcyH8JFrMx_8bwGwcR8aA6GZIMOUFbtRRERH1l-twYBOq5r5aUe/s1600/Photo+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="327" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AtK3KqUArOuOmo3bq8M-BFfPg4DpCb_8CZLdtiZcWZVu4pfQ6yWiQD1HtuT92qmQ5SQhsDn2T3dXLxfaZr9hQOtH7mcyH8JFrMx_8bwGwcR8aA6GZIMOUFbtRRERH1l-twYBOq5r5aUe/s320/Photo+14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Monumental Moments” a
series by Anthony Thompson Schumate, 2015</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymCiWH469CnrU5K1bDBhqU69kaQctxTrADQZcqpjZbEv12X57YiYjOOpNxpK0uK5Q0rKB-2kFBqVGqdqGSeXQQ0OQ6qGnfBXXTe2WoMKDUSATRkcCiAKA3XLD8zGFIPt5I3oYzFYIMcG1/s1600/Photo+15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhymCiWH469CnrU5K1bDBhqU69kaQctxTrADQZcqpjZbEv12X57YiYjOOpNxpK0uK5Q0rKB-2kFBqVGqdqGSeXQQ0OQ6qGnfBXXTe2WoMKDUSATRkcCiAKA3XLD8zGFIPt5I3oYzFYIMcG1/s320/Photo+15.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /><br />Learn More:<br /><a href="http://buffalobayou.org/" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">http://buffalobayou.org/</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/science-environment/article/Oil-spills-in-Galveston-Bay-a-routine-occurrence-5381283.php" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/science-environment/article/Oil-spills-in-Galveston-Bay-a-routine-occurrence-5381283.php</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /><a href="http://nsmn1.uh.edu/eih/old-site/" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">http://nsmn1.uh.edu/eih/old-site/</a> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measured" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measured</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seafoam.html" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/seafoam.html</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/triadica-sebifera/" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/triadica-sebifera/</a> <br /><br /><a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7088-1_11" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-7088-1_11</a><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<div align="center">
</div>
</div>
River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-21976375529035462392018-01-30T07:29:00.003-08:002018-01-30T07:29:56.910-08:00The Power of a River
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>The Power of a River</strong> <br />by Claire Roberts (2020 cohort) </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> When I was younger, my family and I would
spend our summers in northern Michigan at our cottage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister, Grace, and I filled our days
adventuring along the river that ran through our backyard. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before leaving for the summer, my Dad would
always tell me to go down to the dock and say goodbye to the river. It has
become something that I always do before leaving. I sit on the end of the dock,
and lean over to let the water flow through my fingers. I just watch the river
flow for a few minutes, sometimes just closing my eyes to take in the sound of
the water gently hitting the dock. Leaving without saying goodbye and
acknowledging the role it has in bringing my family together seems
disrespectful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not feel compelled
to bid farewell to a lake or an ocean, but a river, a river is different
somehow. In a way it represents our lives. If I had returned to that river the
very next day, it maybe have appeared to be the same, but the water that is
flowing through it is new. A river is always transforming, not unlike
ourselves. That river brought me and my family closer during the summers. The
time we spent there brought us all a sense of renewal. This was the first time
I experienced the power of a river and this year I have seen it again. In our
program, we have people from many different walks of life, majors, hometowns,
and viewpoints. However, we are a cohesive group that supports and respects
each other. It has been so incredible to look at all the members of my cohort
and see how each and every one of them has really grown this semester. While
the river behind my cottage will always hold a special place in my heart, it is
the Great Miami River I am thankful for now for bringing together this
inspiring group of people.</span></span></span> </span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRICGWtp3fZ26ObkWeEA68Xw0HDLM0IHMq87BJPXLnk-vucdFZDQUOi-lJAzWL2QsVOgI_OyRNAdjHQrSEyJGHO29DtsB2o3oqouA40CVbV-1u3wCCzf7IDCkWmxzipRAJvD8UttVsSqHq/s1600/claire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="836" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRICGWtp3fZ26ObkWeEA68Xw0HDLM0IHMq87BJPXLnk-vucdFZDQUOi-lJAzWL2QsVOgI_OyRNAdjHQrSEyJGHO29DtsB2o3oqouA40CVbV-1u3wCCzf7IDCkWmxzipRAJvD8UttVsSqHq/s400/claire.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-83875389465386504692018-01-28T07:52:00.001-08:002018-01-28T07:52:16.180-08:00St. Louis and Dayton: A Juxtaposition of Cities<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1445864382398344175" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1445864382398344175" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">St. Louis and Dayton: A Juxtaposition of Cities</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Natalie Merline, 2020 Cohort</span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
I grew up in Eureka, Missouri, a town outside the city of
St. Louis. If you look at a map of
my town, you see that it’s mostly surrounded by the Meramec River, something I never
fully realized until I left home. I would drive to high school every morning
not realizing on the other side of the trees across the street was the river.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKoQKIXwf4rKqilewcotXhlGWO2TiyiCMciEVs6YPitACwIvcw6SkgYJKR5Fnze3ZgO9KV2fRODkzxDkUTgyog221EzA9IMsZ66emgruT-PuqmO4ZbD1-lbKGVLKghQDatgkDGVLtsZXJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+5.15.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1084" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKoQKIXwf4rKqilewcotXhlGWO2TiyiCMciEVs6YPitACwIvcw6SkgYJKR5Fnze3ZgO9KV2fRODkzxDkUTgyog221EzA9IMsZ66emgruT-PuqmO4ZbD1-lbKGVLKghQDatgkDGVLtsZXJ/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+5.15.31+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt="../../Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202018-01-25%20at%205.16.08%20PM.png"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:102.8pt;margin-top:51.3pt;width:264.45pt;
height:241.65pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;
mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;
mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;
mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:absolute;
mso-position-vertical-relative:text;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;
mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/NatalieMerline/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/msoclip1/01/clip_image003.png"
o:title="../../Desktop/Screen%20Shot%202018-01-25%20at%205.16.08%20PM.png"
croptop="3228f" cropleft="8815f" cropright="14031f"/>
<w:wrap type="tight" anchorx="margin"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->If
you zoom out a little farther, you see that the boundaries of St. Louis are
made mostly by the convergence of two rivers, the Missouri and Mississippi. One
side of the Missouri River is St. Charles County and the other is St. Louis
County. One side of the Mississippi is Missouri and the other Illinois. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPdObbtWwdkIRzYwIWoEGUJyD1ZCYin2OGMtqohncIyFq7SQEx7WQBSat1ixarvSJnk4SkkhfL3hwtOq3zrcvtCWwV9BVqXfZ94_lvYUz7Rjtv0piYNYi8uy6LW1IUiwIK5kJyt2unB8A/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+5.16.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="1533" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPdObbtWwdkIRzYwIWoEGUJyD1ZCYin2OGMtqohncIyFq7SQEx7WQBSat1ixarvSJnk4SkkhfL3hwtOq3zrcvtCWwV9BVqXfZ94_lvYUz7Rjtv0piYNYi8uy6LW1IUiwIK5kJyt2unB8A/s320/Screen+Shot+2018-01-25+at+5.16.08+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I grew up surrounded by rivers that I never truly saw. It’s
only as I sit here in my apartment in Dayton, Ohio, 391 miles away, that I see
the beauty in that. It was only when I learned about the many rivers that
converge here in Dayton and how important rivers are to Dayton, that I realized
how important the rivers in my hometown and city are. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They are also quite a juxtaposition, Dayton and St. Louis.
Both consist of three major rivers converging and both have certain boundaries
laid out by the river, however the treatment both cities have of their rivers
could not be more different. In Dayton, the rivers are prized, protected, and
beautified. They are used to get people outside, they are beautified with river
walks, bike paths, and parks in order to get more people to want to enjoy the
rivers and come to Dayton. In St. Louis, the rivers are trashed and not held in
any sort of high regard. There are no plans, at least that I know of, to
beautify the rivers and make them a point of attraction. I think that’s why it
took me coming to Dayton to actually see the rivers I left behind in my
hometown.<br />
<br />
Even in their disgraced form, brown, seemingly lifeless, and
surrounded by concrete, I now have the ability to see the beauty within these
rivers and how much they’ve shaped the culture and history of St. Louis and my
present life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-42989510140281152622018-01-22T10:27:00.002-08:002018-01-22T10:29:55.863-08:00Square One: Not a Bad Place to Be<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Square One: Not a Bad Place to Be</span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Troy Lampenfeld, Philosophy</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<strong></strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: center;">
<strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOlbwkTjp8RpEZDEQd4htexRHcMCZi-RZ1KValv_ylm_T0pTFkpMv8Lj57tF5BmFnoH1PeSWe2SXB-qdOvefhgpvXKp2IiE-nophCPt0kr7dByIZECzWbnti0SXYDKXRiBeavTSyS_Cp_/s1600/kayaks+downtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="720" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOlbwkTjp8RpEZDEQd4htexRHcMCZi-RZ1KValv_ylm_T0pTFkpMv8Lj57tF5BmFnoH1PeSWe2SXB-qdOvefhgpvXKp2IiE-nophCPt0kr7dByIZECzWbnti0SXYDKXRiBeavTSyS_Cp_/s320/kayaks+downtown.jpg" width="320" /></a></strong></div>
<strong>
</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
I arrived on campus at my home away from home, brimming with nostalgic glee and prepared for the adventures to be brought by my sophomore year. After unpacking and checking out my new place I bid farewell to dog Stanley and my mother who was of course crying as she does any time she drops me at school. This wasn’t quite a normal arrival however; the place was a ghost town compared to what I remembered move in day looking like my freshman year. In fact, I was alone for most of my first day on campus. After all the only people on campus were athletes, faculty, and of course the rest of the River Stewards whom I would grow to know and love over the next few days.<br />
<br />
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous walking into my first day of orientation. A fresh set of faces and names to learn, new relationships to be explored, and a lot of impressions to make. Despite my nerves however, I made it through the day and through the whole wonderful process of orientation. From being educated on Dayton’s aquifer to laughing with new friends around the fire to paddling through the fountains in downtown Dayton, I loved every second of it. But for the time being I’ll spare you the details of orientation, they’re memories that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, but I think for now I’d like to talk instead about what the experience did for me.<br />
<br />
Sophomore year of college I believe will prove to be one of the most formative years of my life. The start of my first semester was the first time that I’d been left entirely to my own devices, living in my own apartment, making my own money and managing my life without the close supervision of parents and guidance counselors that I had freshman year. Freedom to go in whatever direction I chose. Square one. This was my opportunity to prove to myself what I was capable of, but to do that I’d need dedication and conviction.<br />
<br />
Now my life before this year wasn’t devoid of those principles, but because of experiences like River Stewards orientation I carved those values deeper into my character, not only in regard to my work ethic, but also my beliefs. Orientation helped to start off one of the most important years of my life by renewing my resolve and reminding me of the reason I’m in school. I gained so much in just a few days it was near unfathomable.<br />
<br />
Along with this tremendous benefit to my development as an adult, orientation simultaneously reminded me that even in a time where every pressure in my life points toward responsibility and adulthood, it’s okay to be a kid sometimes. Learning and becoming better while having fun and embracing the things I loved to do showed me that being responsible and dedicated doesn’t have to mean losing myself in the process. And while a stern face and a stiff demeanor are often necessary to get by in the world, every once in a while, it pays to be a kid.<br />
<br />
So, as I continue through sophomore year, the starting block for the rest of my life, I stand ready to face down challenges that come my way, and excited take them on with a smile. Much of this confidence I owe to those few long days on the River with my good friends. Thank you all, I won’t forget it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-91618705756860635052018-01-18T11:03:00.001-08:002018-01-18T11:03:16.565-08:00Living Like Water: Daoism and our Rivers<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Living Like Water: Daoism and our Rivers</span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Arial;">Kelly Hines, Biology</span></strong></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, we had Dr. Bein in the Philosophy department present to us the theory that we could and should live out Daoist lifestyles, more specifically how we may be successful and at peace living like water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wDKBdK8oBYY-XsuTDXirCSEBugaiO7UEmKb7joijNPvdhA-bHpCQ0ExyYNbgCPxJVUUt1HxK6DLwQHV3_laPnR_AoZrVhJ1oA-9OySUjNRdCTDHaqGx2gHfy_0rpEIK4zdbAtgrtIsM5/s1600/Kelly+Hines_blog+photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-wDKBdK8oBYY-XsuTDXirCSEBugaiO7UEmKb7joijNPvdhA-bHpCQ0ExyYNbgCPxJVUUt1HxK6DLwQHV3_laPnR_AoZrVhJ1oA-9OySUjNRdCTDHaqGx2gHfy_0rpEIK4zdbAtgrtIsM5/s320/Kelly+Hines_blog+photo+3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to this lecture a fellow River Steward, Carter Spires, had leant me the book <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dharma_Bums" target="_blank"><em>The Dharma Bums</em>.</a> Both the book and the lecture spoke to me in very different ways, but they also both echoed the call to recognize life and all of it’s challenges and details in new and significant ways. The presentation on Daoism seemed to have called me to be more mindful of challenges in how I act in response to them, not just how they react to me. A lot of time and energy can be wasted by focusing on what you can’t do versus what you can. The book <em>Dharma Bums</em> has introduced this new way of mindful living for me, one that draws me to look more closely not only at how I live but at how others live the ways that they do. I think that being more contemplative about not only what I take part in, but what I view around me has changed my perspective and helped me to focus my outlook on the beauty in which we live in. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNtOmONyik30xiQNb8mDWXI5Eff6vf9CjRYLXbu9THiod5JLa1cBBy2umNaDPlWLdeOiMG-KOjWilMNxEctVa1bsSIE_y6e_IoKa1zma9Fc3gjMKuonR4uqoG71udhs06s8-ANbWKLJk_/s1600/Kelly+Hines_photo+for+blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNtOmONyik30xiQNb8mDWXI5Eff6vf9CjRYLXbu9THiod5JLa1cBBy2umNaDPlWLdeOiMG-KOjWilMNxEctVa1bsSIE_y6e_IoKa1zma9Fc3gjMKuonR4uqoG71udhs06s8-ANbWKLJk_/s320/Kelly+Hines_photo+for+blog+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsWhMhwykbaKZfwjJRg8FcP818BknCrBwGIRCiMcyHz5FnEQSQ_RHZygya1UGMPAv-4jGKie7U5j6MP9RTqQeFB_KhtjuCW05jspvmYca7bm4oGs-VwBIRg4mmQ4x6-eeeiQhMPCCprhs/s1600/Kelly+Hines_Photo+for+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1251" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsWhMhwykbaKZfwjJRg8FcP818BknCrBwGIRCiMcyHz5FnEQSQ_RHZygya1UGMPAv-4jGKie7U5j6MP9RTqQeFB_KhtjuCW05jspvmYca7bm4oGs-VwBIRg4mmQ4x6-eeeiQhMPCCprhs/s320/Kelly+Hines_Photo+for+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Reflecting back on several events I have taken part in with River Stewards, I can more closely identify with the impactful community members we have met. Most significantly, I really connect with the ideals and the mission that Chad from <a href="http://livinglandsandwaters.org/" target="_blank">Living Lands and Waters</a> holds. It is so neat how a guy suddenly decided one day to get up and clean a river, let alone continue this mission throughout the rest of his life up until now. I think that it is interesting to recognize how his life is full of so much meaning, how his daily actions are fulfilling. He is making a difference in ways that many people aren’t brave enough to and I feel as though I myself do not recognize that quality in enough people. We are all brave in different ways, Chad is just brave in a way that connects him not only with the river, but with communities and people. If life is a summation of our connections, then the way in which we live should be centered the way that Chad’s is, making positive connections with whoever he encounters. I see ideals from both the Daoism seminar, and the book when I reflect on how he has come to live the life he leads. I hope for all of us that we can be as brave, and as impactful as Chad was. <br /><br /> </span><br />River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1445864382398344175.post-16698011908476874472018-01-18T09:43:00.002-08:002018-01-18T14:07:37.677-08:00Linking Environment and Economy<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Linking Environment and Economy</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Jesse Carbonara, Biology</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Junior River Steward, Jesse Carbonaro, explains how her experiences in the program shaped her role with the </em><a href="https://udayton.edu/business/academics/centers/hanley_center/hanley-sustainability-fund/index.php" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="color: blue;">Hanley Sustainability Fund</span></strong></em></a><strong><span style="color: blue;">.</span></strong></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzf3UMnqM1fIrisAOnu7boeQ4SB-eFzAuftOcj1GA8iv1vXMmfVrJ3R35U_roHohJMe68asr8WII5ZZb2Znx6OIP4KhcVuaRg0hXEnUqWnshtp7DiFROIz_WTy7btOT9oCzcjIvHOsTmv/s1600/Jesse+Blog+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzf3UMnqM1fIrisAOnu7boeQ4SB-eFzAuftOcj1GA8iv1vXMmfVrJ3R35U_roHohJMe68asr8WII5ZZb2Znx6OIP4KhcVuaRg0hXEnUqWnshtp7DiFROIz_WTy7btOT9oCzcjIvHOsTmv/s400/Jesse+Blog+Photo.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse and other analysts from the Hanley Sustainability Fund</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">River Stewards demonstrate the correlation of environment and economy. Through the Dayton Riverfront Master Plan, we saw how development focused on enhancing current environmental assets can reinforce positive economic development. Firsthand, we have visited organizations that connect environment and economy. Some provide environmental public and private services. Some focus on advocacy and education. Both rely on economic conditions to exist, while contributing to the economy. An environmental business can add growth to the economy, and a growing economy can finance more environmental initiatives.<br /> <br />River Stewards revealed a perspective of environment and economy that I had not been exposed to. This sparked a passion to learn more about this relationship. I took this passion, and I applied to work at the University of Dayton’s Hanley Sustainability Fund. After multiple interviews I was accepted as the first non-business major of the fund, and the 3rd women of the group.<br /> <br />The Hanley Sustainability Fund is student-run investment group with a portfolio exceeding $120,000, whose primary focus is investing in companies that have an environmentally conscious business model. The fund strives to over perform the stock market while embracing environmentally conscious companies. Our investments show the University of Dayton’s commitment to the environment, by divesting from companies whose actions negatively impact the environment. Our fund continually outperforms the stock market demonstrating how showing a passion for the environment can be fiscally beneficial. It seems to be a mutualistic relationship where both environment and business benefit.<br /> <br />My role within the fund is Head of Sustainability. I am responsible for investigating a potential investment environmental impact via a Sustainability report. I have developed a quantitative assessment that analyzes several ways a company can impact the environment. This includes an in-depth look at water and energy usage, waste, carbon emissions, supply chain, and social responsibility. They score in these individual categories based on a rubric with criteria. This criteria analyzes history of reduction, their current plans and procedures, any sustainability oriented goals and the nature of their business. I set goals to ensure that each investment improves the overall sustainability rating of the fund. If it strives to help the fund further achieve our goals it is passed to the next step of deciding if we will invest.<br /> <br />Through this research of companies’ sustainable practices it has become apparent how striving to approve your environmental footprint can help a companies’ bottom line. Sustainability is becoming a cornerstone of all Fortune 500 companies. River Stewards has demonstrated the local relationship and further exposed me to the relationship on a greater scale. I am very thankful for the perspective that River Stewards provides. Given its interdisciplinary nature it provides each member with a broader view of how sustainability connects to the world. In my case, I felt a strong passion to continue to learn about how economy and environment connect</span>.<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
River Stewards at UDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03660862630391382764noreply@blogger.com0