What's My Connection?

     Honestly, I don't have any real ties or connections to our Great Lakes here in Michigan. I don't have any warm fuzzy memories about playing on the sandy beaches or splashing through the water; I don't have memories about swimming or fishing either. I never really did any of that stuff with my family, when we would go on vacation we would usually go to a forest somewhere not a lake. The only things I remember doing at the Great Lakes is collecting rocks along the shoreline and visiting lighthouses. I guess there is a small connection after all, rocks and lighthouses.

     I remember that every time we went to a great lake as a family ever since I was little one of things we planned our trip around was going to see whatever lighthouses were in the area. I remember that each lighthouse was never the same and they all had their own unique story to tell.

Old Mackinac Point

Iroquois Point

                                   

                

     When we would get to each lighthouse my family and I would go inside and look around and take a tour. We would look at the the relics and artifacts that helped to tell its story and the story of the people that looked after it. Then we would go up to the top of the tower (if it was open to the public) and look around at the vast lake ahead of us. Lastly we would always go down to the water and walk along the beach for a few minutes, I would try and learn to skip rocks with my dad and I would always run ahead and collect the most fascinating rocks I could find and that would fit into my pocket.

    

Tawas Point

Old Mackinac Point

      I can honestly say I have not changed one bit since I was little! I still love lighthouses and the idea of going to one and reliving my childhood memories. I still love to go inside and look around and I like being able to go up into the tower and soak in the beautiful view of the lake, Of course I still love to try and skip rocks and collect them too. Honestly that is a part of me I hope never dies, I hope I can keep reliving my childhood through all the lighthouses on the Great Lakes here in Michigan.

     

Iriquois Point

Grand Haven Lighthouse 

Relatable Nature

     I took a walk through the woods a couple weeks ago and had a sudden realization that I was starting to make connections between my own life and the forest. I was starting to relate my life to the life of the forest in ways that I never thought of before.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~ Rachel Carson

      As I first started to walk through the forest I was trying to "shut off" my mind and allow the beauty of nature to take over my senses. I was trying to walk and look at the forest through new eyes and for a deeper meaning. I was seeing all the normal things that people see walking through the woods, like the sun peeking through the branches, the leaves being a vibrant shade of green, or the sound of the wildlife. However once I really started to look and listen to nature, I found that I didn't just see a stream or a stand of trees I saw something completely new.


      Things may seem dark or dim at times in your life but there is always a glimmer of hope shining through the darkness. We never need to be worried that the sun will never shine upon us, because the light will always find its way through.

     When things in life seem to be impassible look around because there is always a way. It may come in the form of a friends or family (or it could be something as simple as a staircase or bridge), however it decides to show up in your life make sure to use it because it is there offering hope to get through the tough times.

    Life can be busy and stressful at times, and it may seem life we can never slow down because we will fall behind. Life can feel like it is going a thousand miles an hour and we don't know where time is going because year after year is seems like time is going faster and faster. Sometimes we just want life to slow down a little so we can take a minute and just breathe. When life offers those time of relief the stillness can be overwhelming and energizing to the soul.

     Sometimes we just want life to be clear and straight forward with all our options laid out in front of us and all our decisions in life to be crystal clear. We don't want the make life decisions without knowing the end result. Unfortunately no decision is crystal clear, it's more along the lines of "clear as mud" and that can be hard sometimes. We wish that we could see exactly what our decisions would look like in the end. 

     There may be obstacles in life and they may pose a problem, but there is nothing that say we have to sit down and give up, no! There is always a way to get around the obstacles life puts in front of us.

      Life will leave its mark on us in some way or another during our time on earth, however the way we respond to these marks will define if they are going to build us up or break us down.

   Sometimes life can feel overwhelming and hard and there may be times we need a friend to lean on, and they can help take some of the weight of life off our shoulders. 

     Life isn't always straight forward with signs telling us exactly where we are headed in the future, sometimes we just have to trust that we are going the right way.

We just have to go the distance, even if it's an uphill climb and get to the top. You never know there may be a place to rest and figure things out while you're there.

While we are there we might think about how we are leaving our mark on this beautiful earth we live on. Are we going to be in the picture? Or are we going to leave ourselves out and let others handle the problems? 

We must realize that we all leave our footprints upon this earth and where we choose to leave them is entirely up to us.

Remember: Take a chance, round the bend, for it may be rewarding

     

Rhino Man: Raising Awareness

     When people think if nature I fear that the only things that come to mind are picturesque landscapes, sunsets, and starry nights; but that isn't the only thing nature is about! Our backyard extends beyond our own porch, it extends worldwide! We seem to forget about the things that we cannot readily see in our own lives. There are problems that are across seas and over mountains that need our attention and our help.

     Nature is about wildlife too, and there is a serious issue happening in South Africa that desperately need our attention, and we have been failing to answer the call. Poaching is rapidly becoming a serious problem in South Africa since 2008, and is causing populations of rhinos, elephants, and lions (just to name a few) to decease at alarming rates. Poachers are slaughtering these animals for personal gain and nothing more. Poaching in general is a problem, but I want to focus on the rhinos that are being killed for their horns.

Black Rhino

     Rhinos are dying rapidly due to poaching practices and if nothing is done about it soon than the amount of rhinos being born will be less than the death rate; meaning they will be dying faster than they are being born. The projected year for that to happen is 2016 (not all that far away)! When this happens it will only be a matter of time before they are all gone (2026 is the projected year).

White Rhino and calf

     In lieu of all of the negative facts there is hope! A group called Global Conservation Corps is starting to do something about this tragedy. They have started a project called Rhino Man which aims to help in being a solution to the rhino poaching problem in South Africa. They are raising awareness to the problem that most of us, including myself until now, were blind to.

Global Conservation Corps Logo

      "How can I get involved, and help?" That was my question to Matt Lindenberg, the man who started the organization (who in fact goes to Grand Valley State University). He told me to raise awareness to others so that we may not remain in the dark, but can help shed light on the situation. This is one of the ways I am trying to raise awareness; right here, right now.

     I urge you to get involved too! I know it may seem that if you do not get involved that it wouldn't really make a huge difference, but that is where you may be incorrect. Even knowing what you know now from reading my blog or going and looking up what the Rhino Man Project is all about helps. Even if spreading the word and raising awareness to others is all you can do!

     So I urge you to at least spread the word if nothing else! If you would like to help in more ways than you can go to the Rhino Man Cause website and talk to them about other ways to get involved!

Rhino Man Project Logo

    Remember: Round the bend, take a chance, for it may be rewarding

Sunny with a Chance of Frostbite

     Our master trail guide made a brilliant discovery while we were walking down the trail that afternoon. A discovery so incredible that when he stated his observation all of us looked at him and then at the sky. "It's sunny out" he exclaimed! It was times like these that made this trip memorable.

     My first backpacking trip originally was to go to South Manitou Island, but when we arrived at the boat dock we found out the ferry was not running due to bad weather conditions. As bummed as we were we decided to head back to the house to form a new game plan, and take naps.

     After a while we decided to go backpacking in the Pigeon River State Forest. When we arrived we took a few minutes to relax and walk a small footpath leading down to the Pigeon River. As we were walking the first thing we discovered along the path was a fresh pile of bear scat (not the most thrilling thing to find as a camper), however this did not deter us from continuing.

     When we got back to the car we decided to throw on our backpacks on and head 3 miles north to the campground. As we started out on the trail we walked at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and each other's company. I started to fall behind a little bit trying to wrap my head around the beauty that was surrounding me. The trees were a brilliant shades of green along with the plants on the forest floor. The sun was peeking through their branches in patches which reached down to the plants below, almost as if the rays of sun were gently resting upon their leaves from its long journey. I was finding myself staring at nothing in particular, but the nothingness was captivating.

     I finally caught back up with my friends and we had reached the Pigeon River Park Headquarters which was about 2.5 miles into our trip. We stopped and rested here for a few minutes before heading back on the trail for our last 0.5 miles. When I stepped out of the forest and into the clearing, where the building was situated, I found myself feeling a little disheartened. The building was a beautiful log cabin style structure and was pleasing to look at; however I found myself saddened because it was in a place which had at one point been untouched forest.

(That moss is really lichen that porch)

     Once back on the trail we were determined to make it to the campground and set up camp before hunger set in. Once we reached the campground we quickly started to pitch our tents and made dinner; which turned out to be a "round robin" kind of situation. It was not supposed to be that way but we quickly found out that some freeze-dried food was better than others ("sharing was caring" in this situation).

    We played games and relaxed the rest of the night and quickly retired to our tents. What we did not expect to happen was the night to be so cold. The temperature ended up being around 36 degrees that night, and I was miserable. I could not feel my feet or my hands all night and I got virtually no sleep.

     When I finally decided to tear myself from what little warmth the sleeping bag was offering and go outside, I realized I was the first one up. I went for a walk around the campground to try and warm up my body and regain feeling in my feet; ans as I was walking I found myself looking at a campsite filled with a blanket of fog. While I was standing there the sun was starting to rise and cast its orange and yellow rays unto the tree tops. At this moment in time my frozen body seemed to disappear and was replaced with a warm fuzzy feeling.

     When I returned to my campsite I found that I was not the only one awake anymore, my friends had also torn themselves from the warmth of their sleeping bags. We packed up camp and stuffed our backpacks with our gear and headed back down the same path we had taken yesterday, in hopes to make it back to the car.

     By the end of the trip I had done at least 7 miles (which was I do not think was bad for my first time). When I started the trip I was excited to experience nature in a way that I had not before and by the end I realized that experiencing nature in my own way was refreshing, but experiencing nature with people I loved was just as rewarding.

Remember: Round the bend, take a chance, for it may be rewarding

Welcome!

Hello my name is Amanda Hennells! I am a student at Grand Valley State University and I am majoring in Natural Resource Management. I have created this blog for my Nature Writing class and am honestly nervous about voicing my thoughts, but I am willing to do my best and give it a shot!

Here at college I have gotten involved in a lot of different activities like:

• Swing Dance Club
• Rock Climbing
• Sailing Club
• Equestrian Club
• Fencing Club

Those are just a few examples of the things that I have been involved with on campus recently. There are many other things that I love to do outside of school too!

• Camping/Backpacking
• Kayaking
• Running/Working out
• Birding

Honestly I love anything outside and if I can manage to try anything once I feel like I really have started to live my life to the fullest. I have been all over the United States on various vacations with my family, and every single one has left a lasting impression on my soul. When I am outside and in nature I feel connected to something greater than myself. I hope to give you the same connection through my blog posts, and if I am unable to do that then I hope to at least give you ideas as to how you can go make that connection on your own.

Always remember: Round the bend, take a chance, for it may be rewarding