2009 is one to remember
This year started by figuring out how to study, and learning to scale back when needed. My first year biology mark had to come up for me to continue in biology and so it did. I surpassed the average by a considerable amount which was against the trend of all my schooling.
At the end of the semester in the winter I attended the Environmental Science Field School where I met many people with whom make up the best of my friends right now. The field school was the best educational experience to date. In this short class I got to participate and practice what I want to do for the rest of my life. We surveys turtles, frogs, and snakes, in Kejimkujik National Park. We also learned about old growth and how to measure it.
After my experience in Keji, I went back to volunteer with the nesting blanding's turtles, then went back with the Fall field school to help out because it was just too much fun. My experience in Keji with the turtles marks the highlight of 2009 and I hope this can follow me for the rest of my life as I pursue a career in wildlife conservation.
The end of my summer was also an experience like no other. The day before I left to go to Keji with the Fall field school, I returned from Maine. I had cycled from Halifax to Carea, ME on my old Diamondback Topanga. I loaded it up with my camping gear and took off on the longest cycling trip in my life. Touring was something that intrigued me but until this time, I had never pursued. Building up the bike was challenging and required me going to every bike shop in Halifax to acquire the parts I needed, but by the day before my depart, the bike was finished. I cycled through he hottest day of the year in the Valley, and also cycled through a hurricane which turned out to be a dud. To this point, this bike ride was the ride of my life, and not so much of just 2009.
The school year started with many new friends from the field schools. These were some of the most dedicated and passionate people I had ever met. Come October I choose to go to Ottawa with some of them to a conference called Powershift run by students at the University of Ottawa. This is where we learned about community involvement, activism, climate issues and our governments role. We met with our members of Parliament and our senators to discuss climate issues. While in Ottawa we were able to attend the largest climate protest ever held in Canada.
Upon our return with new motivation and momentum, a large group of students kept up the pressure on government with many smaller protests with great creativity. Every Monday presented a protest, and as Copenhagen came closer, they became almost daily. Four of us also attended a weekend of training from Greenpeace to learn the most direct and effective ways of protesting and how to deal with the law.
This part of 2009 has the most effect on the future of our world and combined with national campaigns may be the beginning of the largest resistance to our governments inaction.
My 2009 has been defined by my experiences in Keji, and by environmental activism. I hope the world can be made a better place because of both.