Now that you have completed your service at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, reflect on your contributions and any connections you made between your work and our classes. Please respond by noon, Monday, Nov. 7.
My second experience at DRIWF was much better than the first. I actually enjoyed cutting down buckthorn and honeysuckle. Not to say that this accurately describes my hobbies, but I enjoy working with others. I also enjoyed getting to spend time with some of my classmates that I normally would not. While I feel that I have not made a significant impact on the community, Greg told us that we were generating about $2000-$3000 of work. That is a huge sum of money especially in an economy so desolate. I am a little disappointed that we did not get to work with younger students but I feel that my training as a CPV will not be wasted.
I'm not going to sugar coat this at all so here goes... My thoughts on the wildlife refuge service project are as follows: I didn't like it, I feel like we shouldn't be required to do this, it didn't tie in with our biology class, and I don't know about everyone else, but I came to college to learn and prepare for my future profession and field of study, not to do a service project that has nothing to do with the path I want to take. As for impact, I think we did some work and helped out. Greg told us that we did $2000 worth of work which is very, very hard for me to believe. If someone asked me why this was necessary I would say I honestly don't know why. I understand that we are helping the environment and learning how to work with others, but most of us are 18 and we should know our strengths and weaknesses dealing with teamwork by now
When I first found out we were going to the wildlife refuge I was not excited at all. I thought it was going to be a waste of time. The first day we were there was boring and I didn't like it. The second day we were there was better because we actually got do stuff. It made me feel like we were making a difference for Greg and the wildlife refuge. All in all I am glad we went, it was a new experience and I enjoyed it.
The removal of buck-thorn and honeysuckle was very beneficial for the refuge and Bird-boy had said that it would take another 2-3 years before the section we worked on grew back to the same state. Even though we extracted these invasive trees, I don't feel like it really applied to Biology. Any person could have volunteered to identify these trees and then disposed of them. I personally feel like I didn't walk out with more than I walked in with the first time we visited. Yeah it was interesting to pick trees up and move them...as interesting as that can get but for me it did not have some kind of "click" with the material we have learned in class. I'm happy for the other wildlife that can begin to flourish once more, but that's about it.
I felt very excited before the service project; however, I was rather disapppointed at what we actually accomplished. Greg talked to much about the refuge itself and although it was important for us to understand how we were helping his long orientations cut into our actual work time. I believe that one long day instead of two short ones would have worked out better and we could have donated more time to working at the refuge. Although I was rather disappointed by how much work we did, I was glad that we went to the refuge because I had never been there before and it was nice to get outside. Over all I believe what we did was important, but the execution and service work itself could have been better run.
To be completely honest, I don't think that I would repeat this learning service to any future classes. I think the amount of work we did was not ample, and the amount of money said to be contributed to the effort does not seem believable. Although it was a great opportunity to get to know classmates outside of a class room setting, I didn't take anything from the service learning project.
Being honest I don't think that we had such a major effect on the Wildlife Refuge. I doubt we really saved them two thousand dollars, and I doubt that the invasive species were even that big of a threat when we were there. The Refuge would not let the species get that bad, which you could clearly see by looking around at all of the ones that were already dead. I wasn't able to apply anything I learned in Bio, I feel as if everything we learned about invasive species we learned at the Refuge. I wouldn't do this again, which wasn't something I was expecting to say.
This experience at the Detroit River International Wilflife Refuge was an interesting experience that did not last very long and the job that we did seemed like we helped out very little but in reality we played a huge role in helping this environment turn towards the right direction. Saving the refuge money plays a huge role to where now they can take that money and spend it on something else to help the refuge. This service learning trip i feel others should not have to repeat and do as you are not learning anything.
My second experience at DRIWF was much better than the first. I actually enjoyed cutting down buckthorn and honeysuckle. Not to say that this accurately describes my hobbies, but I enjoy working with others. I also enjoyed getting to spend time with some of my classmates that I normally would not. While I feel that I have not made a significant impact on the community, Greg told us that we were generating about $2000-$3000 of work. That is a huge sum of money especially in an economy so desolate. I am a little disappointed that we did not get to work with younger students but I feel that my training as a CPV will not be wasted.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to sugar coat this at all so here goes...
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on the wildlife refuge service project are as follows: I didn't like it, I feel like we shouldn't be required to do this, it didn't tie in with our biology class, and I don't know about everyone else, but I came to college to learn and prepare for my future profession and field of study, not to do a service project that has nothing to do with the path I want to take.
As for impact, I think we did some work and helped out. Greg told us that we did $2000 worth of work which is very, very hard for me to believe.
If someone asked me why this was necessary I would say I honestly don't know why. I understand that we are helping the environment and learning how to work with others, but most of us are 18 and we should know our strengths and weaknesses dealing with teamwork by now
When I first found out we were going to the wildlife refuge I was not excited at all. I thought it was going to be a waste of time. The first day we were there was boring and I didn't like it. The second day we were there was better because we actually got do stuff. It made me feel like we were making a difference for Greg and the wildlife refuge. All in all I am glad we went, it was a new experience and I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThe removal of buck-thorn and honeysuckle was very beneficial for the refuge and Bird-boy had said that it would take another 2-3 years before the section we worked on grew back to the same state. Even though we extracted these invasive trees, I don't feel like it really applied to Biology. Any person could have volunteered to identify these trees and then disposed of them. I personally feel like I didn't walk out with more than I walked in with the first time we visited. Yeah it was interesting to pick trees up and move them...as interesting as that can get but for me it did not have some kind of "click" with the material we have learned in class. I'm happy for the other wildlife that can begin to flourish once more, but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteI felt very excited before the service project; however, I was rather disapppointed at what we actually accomplished. Greg talked to much about the refuge itself and although it was important for us to understand how we were helping his long orientations cut into our actual work time. I believe that one long day instead of two short ones would have worked out better and we could have donated more time to working at the refuge. Although I was rather disappointed by how much work we did, I was glad that we went to the refuge because I had never been there before and it was nice to get outside. Over all I believe what we did was important, but the execution and service work itself could have been better run.
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest, I don't think that I would repeat this learning service to any future classes. I think the amount of work we did was not ample, and the amount of money said to be contributed to the effort does not seem believable. Although it was a great opportunity to get to know classmates outside of a class room setting, I didn't take anything from the service learning project.
ReplyDeleteBeing honest I don't think that we had such a major effect on the Wildlife Refuge. I doubt we really saved them two thousand dollars, and I doubt that the invasive species were even that big of a threat when we were there. The Refuge would not let the species get that bad, which you could clearly see by looking around at all of the ones that were already dead. I wasn't able to apply anything I learned in Bio, I feel as if everything we learned about invasive species we learned at the Refuge. I wouldn't do this again, which wasn't something I was expecting to say.
ReplyDeleteThis experience at the Detroit River International Wilflife Refuge was an interesting experience that did not last very long and the job that we did seemed like we helped out very little but in reality we played a huge role in helping this environment turn towards the right direction. Saving the refuge money plays a huge role to where now they can take that money and spend it on something else to help the refuge. This service learning trip i feel others should not have to repeat and do as you are not learning anything.
ReplyDelete