A time to reflect
My experience in New Orleans went above and beyond the expectations I had before our trip. As I sit here in the CSUCI library on a Thursday night frantically working on unfinished work mini flashbacks pop into my head as if I were back in New Orleans. These flashback are of course with friends. Friends that share the exact memories, friends that helped me rally when energy levels were low, and more importantly friends with which I have stronger connections now than ever before. I relish in the random memories that uncover throughout the day. These memories will surely aid me in the next couple weeks of my school work. Although the memories I gained over the course of this trip will fade in time, the people I met and interviewed are burned into my soul and have forever changed my view on New Orleans.
The most memorable part of our trip was hacking my way through blackberry bush with two of my colleagues. Equipped with a machete, 100 meter transect tape, clipboard, and datasheets, we successfully gathered important vegetation data that could one day aid in our response to wetland loss. I am proud to be a part of our 2015 ESRM 492: NOLA Service Learning trip and would highly recommend it to future students no matter their discipline of study.
Thank you for the enlightening trip.
Cheer,
Alex Greene
