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Pilot study makes Texas a classroom‘

by Elaine Ashballgh

Big Bend National Park, Texas,
became an outdoor classroom for
ten Grinnell students during the
past Christmas vacation. With
them on the January 2 to January
17 trip were instructors Kathy
McCluskey and Karl DeLong.

McCluskey and DeLongi joint
planners of the pilot program,
began publicizing the trip in
November, 1975. At first, largely
due to limited transportation, they
planned to admit only eight
students. However, alter student
applications were reviewed, it was
decided to admit ten.

Although the interim program
stressed science, it was meant to
interest students from any area of
college study. Majors oi the ten
students accepted for the program
included English, math, ans
thropalogy, general science,
botany, art-biology, biology, and
undeclared. Everyone but Rich
Carbaugh, who graduated in
December, opted for participation
in the program as a two credit
independent, Each had to draw up
an independent project proposal
prior to the trip. They will also
submit a rormal paper, dealing
with their proposal topic, to
DeLong and McCluskey in ape
proximately one week. According
to DeLong, diversity in both the
students’ academic backgrounds
and in their special topic of study
increased the discussion and ex-
change of information among
students.

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Students were able to participate
at a cost of only 3150 since much of
the camping and scientific
equipment was provided by the
Student Recreation Committee
(SRO) andthe biology department,
respectively. in addition, a small
grant was made available for the
program. The money which the
Students spent went for food, first
aid, transportation, books, and
SRC equipment depreciation.

At the beginning at the trip.. the
group received intormation on
park management and use from

_ the park’s chief naturalist and a

resource management expert.
Otherwise, the group spent most of
its time out in the less travelled
sections of the park, away from
distractions. Although each
student was expected to pay
particular attehuon to his own
area of study, the main emphasis
of the trip was not on the individual
projects, but on an overall view of
the park, its characterisitics. and
the effect of people upon its en-
vironment, Both McCluskey and
DeLong stressed that cooperation,
sensitivity, and contribution were
strongpoints of what DeLong
referred to as the “very alert
group." According to him. the
people became totally immersed in
what they were doing and seeing.
The trip included a lot of back-
packing. Members of the group
disagreed on whether it was too
strenuous. Temperatures ranged
from 19 degrees to 40 degrees
during the night and from 40
degrees to 75 degrees in the day.
The group moved from 200073000
feet above sea level in the desert
areas of the park to the WOO-foot
height of Emory Peak.
Moonlight discussion,
moonlighthiking, and a linal trip to
Mecho by burrow, With a dip in an
undeveloped natural hot spring
while there, highlighted the less

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academic parts of the trip. Sarah
Morse remembers a swim across a
30 degree pool of water, located in
a pocket in a rock formation, as
particularly memorable.

The students included seniors
Greg Borzo, Rich Carbaugh, and
Neil Ratzlaff; juniors Helen Iloff.
Sarah Morse, and Mark Nanney;
sophomores. Peter Gertenberger,
Jim Riddle, and Bruce
Schlesinger; and freshman Arm
l-lalverson, Their topics or special
interest ranged {mm a study of the
relationship among a group of
people in a wilderness ens
vironment to involved studies of
plant and soil relationships within
the park.

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relationship, commented that she
was really pleased about the trip
and that she had learned a lot
about biology as well as about her
topic. She had read a book on group
dynamics helore the trip and hopes
to be able to come to some con-
clusion, in terms of the Grinnell
group, about two of the theories
proposed in the book.

sticking fairly closely to straight
biology, Nanney studied the plant
life in all five of the park’s differing
biomes. He noted the effect of such
environmental stresses as ex-
posure, degree oi slope, and
moisture on plant types and
density. A biology major, he had
done similar study on tundra
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experience, Nanney feels that such
a study is definitely much more of
a learning experience than any two
credit course which could be tak it
while on campus.

Morse, an art and biology major,
looked for 10-12 species ot plants to
see in which of the five w
biomes the plants could be fo ,
Although feeling that there was not
enough time to really test a
hypothesis, she felt that she had
been able to do a lot and lean“.
great number of scientiﬁc facts.

Biology major Gertenherger
studied what he called the
philosophy ot park management.
He questioned to what degree man
should control his natural
surroundings.

Though Halverson is an inex-
perienced backpacker and has not
takenabiology course, she enjoyed
the trip and believes that it Wﬂﬁa
learning experience. She found the
trip to be a great way for her, as a
first year Student. to get to know
two faculty members extre lY
well.She pointed out tha
wilderness classroom provided a
fairer test of students’ capabilities
than a regular class since everyone
was under the same stres ”w
unlike the situation in a let:
room or laboratory on the Grinnell
campus.

Numerous participants
suggested more [ree time, it the
program is ottered again. Others
wished that park officials could
have spoken more than once to the
group. More readings prior to the
trip, on subjects relevant to Big
Bend, were also considered
necessary for any future trips. _

Although changes w re
suggested, everyone expreid
much satisfaction with the trip as a
whole, Asked if it had turned out as
planned. DeLong replied, ”v s,
resoundingly so,” adding that it
was “a really vibrant experientl

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