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The Lure Of The North: Field Explorations in Newfoundland
by David Gilligan, Sterling College Faculty
This fall marked the return of the Center for Northern Studies and Sterling College to the island of Newfoundland, continuing a tradition of field studies in Newfoundland and Labrador that dates back over forty years. Newfoundland and Labrador are unique among circumpolar environments because of their relatively low latitude and accessibility. Here the North reaches deep into subpolar and even temperate latitudes, as the cold waters of the Labrador Current create arctic conditions a thousand miles south of the Arctic Circle. This rugged landscape, scoured by glaciers, mantled by hardy vegetation, and inhabited for millennia by wave after wave of indigenes and European immigrants alike, was our classroom. |
Our two week journey began with a two day traverse of Maine and the Maritimes, culminating in an evening ferry ride across the Cabot Strait to the island of Newfoundland. Once on the island our time was divided between Gros Morne National Park, where our focus was on the physical geography and natural history of the region, and the Northern Peninsula, where we turned our attention to cultural studies.
Gros Morne is a rugged place, where the glacially-ground landscape of the Long Range Mountains meets the brine of the sea in a system of intricate fjords, bays, and rugged coastline. Here, cliff faces rise from the water in two-thousand foot walls, and clouds hang over the high hills like tattered shrouds, shifting and pooling in the crevices of the undulating landscape. Herds of caribou roam the wide expanses of tundra, along with solitary black bears hungrily raking ripe blueberries by the thousands, and fat arctic hares munching on dry autumnal sedges. Below, where the boreal forests cloak the land, massive moose make their way through the bush, emerging from the trees for a fleeting glimpse before disappearing again into the dark mantle of deep green conifers. We spent our time almost entirely outdoors, exploring the wild country of the park on foot and by boat, cooking our own meals and camping, reveling in the free air life. |
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Our journey north came to an end where the land itself came to an end, where the southernmost arctic tundra in the world meets the cold gray waters of the Strait of Belle Isle, and the North Atlantic stretches all the way to Greenland, Iceland, and distant Norway. Here carpets of arctic bearberry were ablaze with autumn color, the land a quilt of crimson reds, deep greens, and subtle purples, the wind incessant and out of the north. Here we said our goodbyes to the Circumpolar North and began the long trip home, back to the trees, the fields, the farms, and the friends most of us know best, but with the image of an elemental and richly storied land forever imprinted on our consciousness. Life south of 45 degrees north will never be the same.
September 2007 The Center for Northern Studies and Sterling College will return to Newfoundland and Labrador, with a special focus on tundra and taiga environments and extended backcountry forays into the tablelands of Gros Morne National Park and southern Labrador. |
Cultivating Leadership and Social Change
on the Sterling College Campus
by Jenna Ryan, Assistant Director of Admissions
The dreary early evening November weather makes the warm light and group of 30 people in the student lounge a welcoming scene. The atmosphere is in sharp contrast to the reason for the gathering. The crowd has assembled to tackle a workshop led by Sarah Morrison ’10 and Hannah Morgan ’10 on the topic of violence against women. This is the fourth and final workshop of the semester led by students enrolled in Leadership and Social Change which was co-taught this fall by Outdoor Education and Leadership professors Maria Gaffney ’02 and Anne Morse. Other student-led workshops have covered topics such as the global AIDS crisis, factory farming and animal cruelty, and Vermont politics. |
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The assignment of creating a public workshop is an example of how Leadership and Social Change—in typical Sterling spirit—transforms theory into action. The course itself, however, is not a regular Sterling College offering. Each semester, a variety of courses are available under the category of Special Topics. This allows faculty the freedom to cultivate new courses that are aligned with student interest. Leadership and Social Change was created under these auspices. Faculty member Maria Gaffney explains, “The course was created as a result of my personal interest and the need to address issues of social justice in a Sterling College course. It’s important for students to make the connection between environmental and social justice issues and explore how they are systemically related.”
Indeed, the course has achieved just that. Beth Mullen ’08 comments that Leadership and Social Change was her favorite course this semester and explains that, “The class helped me realize how interconnected everything is—you can’t be an environmentalist without having an awareness of social issues.” (click here to read more)
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Alumni Profile: Kim McIntyre ’04
by Gwyn Harris, Director of Admissions
Kim yells, “Ready Dogs!” and the dogs move forward to tighten the gangline that connects them to the sled. Then Kim yells, “Let’s Go!” and the dogs snap the gangline tight and the sled lurches forward.
Kim McIntyre ’04 winters in the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota to work for Outward Bound Wilderness instructing 8-day dogsledding and skiing expeditions. An experienced winter traveler, Kim enjoys teaching the skills needed to stay warm and function in a winter environment of frozen lakes and sparkling snowscapes. Her role is dynamic—there are the obvious physical challenges of the expedition, but also a variety of emotional challenges her students face. “Each expedition offers a new challenge because the students are different. The newness of any kind of wilderness travel, not to mention a winter expedition, has a tendency to bring out emotional issues an individual may not be aware of otherwise.” Kim feels a sense of accomplishment when she is able to reach into her tool box of knowledge and help a student overcome a challenge. (click here to read more) |
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Who Goes Here?
Vicky Boffalo '08
Hometown: Olivebridge, NY
Major: Outdoor Education and Leadership
“When I was going to school in New York it seemed like I was always in a rush; Vermont offers a different pace,” says Vicky Boffalo, explaining her reasons for transferring to Sterling College in the fall. She elaborates by saying, “The place I was living in and the career I was pursuing weren’t in harmony with my values and the way I wanted to live my life. Every part of my education occurred in the classroom. Everything was so abstract.” |
Sterling’s hands-on educational philosophy initially enticed Vicky to think about transferring, but it was the community that ultimately engaged her. “Sterling College gives you more than an education. It’s the all encompassing experience of the landscape, the culture of Vermont, and the college community,” she adds, “I’m very happy here.”
This summer Vicky plans to travel to the mist veiled forests of the Pacific Northwest to complete an internship at the Opal Creek Environmental Education Center teaching groups of children and adults about the unique forests ecosystems of the Northwest. Her goal is to educate both youth groups and adults about the Northwest’s temperate rainforests, while being able to experience and learn as much as possible about this exceptional forest ecosystem. “I’ve always been fascinated by ancient old growth forests,” she says with anticipation. (click here to read more) |
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