- Expedition: May 10-15, 2015
- Kiran
- New Leaf: A Sustainable Living Collaborative and Turlock High School
- Yosemite National Park: Little Yosemite Valley
What I want to get out of my Yosemite WildLink experience is that I will be able to say "I camped." I am aware that Yosemite has a lot to offer and even though I won't see all of Yosemite, but I will see things that other people don't get to experience. We are so caught up with technology that we neglect the things around us and do not take the time to appreciate nature. I personally love being outside and seeing new things. Yosemite is such a fascinating place that I'm always willing to come here. Yosemite is a place to experience wilderness firsthand.
What I will contribute to your experience is that you will feel proud of us for coming out here and hanging out with you awesome people. We are here because we actually want to experience the fun at Yosemite.
Checking out the wilderness maps.
To me wilderness means open area. Wilderness is something that is everywhere. It is something that is around us. When I think of wilderness, I think of trees, plants, animals and mountains. I think wildrenss may have negative connotations to some people because they might think of getting lost or encountering a wild/scary animal.
I think my role in wilderness is to take care of it and appreciate it. I think it is important to take care of wilderness because if we destroy it, we will not have this beauty to enjoy. We cannot damage anything in the wilderness because animals need to survive and systems need to continue to support life.
Working with Amanda to clean up illegal fire rings.
On this trip my relationship with wilderness has changed because I had never done anything like this before. I had never been out in the wilderness for this long. This was a totally new thing for me. I got to see many deer and birds that I do not normally see. I've noticed that the more I go into the wilderness, the more I enjoy it. Prior to this, I did not think that wilderness could be that enjoyable.
I definitely need to go on more hikes to build an even better relationship with wilderness. I think I need to explore more wilderness because I haven't done that many hikes in my life. I think, in order to build a better relationship with wilderness is to go out for ourselves, explore it, see the beauty of it, acknowledge its importance, and appreciate it.