We began our hike at Ferd's Bog today. This is the first time that I have been on a Bog. I was hoping to see more aquatic life that traps insects.in the bog yet we are in the Adirondacks where acid rain has drastically effected how life sustains itself in this area. We tried spishing for birds and were not completely successful, although we did hear some birds. We did see many pitcher plants blooming on the bog. These are carnivorous plants. In addition, we were unable to identify the two types of caterpillars that we discovered.
Following this journey, we start our trek to the summit of Black Bear Mountain. This was a mild hike with a nice terrain for all ages and types of skill level for the most amateur hiker. We were able to identify some trilliums in bloom on our way to the summit. At the top of the summit, we ate our lunches and took a short break. The scenery was spectacular. I was moved by the vast definition of mountaintop terrain.
After dinner, we watched Storyofstuff.com WOW...I believe that all teachers should watch this clip. It should be broadcast on national primetime television. I am a bit concerned for my classmates as they navigate through life as consumers in a fragile world. I am not sure that they completely understand their role in the process. This does not surprise me, but I do care about the future of our resources and am hopeful that their values are transformed in the near future.
It is always somewhat surprising to me that the people with the most to lose (young folks and people with kids) are so uninterested in trying to safeguard the life support systems that sustain us all. They are badly damaged, yet we "keep the (consumption) pedal to the metal."
ReplyDeleteVery curious.
Glad that you enjoyed the ADK exploration activities (bog and hike). The film is pretty powerful - yet not sure that the message really get's internalized thought - the media is powerful. Here is an interesting comparison of two families with similar income levels - one is more typically consumeristic and the other trying to live more economically and environmentally sustainably: http://www.verdant.net/families.htm
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