Literature Appetizer
Ben Kusserow
A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Recently I just finished Appalachia North by Matthew Ferrence. In it, he recounts the complex relationship he still has with the land as a Northern Appalachian. Typically when I finish a book I write a Literature Appetizer to get people a taste of what they will find. Since his book is such a personal journey, I would not do it justice by recounting his life.

Many of his experiences reflect my own experience growing up in Western PA. So instead of condensing his journey, I thought I would condense mine.

The Hero’s Journey is a common literary structure where the hero of the story departs home to do a great act, and then returns victorious. My Northern Appalachian Journey is a bit different, but has a similar structure of three parts; Living in Water, Succeeding by Leaving, and The Mountains are Calling.

A Northern Appalachian's Journey

Life Time Liberal Arts: Chemistry

Life Time Liberal Arts: Chemistry

As I am finishing up graduate school, I realized that my learning has been not very 'liberal artsy...' Of course in my studies I have had my mind expanded and shown a variety of viewpoints...but all in environmental education. Since July 2015 I have been focusing on myself as an environmental educator. Just as metamorphic rock is formed under intense heat and pressure I feel like I have been molded into this field in a fantastic way.

But I am more than just that. I want to be better at baking. Better at adventuring. Better at gaming! But those are all things I know how to learn about. What if I want to learn about something new...?

Music and Environmental Education: Guided Inquiry Auxiliary Text

Music and Environmental Education: Guided Inquiry Auxiliary Text

This post is intended to be an auxiliary text for my Guided Inquiry Presentation on Monday, December 5th for the ENVS 585 Foundations of Environmental Education course. Even if you will not be at the presentation on Monday, I invite you to read on to get a taste of what has been going through my mind for the entire last year plus.

Breathe Deep, Seek Peace

Breathe Deep, Seek Peace

“Breathe Deep, Seek Peace” is a common greeting and farewell in Dinotopia. The first part comes from the dolphins that surround the island. They are responsible for bringing ship-wrecked sailors safely onto shore. By breathing deep, they are able to live an aquatic life even though they do not have gills. The second part is thought to come from the dinosaurs themselves, as a response to the terrible wars that once happened on the island (pg 51). This simple mantra is what I have been using throughout my teaching. The dolphins remind us to breathe deep the wonder that is around us while the dinosaurs speak from millennia of wisdom by seeking peace.

Pokemon Naturalist: In defense of gaming in Environmental Education

Pokemon Naturalist: In defense of gaming in Environmental Education

Now both my nature friends and nerd friends have a problem with this game. Yes, people are busy on their screens. Yes, the gameplay sucks. Yes, people might run into things because they are not paying attention. Yes, there is barely any gameplay (did I mention that the gameplay sucks?).

But to explain why this is an essential tool for Environmental Educators we need to go back. Before I climbed any mountains. Before I had even left the state of Pennsylvania...

(Cover photo courtesy of Nieris on Deviantart)

Literature Appetizer: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Young

Literature Appetizer: I Contain Multitudes by Ed Young

I'm sure you have heard of 'good and bad' bacteria. You wash your hands to get rid of germs, and have been doing so since elementary school. But take a moment and gaze not to the heavens, but at your own body. Your hands right now are covered with living organisms. Dive millimeters deep into your fingers and the types of microbial residents change completely. For each part of your body, there is a unique microbial ecosystem.

The Mountain Behind the Name: Sourdough

The Mountain Behind the Name: Sourdough

The North Cascades Ecosystem has many features to discover for naturalists, students and day hikers alike. Behind all the charismatic megafauna and flora including bears, wolverines, Douglas Firs, and Western Hemlocks are the mountains that make it all possible. In this series, we take a look at the “charismatic mega-rocks” that make the North Cascades one of the greatest natural wonders of this nation. Last time we took a short day hike up Sauk Mountain. Today we take a hike up to one of the most famous fire lookouts in the entire range: Sourdough.

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Watershed Adventures: Paddling in Bellingham Bay with Kulshan Creek

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Watershed Adventures: Paddling in Bellingham Bay with Kulshan Creek

This year students in the Kulshan Creek Neighborhood Youth Program have been focusing on the watersheds all around them. They have been everywhere imaginable in this journey: from the sub-alpine during Mountain School to getting soaked at Rasar State Park. But in late September they got to experience firsthand where some of this water ends: Bellingham Bay.

Gratitude Hike: A very Hobbit-like way to give thanks

Gratitude Hike: A very Hobbit-like way to give thanks

Yes, all last year I was living and learning at the North Cascades Institute, fully immersed in the mountain landscape. I even kicked it up a notch and spent the summer in Stehekin; somehow even more remote than NCI!

But this trip would be different. I wouldn't be working or in class. And I wasn't trying to boost my self esteem by being a 'Bear Grylls' knockoff. By hiking alone for four days I had the time to reflect and thank the literal and figurative earth, fire, air, and water that have made me into the person I am today.

Stehekinaut

Stehekinaut

One statement often said in my generation is that "we were 100 years too late to explore Earth, and 100 years too early to explore our solar system." Even though I was never an oceanaut and won't be an astronaut, this summer I got to be a Stehekinaut. But what was this "Stehekin" and why was I there all summer? It was a strange mix of seeing both how pioneers lived hundreds of years ago and how future colonies could be fashioned on other celestial bodies.