Sarah Beeson

September 11, 2006

Wolf River Reflection

Having never canoed before in my life, I was a bit hesitant when I learned about our two weekend trips on the Wolf River. The first weekend, after shyly admitting that I was the only one to have never canoed before, I was paired up with Dr. Kesler for the day. Growing up in a small, southern town, I was rarely exposed to any type of activities that involved nature. This being said, I was surprised at how quickly I began to recognize the species that we had discussed in the first few days of class. Of course traveling with Dr. Kesler made it easier for me to not only learn how to canoe, but also to look out for areas where certain species would most likely be located. One of my favorite parts of the trip was when we found a bunch of Whirligig Beetles along the banks of the river. I was assigned the Whirligig Beetle for my species presentation so I was more familiar with its characteristics than the rest of the students. One interesting fact about the Whirligig Beetle is that they give off the sent of apples when they feel threatened. Once Dr. Kesler captured a handful of the beetles, I shook the beetles in my hand and they actually did give off a strong scent of apples.

My true canoe skills were tested on the Ghost section of the Wolf River. Dr. Kesler thought it would be a good idea for me to switch canoes with another student who was having difficulties with the many cypress knees throughout the narrow section of the river. One thing I learned is that it is much more difficult to canoe with two girls within the boat. I began to learn the frustrations of getting stuck in between the Cypress knees, especially when one lead our canoe straight into a tree. However, I was very proud of our canoe as it only took us about five minutes to free ourselves. I began to really enjoy being outdoors and away from the city. I learned to take notice of my surroundings while identifying new species that I had never seen before. By the end of the day, I felt that I had actually accomplished something, which was unlike my usual Saturday agenda. I also felt that I was better at canoeing, even though the majority of the class would disagree with that statement. However, the soreness in my muscles the next day proved that I actually put forth effort in something that I never thought I would experience.

The next weekend, our Ecology class traveled to the channelized section of the Wolf River. The differences among the sections of the river were so distinct that it was hard to believe that we were on the same river. Once again I was paired with an adult. I believe my classmates were genuinely scared to pair up with me, fearing that they would have to put forth all of the effort. However, this was to my benefit as I was canoe partners with Larry Smith. He, like Dr. Kesler, was very experienced with canoes and also knew a lot about the area which we were traveling down. I really enjoyed how he would point out things that I never would have seen, for instance places on the shores where beavers would slide down the banks. Another interesting fact was when he showed me how the opposite sides of the banks were different heights around the bends in the river due to the force of the water. I really enjoyed canoeing with Larry Smith because he would ask me questions and help me to realize the answers. I learned a lot from him that day. Although we did not encounter the Cypress knees as we did the previous weekend, we did come across many trees that blocked the river path. This forced us on many occasions to get out of the canoes and haul them across the fallen logs. It was interesting to see how each group managed to get across all of the obstacles within the river.

At the end of the second trip, I really felt that the class as a whole had helped each other to learn about the river and its surrounding environment. I enjoyed both of the trips tremendously and had a great first canoeing experience. While this was my first time to canoe, I do hope that it will not be my last.