As a Biology major, I became involved in a camping trip after one of our professors, Dr. Doug Robinson, associate professor of Biology and Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences, invited students to participate in an overnight camping trip to a property in Walden, N.Y. as part of the Knight Outdoor Pursuits and Education (KOPE) club.
I’d never gone on a camping trip before, though it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and I thought that this would be a great chance to experience and learn something new. During the camping trip, we all worked together to set up our campsite. We were given lessons on how to correctly pack a camping backpack and how to assemble the tents, and we worked together to collect wood for a campfire and prepare meals. At the end of the night, we were all able to sit back around the campfire, converse with one another, and enjoy s’mores. It was a meaningful experience that allowed me to learn new skills and strengthen the connections I had with others.
My biggest takeaway from this camping trip was gaining hands-on experience in this activity for the first time. Learning how to properly set up a campsite stood out to me a lot. We learned how to build tents, safely create a campfire, and how to protect our supplies such as food from wildlife. Getting to learn these skills combined with being out in nature made the camping trip a really memorable and educational experience.
As a hands-on learner, experiences like this trip have been really helpful to me. During the fall 2024 semester, I was able to take an ecology class with Dr. Robinson where we were able to go out into the field on multiple occasions for the lab portion of the class. Being able to apply and relate concepts we learned during lectures to the local ecosystem helped strengthen my understanding of ecology and biology as a whole. I feel like these experiences truly complement what we learn in the classroom and deepen my appreciation for the subject.
I would strongly encourage students just starting out in the major to take advantage of out-of-the-classroom opportunities whenever possible. The Division of Natural Sciences has offered a variety of outdoor experiences, such as hikes on local trails or mountains and hands-on activities that students can take part in, like helping monitor glass eel populations in the Quassaick Creek as part of an ongoing project by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Experiences like these allow students to apply what they learn in class to the world around them and can help encourage critical thinking. Getting involved in these opportunities early can make the major more engaging, meaningful, and rewarding. It also aids in creating and strengthening connections between professors and classmates.