Throughout my first semester of college, I kept having a gut feeling that I was not on the right path. Following this feeling, I switched my major to Environmental Science because I always enjoyed learning about the subject. I felt that changing my major to Environmental Science would allow me to have a positive impact on our world. This Environmental Ethics course has reassured me that I made the right decision to switch my major through the new experiences, knowledge, and the relationships I have gained.
One experience on the course that impacted my way of thinking was our backpacking trip to Strawberry Lake. As we arrived at our campsite, the first thing I noticed was how it was next to a beautiful lake that was surrounded by mountains. Even though it looked like an amazing site to me, my instructors informed my fellow students and I that it was not at all ideal due to the high risk of runoff. They explained that since our campsite was right by the river, our waste, like human waste or toothpaste, could seep into the river. Our group then had a discussion on whether or not we should leave the campsite because we would be having a negative impact on that environment. It is important to reduce our impact because it means there is less pollution and less negative impacts on the wildlife in the area. We decided to stay because we only had one night left, but the impact of the discussion still stuck with me. I never would have thought of how we were impacting the lake if it weren’t for my instructors. This experience made me realize the importance of asking questions and learning new perspectives. I want to take this mindset and apply it to my future courses and ask the “why,” so I can better understand all sides of an issue or topic.
Another experience that was important to me was our walk at Hidden Lake Trail in Glacier National Park. I had never seen a landscape like it before. There were mountains surrounding the trail, snow, and big-horned sheep. The beautiful scenery made me reflect on a class discussion we had about why we value life. We discussed how we see that nature produces value, but we came to the conclusion that we can care about nature simply because we value life itself. Looking at the landscape with my peers allowed me to appreciate being able to go on this course and see all that life has given us. I also reflected on why I was there. Learning about how I can have a positive impact on our beautiful environment reaffirmed me that I chose this field of study to protect and sustain our world.
Overall, this course has had a great impact on my view of life. Being able to surround myself in nature while learning about how we play a role in environmental issues has been an amazing experience. I have realized the importance of asking “why” is to see all sides, and we need to continue to ask this in order to see improvement in how we interact with our environment. I am going to take this lesson and apply it to my future courses and career in order to better understand how I can have a positive impact on our beautiful world as an Environmental Scientist.
