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Taking Only Pictures, |
The knock on the door startled Ellen Cameron.
She hesitated at first, thinking it was a solicitor or one of the vagrants that roamed the streets of her crime-infested Baltimore neighborhood. Other residents had refused to answer, but Cameron decided to unlock the door.
Dressed in casual clothes and carrying garden hoes and buckets, stood three teenagers.
"I was glad they came," she said. "I let them in to have a glass of water."
The students said they had targeted a lot near Cameron's home at Duncan and Eager Streets as a cleanup site. After conducting a door-to-door survey of what residents would like to see beautified, they invited neighbors to join in raking, planting and sprucing up the sites. Not only was Cameron enthusiastic, but she agreed to maintain the property after the crew left.
"It was bad with drug traffic and it's not as bad as it was," she said. "It was a worthwhile cause."
For the past two years, honors students from Dunbar High School in Baltimore have been selected to participate in this one-of-a-kind Hurricane Island Outward Bound School course in conjunction with the Communities to Revitalize the Environment program (CORE).
CORE was developed as a partnership between the Baltimore/Chesapeake Outward Bound program and the Parks and People Foundation. It is one of several programs which make up Revitalizing Baltimore, an environmental coalition aimed at improving the quality of life in the urban neighborhoods of Baltimore by protecting natural resources.
Revitalizing Baltimore's primary goal in working with community groups and federal, state, and local agencies is to clean and restore the bodies of water that flow into the Gwynns Falls Watershed, located in the western section of Baltimore. The five-year project plans to expand to other watersheds and is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service.
But Baltimore is not the only location for courses with an emphasis on conservation. Stretching the entire length of the eastern seaboard, from Maine to the Florida Keys, HIOBS has established itself as a leading authority in offering wilderness programs aimed at protecting natural resources.
Low impact camping, environment-oriented service projects and reduction of waste have been fundamental practices of HIOBS courses for over 30 years. Staff are also intent on refining such conservation practices as recycling, composting and water filtration at several of the bases. And as the 21st century approaches, the school continues to build ties with governmental bodies on a local, state and national level, as well as joining forces with such organizations as Leave No Trace.
HIOBS Approaches the Year 2000
While the traditional view of camping in the wilderness brings to mind campers roasting marshmallows around a roaring campfire, today's campers must have a greater understanding of their effect on the environment and the preciousness of natural resources.
"I think if we are teaching anything about responsibility to our students, we should teach them that it is a privilege to travel through the backcountry and it's important to give back to it," said Director of New England Programs Landon Fake.
The notion of "taking memories and leaving only footprints" when out in the field has served as a lasting doctrine of HIOBS. In the area of low impact camping, which generally means making as little of an impact as possible on an area, students learn specific ways to minimize their influence.
They learn how to set up camp without disturbing vegetation or wildlife, while making sure to pick up any spilled food or trash during their stay. At the completion of a course everything, excluding toilet paper and human waste, is packed up and brought back to the base for sorting and proper disposal. In turn, students on sailing and canoeing courses take on the task of collecting any debris they find along waterways.
Low impact camping also means traveling on designated hiking trails in a single file to prevent erosion, as well as using maps for navigation to eliminate the need for rock cairns, tree scars and ribbons. In addition, instructors address the importance of leaving cultural artifacts, limiting the use of fires and generally trying to leave a campsite cleaner than found.
"I think we're teaching students about wilderness ethics," Fake said. He points out that students have the choice to act responsibly in the wilderness or out at sea, but after completing a HIOBS course he hopes graduates have a greater understanding of their effect on the world around them.
The HIOBS conservationist philosophy is probably best articulated by writer Steven Simpson when he says, "Minimum impact instruction tends to emphasize protection of the natural world, but in truth, the majority of minimum impact techniques are aimed at protecting the recreation experience of others using the resource."
In the Northwoods area of Maine, students enrolled in canoeing courses are doing just that. Their goal is to improve campsites within the national parks system and attempt to centralize sites for optimum use. Working with park rangers, students learn how to construct tarp poles, dig fire rings and build latrine facilities for the thousands of campers who visit those sites yearly.
"By localizing the latrine and tarp areas it helps cut down on the wear and tear of those campsites," said Barbara Fiore, program director at the Greenville and Princeton bases.
Students participating in sailing courses in Maine and the Florida Keys are concerned with keeping pollutants out of water sources, packing out all trash, and using small amounts of biodegradable soap when washing dishes. Dumping human waste several miles offshore is practiced to comply with United States Coast Guard regulations. When sailing students camp on land they are expected to abide by the same rules applied to land courses.
"Living on a boat with 12 other people is definitely a microcosm of life on the mainland, however there are limited resources," said Field Staff Coordinator for New England Programs Susan McBride. "Students need to think wisely of how those resources will be used."
McBride points out that it is not uncommon to go out of the way to pick up trash during a sailing voyage. If garbage accidentally falls overboard, students are required to turn the pulling boat around and go back for it, which is not necessarily a simple task, she says.
In Maine, sailing students also have the opportunity to learn about creating a community with conservation in mind, when stopping off at Burnt Island, located some five miles off the Maine coast.
"Every morning there are chores including sweeping the pier, cleaning the outhouse, stirring the compost," said Course Director Peter Killoran. "It's all about taking pride in maintaining the community. Students are accountable and do feel much more responsible. We tell them, 'This is your island. We've all have got to take care of it.'"
Students are also expected to stay on the trails when traveling around the island and to separate trash, including labels on items, in an effort to decrease the amount of garbage brought to the landfill. Throughout the stay on the island, all trash, excluding cardboard, is collected so that it can be taken off island and brought to appropriate recycling sites.
Not far from Burnt Island is the school's own Hurricane Island, self-sufficient and well maintained, as a result of its dedicated staff. Once the site of the nation's largest granite quarry community where rock and vegetation were stripped, today it has regained its lush stands of spruce. It is used as a stop-off point or overnight campsite for adult sailing students, a training spot for climbers and a haven for such wildlife as mink, osprey, seals and porpoise.
"I think our students are really surprised at how clean and beautiful it is here," said Director of the Sea Program Peals Wrobel.
Service
Service in the field as part of the HIOBS course curriculum is another example of the school's commitment to conservation. The service project is an opportunity for participants to volunteer their time revitalizing a structure or area.
"Backcountry service for students is often underrated," said Fake. "If it's set up well and students understand why they're doing the work ,they can then see something tangible ,and it's a great educational tool."
At the Greenville base at the Leon L. Bean Mountain Center in Newry, Maine, maintaining trails along the Appalachian Trail route has become a tradition. This past summer a group of high school students worked with the park service to rebuild trails by fitting stones and constructing rock staircases in an effort to prevent erosion and make trails safer. Along the steep sides of the trail "cribbing" or log steps were also put in place to also combat erosion.
"It was quite a feat," said Course Director Cooper. "What we found is that when students start to work on a project like this they realize they're able to beautify something with their own hands."
While students and instructors are taking part in projects out in the field, the Newry base operates with conservation in mind. The construction of the main office shows a concern for the environment with its "super insulated" walls, windows facing south and thicker walls to the north to bolster against the harsh weather. Inside the office, low voltage bulbs and fluorescent lights are used because they last longer and use less power.
One of the morning chores is to bring all food scraps to the compost site, a configuration of concrete blocks, which helps to speed up the decomposition process. When the composted material turns to rich soil it is then used to help cover badly eroded gravely sections of land at the base and for herb and flower gardens.
At Hurricane Island, dirt from the compost has aided in transforming barren rocky sections of the property into flourishing gardens, an extensive trail system and areas for campsites.
Sailing students perform all sorts of service projects, from beach cleanups and trash pick ups to refurbishing trails throughout the well known Arcadia National Park in Maine.
At the South Florida base, students are often involved in such projects as digging water holes for wildlife and removing exotic vegetation which threatens the natural habitat, according to Big Pine Key Program Director John Cushing.
Educating others about the environment also plays a significant role of each HIOBS course. During the semester at sea course, which lasts two and a half months, students learn about marine ecosystems from a trained ecologist. In Florida, a naturalist periodically offers insight about the delicate balance between flora and fauna in the Everglades and the Keys.
Further down the coast at the Baltimore base, high school students selected to participate in the CORE program are encouraged to take a leadership role in improving their surroundings, whether it's planting trees at the local school grounds, cleaning the streams that flow into the Chesapeake Bay or sprucing up vacant lots scattered throughout the city proper. In addition, the students complete a wilderness expedition as part of the Outward Bound course.
Dunbar High Sophomore Tira Barnes said she felt fortunate to participate. "It was beneficial to work hard and to see that I could turn something not so good into something beautiful," she said. She also liked the fact the project encouraged students to work together. "It helps improve character. You really bond with other people. You become a family."
Dunbar High Principal Charlotte Brown speaks highly of the program. "It's a hands-on opportunity for students to work in the community and it gives them a sense of pride. It's something we can't teach in the classroom."
Revitalizing the vacant lots was also an exercise in job training, according to CORE coordinator Patti Stevens. Students are required to manage the purchasing, selection and design of the project. At the Duncan and Eager site, students chose flowering fruit trees, shrubs and a variety of perennials, which served in "greening" the property, reducing the accumulation of dust, and providing shade to visitors during the sweltering summer months.
The Baltimore CORE course attempts to build a bridge between the local community and Outward Bound students in fostering conservation practices. While building rapport takes time, Stevens said she has already witnessed what students' enthusiasm and hard work can accomplish.
Further south, at the Florida programs, an affiliate of HIOBS, students are expected to do their part in respecting the environment.
At the STEP base in Yulee Florida, an agreement exists with several water management districts which ensure access to land and rivers. The agreement involves carrying out such tasks as trash pick-ups, establishing campsites, controlling riverbank erosion, and developing canoe trails. In exchange, Outward Bound has gained privileged use of a growing list of protected land parcels which front on the St.Marys and Suwannee rivers.
"Today, except for the upper reaches of the Suwannee, Ocmulgee and St. Marys, the rivers are crisscrossed with roadways and communities," said STEP Program Director Marc Magnus-Sharpe. "It's getting harder and harder to find wilderness out there."
However Magnus-Sharpe said that working with the water management districts and state parks has allowed STEP to maintain many of the sites used over the past twenty years. "Hopefully, these combined efforts will maintain unbroken river pathways well into the future."
Similar service agreements have been established between STEP and various state parks. At Fort Clinch, on Amelia Island, students fill sandbags and pack them along the hillsides of the fort in an effort to prevent further erosion of the Civil War era Union encampment. Suwannee River State Park and Manatee Springs State Park also receive the benefits of the service work, and in exchange, the program has gained protected access to campsites within the parks.
At the Manatee base in Bradenton, hundreds of community service hours were completed in the past year, according to Program Director Mike Shapiro. Those projects included beach renourishment, coastal cleanups, hiking and trail development ,and litter patrols along the waterways of central and southwest Florida. Students are involved in similar projects at Scottsmoor and Peace River bases.
"Outward Bound has established a good reputation in the area of service," said Peace River Program Director Wendell Campbell.
As stated in the Outward Bound Earthbook, "Internationally, nationally, and at each school, Outward Bound has made commitments to teach awareness of the respect for the natural world."
HIOBS has also made a name for itself in the area of reducing waste. As Director of Fleet and Facility, Ed Dietrich makes it his business to reduce waste brought to the landfill and find new ways to dispose of human waste that would normally be filtered and treated at a sewage plant.
The Elephant House
As you approach "The Elephant House" on Hurricane Island, the doors are marked "gulls" and "buoys." It appears to be just another latrine, but "a behind the scene look" shows that a complex system is in place for decomposing human waste. On the back of each stall is posted bathroom readings, entitled "Do the right thing" and "A plan for human waste-- after it leaves your body."
Everyone is advised to sprinkle a cup of top soil down the hatch, "after making a deposit," Dietrich candidly explains. He says it's necessary to add the soil because it contains microorganisms that eat the waste and help in the decomposition process. To keep down the fly population, ventilators are installed, in addition to screening in parts of the facility. Toilet paper also helps in aerating the waste.
"It's a pragmatic solution to a problem of how to clean out an outhouse," Fake said.
Every so often, a front-end loader is used to move the waste to a site where chipped spruce wood is added and the mass is turned. The mass is then covered with a layer of thick plastic and the suns' rays further aid in oxidation. Later, the soil will be used to cover eroded sections of land on the island.
"I believe we're helping the natural process of soil generation," Dietrich said. He points out the soil also "grows beautiful flowers."
While soil from the Elephant House is put to good use, food scraps are saved and deposited at a compost to create fertile dirt for gardening. Everything from egg shells, grains and coffee grounds is saved. Meat is not saved because it attracts insects. Soil from the compost is used at the herb garden where chives, basil, parsley and rosemary thrive. At the vegetable garden, tomatoes, peas and cucumbers can be found.
In addition to waste reduction, HIOBS installed a water filtration system in 1993 at Hurricane Island in order to meet new standards for water purity imposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Working with the 3M corporation, HIOBS found a state-of-the-art way to incorporate spun polyethylene filters and chlorine to treat the water. The process saved the school tens of thousands of dollars, and the only chemical used in the process was household bleach.
"It was a positive outcome working with the manufacturer to develop these systems," Fake said.
The water filtration system at HIOBS not only functions smoothly, but its unique design and operation are heralded by other programs.
Recycling
Recycling has become a daily commitment not only at Hurricane and at the HIOBS headquarters in Rockland, Maine, but at the majority of bases. At Hurricane, a shed has been erected and barrels are set aside for clear, brown and green glass, aluminum cans and metals.
"We've managed to cut solid waste sent to the dump by two thirds," said Dietrich.
In Rockland, office paper, envelopes and even staples are recycled. HIOBS is encouraging staff at all bases to use recycled paper and products.
Land Stewards
HIOBS has bolstered its conservation efforts and approach to service in the field to prove its strong commitment to maintaining private and public land use.
As part of the school's commitment to conservation, HIOBS has chosen to work with Leave No Trace, a national educational program designed to promote responsible use of public lands by recreationists. The non-profit program also includes participation by the U.S. Forest Service, National Parks Service, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department.
In working with the organization Leave No Trace, HIOBS goal is to teach others "about discovering, enjoying, and maintaining the great outdoors for ourselves, our children and the unique communities of plants and animals that inhabit these lands."
Plans are in the making to publish a handy wallet-size card outlining the school's conservation beliefs and distribute it to all students. The card will contain such Leave No Trace tenets as packing out everything taken to a campsite, depositing human waste correctly, limiting campfires and abiding by certain regulations for wilderness areas.
Director of New England Programs Landon Fake points out that land owners often feel "very strongly" as to how their land is treated.
"I believe they see us as people who want to use the land, reduce our impact and not take it for granted."
In an effort to spread the word about the school's involvement in conservation a consultant has been hired to help inform and educate legislators about HIOBS service project contributions. Fake says he hopes it will give the school leverage in convincing agencies that HIOBS should have some consideration in law-making concerning land access issues.
At a local level the school is working at getting more involved in developing ties with land trusts and such organizations as the Nature Conservancy to assure sufficient land access.
HIOBS currently has access to hundreds of public and private lands along the eastern seaboard. The agreements with private owners have usually been rather informal, but because this real estate is becoming more and more valuable, availability to these properties has diminished. It's also becoming more difficult to secure sites as a result of increased road construction and regulations tied to public and private lands.
"Land access is an issue for us as a school and nationally," said Course Director Killoran. "The wilderness areas are growing smaller."
Fake feels confident though, that with continued efforts in service and involvement with local, state and federal officials, HIOBS will continue to ensure its access to properties and bodies of water.
Sarah Bottoms is a freelance journalist who lives in Bradenton, Florida.
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