Spring 2008 Trips
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Growing Power
Milwakee, Wisconsin
Led by Vicki Mercer '10 and Erica Hougland '10
Spring Break '08 at Growing Power in Milwaukee was a great experience. Growing Power had us working in the greenhouses doing key jobs that serve as the foundation of their operations (e.g. sifting worm castings). We also got to milk goats, feed the animals, and visit the Rural Farm to unload trucks of rotten food for composting. Although we didn't get to dig into any large projects largely due to the snow, we were exposed to them by talking to the people who work there. Many of our favorite tasks included caring for/playing with the goats. Many participants agreed that meeting the founder and seeing the projects was inspirational.
Additionally, Growing Power fed us extremely well through their store, including fresh veggies and homegrown eggs. We were the first large group they've had for two weeks and they were very appreciative. Growing Power has recently expanded and is going
through some growing pains, but we had a great discussion with the volunteer coordinator, Sarah, about how to improve the experience. In all, we definitely recommend this Alt Break location for future trips.
In addition to Growing Power, we were able to meet with a lot of alumni, who were all very interesting people. We loved visiting the lake, wandering around downtown Milwaukee, and working with St. Ben's.
Ecological Preservation
Mount Madonna Park, Watsonville, California
Led by Jacques Nguyen '10 and Daniel Ferguson '10
The two weeks we spent in California over Spring Break could not have been more enjoyable, exciting, and cathartic. There was a significant amount of hands-on work in Mount Madonna Park, accompanied by thankful and knowledgeable park staff members and excellent attitudes among the group members. One ranger stated that, "I always feel like I'm stealing when I come to work," and we quickly came to relate to his words. Park employees are extremely proud of its natural beauty, and devote a significant portion of time to maintaining its condition, an endeavor we were more than happy to assist with.
Specific tasks we worked on in the park included: invasive species removal, trail reconstruction, installation of a trail sign, cleanup of campgrounds, and construction of a deer shelter. The removal of invasive species is conducted periodically in the park, and was the most intensive undertaking of the trip. It aimed at increasing competitive ability of native park species by eliminating aggressive non-native plants such as French Broom and Thistle.
Throughout the trip we utilized the most eco-friendly options available to us, which included camping out in tents, reusing clothing and dishware, purchasing items made of biodegradable material, and minimizing water usage for showers. Camping in the park for two weeks served another purpose, however, besides deepening our appreciation for the environment. It brought us closer together and gave us a chance to learn about each other's interests and backgrounds. Most nights we rotated cooking duties in pairs and socialized around a campfire before retiring to our tents.
We met countless generous and interesting individuals, including the park rangers and attendants who oversaw our park activities. Perhaps the most interesting of all, however, were the seven Grinnell alumni we visited over the course of the Break, all of whom amazed us with their cooking abilities and hospitability. The couple we stayed with Saturday night happily devoted the majority of their time to showing us around the San Francisco area and guiding us around the many sites. One member of the group mentioned that meeting so many engaging and wonderful alumni gave them hope for their future after Grinnell, about which they were worried they would have trouble making friends or fitting in.
Having evenings free gave us an opportunity to take numerous excursions, including a nature walk to two of the oldest trees in the world, redwoods dating back to 1776, and a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Everyone was clearly sad to leave Mount Madonna Park behind at the end of the two weeks, but reflected on how lucky we were to have participated in such a unique opportunity to contribute to the environmental preservation of the Santa Clara County Park System.
