by Jen Kliris, 4/21/97... from Queensland
Living in the rainforest for almost three months has made me aware how society
can be wasteful and superficial. I often contemplate about my life back home
and all I see is an endless mess of clothes, shoes, and other useless gadgets. In
addition, I have realized how fast life is back home and how everyone always
seems to get caught up in what they are doing, often denying themselves the
simple pleasures of life, such as hiking, swimming, reading, or just taking the
time to think. This is mostly a result of the values that we are instilled with, such
as the importance we place on physical beauty, and the belief that happiness
can be achieved through the possession of material objects. Honestly, all this
does is clutter our minds and souls with useless worries.
Out here, we live a relatively simple life compared to that of the States. We live
in solar-powered cabins with minimal space for clothes (actually, living here I
have come to understand that one only needs a minimal amount of clothes to
survive and be happy). We only watch television (videos) occasionally on
Friday nights and we rarely have the opportunity to go to town to hang out or
go to a movie. Instead, we often go on hikes, sleep under the stars, read by
small streams, or go swimming. This quality time has allowed our group to bond
and get to know one better than I know some of my longtime friends from back
home.
You might think that this sort of life gets boring, but to tell you the truth, this has
been the most peaceful and fulfilling time of my life. With this in mind, I have
promised myself not to forget what I have learned here, especially that
happiness can often come through simplicity. I am going to take the time to go
on hikes and read for pleasure. In addition, I am going to make a conscious
effort not to consume as much and I am going to give a lot of my clothes and
shoes away to people that are in need. Most importantly, I am going to focus
my energy on people like my friends, family, and others in need.
Who picks the teams of students and what schools do you come
from? What do you hope to achieve through your efforts?
...Bruce Wadd, Queensland, Australia
by Springer Fyrberg, 4/21/97... from Queensland
Students are chosen from a group of applicants by the main School for Field
Studies office in Beverly, Massachusetts. We go to different colleges
throughout the U.S. (and one from Paris, France), and are seeking degrees in a
variety of subjects including Computer Science, Ecology, American History,
Philosophy, and many others. Because of our diverse interests and academic
backgrounds, we all have somewhat different ideas of what we hope to achieve
through this program.
I hope to be a field biologist one day, so I came to discover whether I’d really
enjoy doing this kind of work. By living in the field, and collecting data every
day, I am learning what it takes to be a scientist. It is an experience that I
couldn’t get in a classroom. Others hope to learn more about the rainforest, to
learn how to contribute to the effort of preserving our environment, to
experience a different culture by traveling abroad, to learn more about
themselves through the challenges they meet traveling away from home, or just
have a change of pace from college life.
