Walking through water, getting through life - ENVT 350

 

    This semester I'm taking ENVT 350: Environmental Methods of Investigation, and I'm not gonna lie, it's one of the most interesting classes I've had at PLU. 

    The class is all about the Chamber-Clover Creek Watershed, which is basically the local watershed around campus. But it's not just one subject, we look at it from different  angles like biology, chemistry, geoscience, history, and even religion. At first I didn't expect that mix, but it actually makes everything make more sense because you start to see how everything connects. 

    

What makes this class really different hough is that we don't just sit in a classroom. We actually go outside for our labs. Like, we visit real sites in the watershed, collect data, measure water quality indicators, and just observe what's going on the environment. it lowkey feels more real than any lab I've been before because you're literally in it, not just learning about it. 

    Also, this class has been around for a long time. Students have been collecting data on this watershed for over 25 years. And in 2022, all that work turned into a digital exhibit with the tacoma Public Library, where students shared their research with the community. 

  Not gonna lie, this class also helped me a lot during a time when I was going through some stuff. Getting outside, being in nature, and just spending time with my classmates made a big differences for me. it reminded me of my high school days when we used to go on week-long field trips, and those were the times that brought everyone so close together. That's actually where I met some of my lifelong best friends, and those memories are still some of the most meaningful to me. 

Photo courtesy of the PLU Archives

        This class kind of gave me that same feeling again. Even though it's technically a lab, it doesn't feel like a typical bio or chem lab where you'd stuck in one place for hours. Instead, we're walking around, going into the water, measuring things, looking at a different plants and species, and just enjoying the moment together. It feels like real quality time with people outside of a normal classroom setting. 

  I think this class is something I'll remember and miss after I graduate. As an Environmental Studies student, this experience felt really wholesome to me, one of those small but meaningful moments that stays with you. 

~Nobi Altanzul.