Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

11 Nov, 04 AM - 15 Nov, 04 AM

Dear Caretaker, I am a two-time visitor to the Big Creek Reserve, and it stands out in my mind not only for its pristine beauty but for its untouched wildness. It is as a piece of Heaven perched above the great highway, so quintessentially Big Sur, and yet removed from the toil and hurry of the world below. It was this peace and beauty which first captured my heart when I was introduced to Big Creek in the Fall of 2002, as a then student in a Student Directed Seminar very similar to the one I am now preparing to teach at UCSC. I was at that time discovering a new way of looking at our relationship to the Earth. It is called Ecopsychology and it focuses among many things on healing the disconection from the environment so pervasive in our modern society, and utilizing the healing power of nature as a catalyst towards personal and social change. I continued my study of this emerging field with the Sierra Institute, which brought me back to Big Creek the following Spring of 2003. Aside from learning and implementing the basics of minimum impact camping, I had the pleasure of revisiting the preserve with an expanded ecological perspective, and of meeting its former caretaker John Smiley. I have now nearly completed an Individual Major in Ecopsychology, and would like the opportunity to share the many beautiful experiences I have had at Big Creek with my students. No research will be conducted that will impact any plants or wildlife. Passive observations may be conducted, but the majority of our time will be devoted to learning minimum impact camping techniques, and sharing in the space of the wilderness at Big Creek. Our most extensive activities would include day hikes to the Waterfall and Gamboa Point. The purpose of this trip would be to provide a safe space in which my students and I may share a sacred experience of the wilderness. We would adhere strictly to minimum impact ethics, arriving and leaving by the appointed times with as little impact to the area used as is possible. Big Creek is a magical and beautiful place which I would be honored to share with my students. Thank you for considering my application.

Visit #5981 @Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 4611 | Class

Ecopsychology and Social Change

faculty - University of California, Santa Cruz

Reservation Members(s)

Ryan Warman Nov 11 - 15, 2004 (5 days)
Group of 15 Undergraduate Student Nov 11 - 15, 2004 (5 days)
Group of 2 Volunteer Nov 11 - 15, 2004 (5 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Highlands Camp 18 Nov 11 - 15, 2004