Options at Tech Part 1: Yellowstone

Hello everybody,

I apologize for not posting this article sooner. I've been really busy between work and school and haven't had enough time to really focus on the blog. In any case, I've decided to devote this one to an incredible experience I had two summers ago now, about a month before I left for Costa Rica. This experience was only possible through Tech's forestry department, and especially with the help of an excellent instructor, Greg Wright. I recently came across some long lost pictures I took during the trip, and I have posted several for you to enjoy. They can only give you a mere glimpse, however, into the fascinating other-worldly land that we visited.



The course I'm talking about is Conservation Issues in Yellowstone. This incredible six credit summer course lasts about two and half weeks, and as the name implies deals with the numerous and contemporary issues regarding conservation efforts within Yellowstone National Park. The issues include such heated topics as snowmobile usage within park boundaries, wolf conservation vs. predation on neighboring stockherds, bison conservation vs. the possibility of spreading brucellosis, and many others. We spent much of our time hiking amongst the beautiful scenery that can be found in the park, from scaling mountain tops with breathtaking views to traversing fertile valley floors reminiscent of the serenghetti plains of Africa. Along the way, we were constantly reminded of the intense geothermal activity that is omnipresent in Yellowstone. In addition to the infamous Old Faithful, we saw dozens of geysers, fumaroles, steam vents during our hikes.



We were able to see just about every example of wildlife that Yellowstone has to offer, including grey wolves, grizzly bears, black bears, bison, elk, and bald eagles to name a few. Our observations were made easier thanks to the spotting scopes we borrowed from the forestry department, which made it seem as though we were right next to the playful wolf pups we saw jumping and turning and the grizzlys tearing into a bison carcass. In addition, we met with several key players in the ongoing fights over park policy, including representatives from both sides of the debate. The course really opened my eyes to the controversy surrounding the park and its current policies, which I'm certain I would never have come to know about otherwise. I would highly recommend taking this course, not just to biology and forestry majors, but to anyone remotely interested in conservation, or perhaps even someone who simply enjoys the great outdoors. Some excellent pictures from the course, as well as more information regarding dates and expenses can be found here.



Next time, I'll relate my experience abroad in a nutshell. For those of you who have already read my previous blogs, bear with me; there will be new pictures and stories, I promise! In the meantime, I encourage you to keep it in da UP, eh!

Photo Details:

1. This is a group photo of the class taken on our way up to the 10,243 ft peak of Mount Washburn. The instructor, Greg Wright is visible in the bottom right-hand corner, and I am standing behind him.
2. This is a fascinating image of the Painted River, one of the many geothermally heated rivers in Yellowstone. The bright orange and yellow hues are actually made by the presence of thermophilic (heat loving) bacteria which thrive in the scalding water. Visible in the background is a surreal looking patch of burned down forest (a remnant of the famous fires from the late 1980's) with young lodgepole pine growing back to reclaim the hillside.
3. This is the Grand Canyone of the Yellowstone River, showing the massive lower falls.
4. Here's a shot of Old Faithful, right on time to please the crowd.

Back to School

Greetings everyone,

For those of you who don't know me yet, my name is David Fenlon. I'm a third year Biology student at Michigan Technological University, and I spent the better part of my sophomore year studying abroad through Tech's awesome program in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I'm now fluent in Spanish, and feel as though I have a new perspective, not only on biology from the tropical bio classes I took, but especially on life, as a direct result of the people I met, the places I saw, and the inevitable changes I went through while I was abroad. During my time in Costa Rica I blogged many hours for Tech, first for ParentNet's "A Student Abroad", then in the spring for my own separate blog. I did my best to capture all the details of the country in both my photos as well as my writing, and I'm very pleased with the end result. You can read my old ParentNet articles here under Costa Rica, and my articles from second semester can be found here. Rather unexpectedly, I discovered I had somewhat of a knack for taking pictures and writing about my experiences. I was asked to continue writing upon my return to the Keewenaw, this time about campus life and exploring what the Copper Country region has to offer to the curious hiker.
Originally from Traverse City, MI, I've been living in Hancock now for about a month. Although I've been working alot, I've managed to take a couple days off and enjoy the great outdoors. Last week, my younger brother Brian came to visit me for several days, and we checked out some of the areas finest reserves. Most notably, we headed up to Copper Harbor to walk amongst ancient white pines in the Estivant Pines reserve, and also made our way up to the dizzying heights of Bare Bluff reserve. Although I'd visited the former reserve a couple times prior to my brothers visit, I'd only read about the bluff in hiking guidebooks. Those readings did little to prepare us for what we were to see. The view was nothing short of spectacular; Superior's vastness stretched out before us in seemingly all directions, and due to the weather conditions we were able to clearly see all the way accross Keweenaw bay to the Huron Mountains, a distance of nearly 50 miles. The winds were intense, and I had to put my hat in my backpack to keep it from blowing off my head. We saw a couple of merlins (a type of hawk) soaring level with us, fixed in the air effortlessly thanks to the strong and constant breeze. The very tip of the curving peninsula was visible to the North (see photo), and as we gazed upon it a feeling of detachment from civilization overwhelmed us. School starts tomorrow, and quite frankly I am more than ready for it to begin. I'm going to have a pretty full schedule between work and class, but I'm looking forward to being kept busy. When I'm in class learning new things, I feel a sense of self fulfillment that I can't get from anything else. I dream of getting a job doing something I love, and although I'm not quite sure of what that is yet, I can tell you that my goal will only be achieved by furthering my education. While I do this, I will be recording my experiences here, and I invite you to join me by reading my posts. Feel free to post comments, and if you have any questions regarding the content of my articles, please email me at dcfenlon@mtu.edu and I will be more than happy to answer them.

Photo details:

1. This is a gorgeous sunset over Lake Superior as seen from McLain State Park.
2. This is a glimpse of the view we had of the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, as seen from Bare Bluff near Bete Grise.
3. This is a shot of Manganese Falls looking downriver. The stream is but a trickle now, but in the spring the falls roar to life, as made evident by the size of the gorge it passes through.
4. This is my brother Brian looking out in awe over Lake Superior from Bare Bluff at an altitude of about 500 feet above the lake.
5. These are a few of the giant white pines that can be seen in Estivant Pines nature reserve. The path is visible passing through the majestic giants, some well over 400 years old and over 100 feet tall.