While I reveled in our victory, I realized that the real accomplishment was that we had worked together as a team to serve another species-in this case, the pronghorn. They had previously repaired 800 meters of fence, but we completed 1,200 meters. The project’s climax came later in the week, when we out-fenced a group from Northeastern University.
Our task was to repair the fence so that it was feasible for pronghorn to pass through, but impossible for cows. These fences had a layer of smooth wire through which the animals could crawl, but it was uneven in most places. Following breakfast, we began work repairing the pronghorn fence, a fence that allowed the antelope-like pronghorn to roaming the plateau freely, Lauren explained, unlike barbed wire fences. After all, someone who helps you check the outhouses for black widow spiders is most certainly your family.Īfter a night camped out, we crawled out of our tents, or in my case, fell out (my tent did not easily accommodate someone of my height). The Kaibab Plateau, where we were to work, borders the north rim of the Grand Canyon.Īlong with Lauren and Steve and their canine companions, Lily and Pepper, we became what we referred to as “the Kane Ranch family,” a quirky family, but family nonetheless. The Grand Canyon Trust was founded in 1985 to protect the 130,000 square miles that make up the Colorado Plateau, which runs along the Colorado River in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. We were greeted by Lauren Berutich and Steve Till, two employees of the Grand Canyon Trust (GCT). The next day, we bid Phoenix good-bye and headed north to Flagstaff, arriving at Kane Ranch in the Kaibab Plateau, where we would spend the week.
In the days that followed, we realized how important it was to have a strong group dynamic. The park features many geological formations, including the landmark Hole-in-the-Rock, or as Katie Laux (CAS’11) liked to call it, “the Hole-in-the-Wall.” Miranda Ciarrocchi (CGS’11) referred to it as “toe rings for life,” which got us all laughing. Nevertheless, the awkwardness dissolved during a hike in Papago Park, 1,200 acres of hilly desert in Phoenix and Tempe. Unfortunately, the plane ride did not offer us the same opportunities to get to know one another that a van ride would have. Looking back, it is funny to realize how uncomfortable we were with each other at that time. Our journey began on March 12, when we flew to Phoenix, Ariz. For nine days we surrendered ourselves to our work and our surroundings. It’s almost impossible to capture in 1,000 words or less. Now I face the difficult task of sharing our ASB memories with the rest of the BU community. We traveled to Arizona to work with the Grand Canyon Trust to help preserve the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona, part of the much larger Colorado Plateau.
Where do I begin? Two weeks ago I embarked on the most amazing journey with 16 of the greatest people I have ever met. We are bringing you first-person accounts of some of those trips, described by both students and coordinators as unforgettable. Now in its 24th year, ASB pairs students with 36 organizations around the country, rebuilding homes, assisting at animal shelters, and working at food banks, among other projects. More than 300 students volunteered in this year’s BU Community Service Center Alternative Spring Breaks program. Photo by Lauren Berutich, Grand Canyon Trust Twitter Facebook Cathedral Wash Hike: (from right) Brittany Schwartz (CAS’13), Sara Woolcock (SAR’12), Meaghan Kilroy (COM’14), Katie Laux (CAS’11), Anna Mulry (CFA’12), Miranda Ciarrocchi (CGS’11), Ann Liu (CAS’13), Keith Esposito (CAS’11), Andrea Bartunek (CFA’11), Carrie Belden (SED’12), Marit Engebretsen (COM’13), Manuela Toro (CAS’14), and Kenny Karas (CAS’12).
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