Honors 222B: Natural and Cultural History of the PNW - Getting Back to my Roots

This quarter, I took my penultimate honors class: Honors 222B: Natural and Cultural History of the PNW. This quickly became one of my favorite honors classes I've ever taken. Growing up in the PNW, I was always aware of and exposed to the beautiful nature and cultural history here. We learned about the salmon life cycle in school and went on field trips into the San Juan Islands. I even attended a nature camp every summer when I was younger with my best childhood friend. So, taking this class was a return to my childhood in many ways, especially because I was taking it with that very same childhood friend, Zoe. The class was full of nostalgia and familiar topics, but it also elevated the knowledge and natural appreciation I already had. I deepened my understanding of the ecosystems of the PNW and greatly improved my observation skills and appreciation for detail. I also practiced a new activity: nature journaling! I ended up really enjoying journaling about organisms I see in the while, and I will definitely try to keep up this practice. When doing it, I felt much more grounded and connected to the natural world around me. My life is generally very busy, so it was really nice to take dedicated time to slow down and just be in nature. Throughout the course of the quarter, I worked on several projects I'm pretty proud of, including an Annotated Species of the PNW Checklist, my nature journal, and a Photo Gallery of species I observed. Overall, this class really helped me to slow down and remember my love of nature and my relationship with the world around me. I plan to carry these practices with me to continue to stay connected to my ecosystem.

View my photo gallery here and my annotated species checklist here!

A journal entry in my nature journal about a rhododendron

A journal entry in my nature journal about a goose with only one leg

An owl I saw during a trip to the Arboretum