A Final Note

Over the course of this last semester, I have learned a lot about the Adirondack Park’s history, its current status, and its possible future. Now that I understand the park on this level, I feel as if I have a greater connection to it. It puzzles me how, before this semester, I never considered the human, animal, and plant communities in the region or how I affected them each time I visited. Because of this course, I have a greater understanding of issues facing the Adirondack Park, and I have also considered what my classroom experiences mean on a global scale.

It is difficult to become aware of regional issues that exist outside of where you live. I did not even know of the Adirondack Park before coming to Hamilton, so going on a few hiking trips was not going to drastically change my knowledge of the area. However, because of my course on the Culture and Natural History of the Adirondack Park, I now have a much deeper understanding of the history, ecology, and politics of the Adirondacks. While I knew we could not learn everything about the park, I still find it interesting how much more I could discover on my own. And then I think about how much history every single village, town, city, etc. has, which makes the world feel like such a big place. There is absolutely no way to sufficiently study the history of the entire world, and that realization astounds and unsettles me. Now I have a much greater appreciation for the park, and I will definitely recommend this course to others because it has been such a valuable learning experience for me.


I would like to thank Anne for peer reviewing this blog post!