DAY 13

Graylen Gatewood and Jessica Kim

Tuesday morning, we went to the Pine Barrens in Hampton Bays, the largest natural preserve on Long Island that lies atop one of our largest water sources, called aquifers. At the trailhead, we read a sign that said the Long Island Pine Barrens is the largest single area of pine barrens in the northeast. We also learned of the extensive damage caused by the Pine Barrens fire of 1995, and that fires can be part of the natural replenishment process for these regions. After that, we hiked into the forrest. Mr. Raebeck asked us to be silent while we hiked so we wouldn't scare away the wildlife. A mile or so in, we stopped to discuss human's effect on nature. Mr. Raebeck spoke about naturalists and artists, of the importance of preserving the natural world, and what is called a "conservation ethic." He also talked about the Native American belief that we come from the Earth and therefore should respect it, and how the human race can't express its own wildness if there are no places to simply be free, such as nature preserves like the Pine Barrens. Then we hiked back to our bus. On the way, Mr. Raebeck asked us all to reflect on the question, "How do you express your own wildness?"

In the afternoon, we went mountain biking along the trails near Ross. The weather was warm and mild and before we started off, Ms. Del Giorno explained the safety rules. The trail was narrow so we had to go one by one. When we came across logs, we had to call them out to the people behind. At the clearing for the power lines, some of the group continued on to into terrain that was more challenging, a mix of mud and sand and rocks, with more dips, curves, and ruts, while others stayed behind. Once the more experienced riders returned, we all headed back to school. We all had a great day, hiking and biking through the preserved land of the east end.