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Making the Most of a School Vacation

Deloitte's Service Oriented Spring Break Project Live United

Image source: Liveunited.org

My sister is in college and I’m always so jealous of her time off. She gets two weeks off for spring break, two months off over Christmas, and three months off over the Summer. I don’t begrudge her the time—she works hard and needs a breather from school work—but I do try to encourage her to spend it doing something meaningful. She frittered away her last break hanging out with friends and, while she had fun, she also felt rather empty returning to school. She knows she could have spent that time more wisely.

Lions, Rhinos, and Elephants: Oh My!

One Female of a Pride of Lions Resting in Afternoon Shade

Image source: Tourdust.com

When I was a young girl, I lived in Kenya. I spent long days at Masai Mara game reserve, a massive wildlife park (and popular tourist destination) where the animals roam free. I watched the lions sleeping in the hot afternoon sun; the gazelles, fleet of foot and on the watch for cats; and the zebras swishing their tails, a black and white tangle of shivering flanks. The boars rammed each other in the tall grass. A herd of elephants circled to protect a single calf. As the sun started to set, the nocturnal animals emerged: the hammer-headed fruit bat; the aardvark with its long snout and shuffling gait; the bush baby with wide, staring eyes and a whip-like tail; and the civet who’s musk is used in the fanciest perfumes.

Fighting Climate Change, One Volunteer at a Time

A Field of Actic Ice Melt

Image source: Nature.org

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a biology student. I volunteer with a wildlife conservation organization in my area and spend a lot of time with biologists in the field. A few weeks ago I was chatting with a career biologist—a man who has spent the past thirty years working with endangered species. Somehow the topic of climate change came up, and I was flabbergasted to discover that he doesn’t believe in it, as if it weren’t the overwhelming scientific consensus. It illustrated something I’ve long understood: that a person’s political views (he is a staunch conservative) can dramatically affect his opinions, even when he should know better. None of us wants climate change to be real. We all want to cling to a memory of a time when we weren’t so profoundly afraid for our planet.

Evacuteer: Preparing New Orleans for Hurricane Season

A Painting by Linda Langhorst

Image source: Noladder.blogspot.com

I write a lot about New Orleans. I’ve only ever read about it or seen movies about it. The show Treme is one of my favorite programs on television. It’s a little strange to have such a deep love and respect for a place you’ve never been. New Orleans looms large in my imagination—the music, the culture, Mardi Gras, the French Quarter—all conspire to create this legendary, mystical realm in my mind.

Take a Step Forward with Samaritan’s Feet

SF in Kingston, Jamaica with Staff Sgt. Alesia D. Goosic

Image source: Afribiz.net

I’ve never had to worry about shoes. I don’t think most people in the United States give it a second thought. We might wish we had fancier ones—Jimmy Choo’s or designer sneakers—but few Americans are walking around barefoot. For the poor among us, Salvation Army stores offer extremely cheap and lightly worn footwear. Donation boxes offer free footwear for those who can’t afford the Salvation Army. But in many places around the world finding cheap or free shoes just isn’t that easy.