On the Border
In the summer of 2019, three students joined Adventure Term instructors on a journey into southern Arizona’s borderlands on a search for a bird, a frog, and a big cat - along the way, learning about the importance of the borderland ecosystems and producing engaging environmental narratives to tell the story of their journey.
The southwestern borderlands of the United States contain some of the most ecologically biodiverse and fragile ecosystems on the planet, and yet aggressive human development continues to bring new threats to these endangered lands. In this new Adventure Term expedition, students and field professionals from all across the country embarked on a journey to examine the effects that new environmental policies and regulations will have on these significant ecosystems.
Along the way, they pursued three of the most charismatic species that make their homes in the southwestern borderlands - an owl, a frog, and a big cat - and considered the unique threats facing each of these important keystone species. Guided by experienced instructors, students examined the proposed border wall’s effects on biological corridors, migration patterns, habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife interactions, and the success and failures of local conservation efforts.
Working together to produce a daily blog and social media content, students also worked independently with instructors to create their own investigative articles, photo stories, audio narratives, and documentary films. These environmental stories are still being crafted - stay tuned for more updates from this expedition!
With guidance from instructors Kyle and Trevor Ritland, Melisa DeGroot conceived and edited this short documentary exploring the plight of the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, with additional video and audio recording by expedition team members Olivia Reda and Catherine Kagemann.
