Nia Dubon-Robinson
Emory University
African Ecology & Conservation in South Africa – Spring 2018
A long day in the field calls for a nice shower. The temperature of the water does not matter, the simple feeling of being refreshed is all that is needed after long hot day in the savanna. It was the first confusing but equally fun day doing field work.
But within the stages of confusion I felt like I was actually learning. From indulging in picking beautiful flora, to catching butterflies in giant nets, while running through grasses taller than me, a burst of passion rushed through me. I skipped lunch that day to press our beautiful flowers in order to best preserve the petal, leaf venation and roots. I feel as though I am finally getting the hang of things now.
Slowly I am noticing how everything around me is important towards conservation. Bird calls, treeidentification, butterfly pinning are the skills we are slowly developing to better understand our beautifully complex surroundings. We must understand that the universe revolves around more than just the human population. We must consider the little things that contribute to the biodiversity of our planet. Every day here still feels so surreal. In a way everything seems so new, but so familiar at the same time.
