In my last blog post I shared how some of the sessions I attended at the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS) Workshop were in line with my current workload and expanded my knowledge of the land acquisition process. I want to continue telling you about my experience at PNTS, particularly the urban hike I went on while I was in Tucson, Arizona.
In addition to workshop sessions, PNTS participants were able to attend a field trip during their time in Tucson. I chose to attend the “Chuk-son Trail: Place-Based Interpretive Storytelling as a Catalyst for Youth Leadership, Stewardship and Conservation.” Although my position with the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) doesn’t involve working with youth, storytelling is a big component of my job as a GIS Specialist. By going on this field trip, I figured I could learn techniques to engage youth in conservation and see if later down the line I could apply it to GIS work on the CDT.
Our group began the urban hike at A Mountain (also known as Sentinel Peak) on the western side of Tucson. We started with a grounding activity that helped us settle into our location and then moved on to conversations about the natives that first inhabited the land. Our instructors spoke to us about the formation of the surrounding mountain ranges, the urbanization of Tucson and the ecology of the area we were walking through.
After a short time, we arrived at a bike path on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. The trail ran alongside the Santa Cruz River, which was a large talking point on our hike. It was once a flowing river in this area, however, the effects of urbanization and overuse resulted in the lowering of the water table. We spent a lot of time discussing the factors that led to the depletion of the water table as well as the impact it had on the community. Despite the negative connotations of looking at an empty riverbed, our instructors helped us recognize the positive aspects of the Santa Cruz River’s current state such as the native plants along its corridor and the wildlife that find refuge in them.
After concluding our discussion on the river, we continued walking past Interstate 10 until we reached a statue and some plaques with messages from people in the community engraved in English and Spanish. We were given a few minutes to read the plaques and interpret the statue. The area reminded me of a memorial with the messages communicating feelings of loss. After coming together with the group our instructors told us the display was indeed sending an overall message of loss. Many people lost their homes and were forced to move to make way for a community center that was built in their place and this area was remembering that piece of the community’s history.
Our last stop on the hike was at a mural painted by a local artist. We were asked to take in the painting and share our interpretation. My favorite explanation was that the mural was like a timeline for the events that took place in the community we walked through. So many of the points our instructors touched on were depicted in the mural. It was a beautiful piece of art that honored the history of the community.
The Chuk-son Trail was developed by the community and tells their unique history through colonization and urbanization. My experience on the field trip taught me the importance of place-based connection for youth and how it is a major factor determining their ability to find value in their communities. The value youth find fosters their sense of ownership and teaches them to become stewards of their land. This technique of using place-based connection is a way to link youth to nature and allows them to tell their own story as they build cultural and ecological knowledge. This experience is something I wish I had as an adolescent. It is now something I could help create in my own community.