For 30 minutes a day, five days a week, all semester long, University of Wisconsin freshman Hannah DePorter would set up her hammock and spend time at Lakeshore Path Nature Preserve.
The preserve brings her a sense of serenity beyond its aesthetic purposes. To her, it is a place of meditation.
“I am so intrigued by nature because of the constant sense of discovery and wonder it instills in me,” she said. “There is never a time when I go outside and I don’t see something new. The landscapes and ecosystems are constantly changing and it is great to explore the unknown.”
But from her perch in the preserve, she discovered the area has a serious waste disposal problem.
Her journey was prompted through Nelson Institute Ph.D. candidate Trish O’Kane’s class “What Does the Fox Say: Sustainability from a Non-Human Perspective.” The class required students to choose a “territory” on campus to observe.
In her area of the preserve, DePorter observed trash build-up had become a problem. She saw this pollution was harmful to animals living within the habitat.
The Lakeshore Preserve is one of the few places on campus dedicated to remaining wild without urbanization, DePorter said.
“It’s important for people to see the amount of trash in the preserve to create more awareness that it’s not acceptable to throw something on the ground and expect it to vanish,” DePorter said.
Already an environmental advocate prior to her class project, DePorter’s time at the Lakeshore Preserve Area went from being part of an academic quest for a sustainability class to a personally rewarding ecological adventure.
DePorter said her interest in sustainability and wildlife played a role in enrolling in O’Kane’s class, but as a resident of Aldo Leopold Hall, being outdoors was already a part of her daily routine.
“I spend the vast majority of my free time outside,” DePorter said. “Whether that be lying in my hammock, going on a walk, reading a book or doing homework, I love spending as much time as I can outside.”
DePorter said since age 10, ecological exploration has always been one of her passions. She said some of her fondest childhood memories were paddleboat rides with friends in a pond near her home.
Her experiences growing up lead her to become a wildlife ecology major, which fits perfectly with her passions and interests, though she is not certain where the future will take her.
To help initiate environmental preservation throughout campus, DePorter presented her project and offered suggestions to Campus Master Plan officials on April 30.
DePorter said she and her classmates recommended planning officials place trash cans along the Lakeshore Path, plant more trees in the Southeast area, use porous asphalt to prevent water runoff into area lakes and even implement a beekeeping initiative.
The Campus Master Plan provides a broad outline of university building projects for the next 10 to 20 years. Officials will complete the update to the plan by fall 2016.
DePorter said she plans to attend public meetings in the future to follow up with campus planners.
“I think UW has a great commitment to sustainability and environmental preservation,” she said. “It’s important to make sure we treat the environment better than it is currently being treated because with the amount of trash, runoff and urban development, we are slowly destroying the natural land.”
