Journal #1

“Beautiful British Columbia” (BeautifulBC.net, 2015, "British Columbia Canada"). The slogan of my home province of British Columbia, the most westerly province in Canada, and I slogan I couldn't think to be anything less than the absolute truth.

We British Columbians take a huge amount of pride in the natural beauty our province has to offer – from salty seaside communities lining the tens of thousands of kilometres of the coast next to the Pacific Ocean, to the snow-covered peaks of the hundreds of mountains throughout the province, to the rivers and lakes sprinkled at every twist and turn of land. I myself am immensely proud to be able to include myself in the list of those who can say that they have experienced British Columbia’s natural beauty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFrZNjs2ng

(Destination British Columbia, 2014, "The Wild Within: British Columbia, Canada")

As an avid hiker and skier, I would like to think that I am one that has grown to not only enjoy and appreciate nature, but also to appreciate that with such activities there is the need for concern and respect while making use of the environment in such a way. Back at my home university of the University of British Columbia (UBC) it would be impossible to take a class such as this one despite British Columbia’s immense outdoor exploration culture. This is why when I heard about this course, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to not only explore the nature of a new nation different from my own, but to also improve my own skills as a recreational user of the environment. The human impact on the world seems to be increasing on a daily basis and sometimes, with a complete disregard for the millions of other organisms we share this Earth with. I am excited to be able to discuss and learn about these impacts and move towards ways of how they can be reduced on a personal level while engaging in outdoor recreation activities.

Sunrise view from the top of 1,400m on Mt. Seymour

References:

BeautifulBC.Net (2015). British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved August 9th, 20125 from http://www.beautifulbc.net/ 

Destination British Columbia (2014). The Wild Within: British Columbia, Canada. Retrieved August 9th, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFrZNjs2ng