Nature

Madison Morgan:

During my recent program in the Basque Country, we took a day trip to Urdaibai, an area near Bilbao renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage. This hike was one of the most challenging I’ve ever done, but it offered great insight into sustainability and the importance of preserving local ecosystems and languages.

As we navigated the trails, the sounds of the Basque language surrounded us. It was a reminder of the unique identity of this region and its resilience in the face of more modern languages. The Basque Country isn’t just a place, it’s a vibrant community committed to sustainability and rich in culture.

I captured photos of the mountains, winding paths, and the Basque flag fluttering against the backdrop of blue skies. Each snapshot encapsulated the beauty of nature and the cultural tapestry.

Bella Filstrup:

Recently I had a field trip to southern Zealand to visit the Danish to visit Møns and Stege Klints. While these white cliffs are stunning, they also hold important geological information that have allowed scientists across the globe to easily see things like the soot layer from meter impact that killed the dinosaurs. As well, this area is an important reminder of the increasing impact of climate change, as larger storms are causing larger parts of the chalk cliffs to collapse. While these collapses led to more dramatic cliff faces and a more challenging hike, they also caused large amounts of calcium carbonate to change the local pH of the water, turning it that beautiful light blue but also having detrimental impacts on local ecosystems when they happen at the current rate and quantity. In the distance off of the cliffs, we could see a large offshore wind farm, part of Denmark’s initiative to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2045. These images are meant to be a representation of the landscape, as well as the progress to protect these ecosystems.