Thursday, July 14, 2011

Welcome to the NW/SW Field Experience 2011


This is me, Erin Maguire, author of the blog.
This picture was taken by Kristen Meidt at Antelope Island in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am holding the stick I collected salt cystals on - I could collect the salt -that is how salty the lake was.


 I was with a  group of students  from Stoctkon College in Galloway, New Jersey and we  toured the Southwest of the United States- Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California and Nevada. I was privileged to go with seven other students and our professor, Tait Chirenje, Ph.D, as part of the driving group; I helped drive two fifteen passenger vans and a suburban across country. I got to tour cites such as Chicago, Illinois-Kansas City, Missouri-Cheyenne, Wyoming- Omaha, Nebraska and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Altogether for me the trip was 31 days long. As a course, we covered water issues surrounding the Colorado River, natural resource management in the west and toured different types of renewable energy facilities. I had never been out west before or been away from home that long so overall it was trip of a lifetime.





This was the driving group-minus our fearless leader Tait and Ben.
Left to Right: TJ, Dave, Kelly, Me, Rachel (in back), Trish and Kyle laid out infront.

Just the driving crew's stuff.
Photo Credit: Dave Smalley

The driving crew in my van 401 represent!
Me, Ben, Kelly.
Photo Credit: Trish Seelman

The rest of the van after we picked them up from the airport.
Photo Credit: Chris Novellino

Best pizza ever- Chicago deep dish with Kelly.
Photo Credit: Trish Seelman


Downtown Chicago.

The St. Louis Arch- we had extra time one day so we stopped.

Sign at the top of the Arch.



All of my van's stuff crammed into the back at Zion.