The service learning event that I participated in was the
Earth Day at Gold Park on April 22, 2017. My children and I volunteered for 4
hours. The program was organized by
Edmonds Community College’s, Center for Service learning/Green Team. The
Program manager is Mr. Stewart Sinning. His contact email is stewart.sinning@email.edcc.edu.
This activity was sponsored in correlation with the Snohomish tribe.
One of the great goals of this event was to show the connection of knowledge between the indigenous people and science. This was shown mainly through the Ethnobotanical gardens that are persevered at Gold Park. Another goal was to introduce and inform individuals of what native species plants were and what invasive species were. They did so by teaching us how to identify the different species, and where and how the invasive species came to our area. Dr. Thomas Murphy, who is Chair at our Anthropology department at Edmonds and the members of the Snohomish Tribe, gave us great information of the medicinal usages of many plants that are in the garden, why they are becoming scarce, and what we can do to preserve such natural resources.
The main two plants that was the focus of my working group were the native Dull Oregon Grape and the Blackcap Raspberry. Our duties were to remove the invasive English Ivy, English holly, and the Himalayan blackberry species. We were to remove them by the root, place them on the tarps for them to be disposed of off the grounds. My children had the most fun in this activity they were on a “hunt” and were going to “save” the “good plants.”
(Photo taken by Summer Hansen and the Center for Service learning at Edmonds Community College)
(Photo taken by Summer Hansen and the Center for Service learning at Edmonds Community College)
This experience gave me a different
thought of the role of science on society. I am from what we call “country folk”
and we use many plants to treat illness. For example we use a plant called Iron
weed to treat pre-diabetes and the beginning onset of diabetes type II. With that being said, I have always been told by
the older people of my culture, that science did not respect these treatments
due to how the pharmaceutical companies could not make the money off of such
treatments as that they could on manufacturing pills. With that being said Science’s influence on my
childhood Society was not a positive view.
After this experience and especially with the Dull Oregon Grape which was the most intriguing to me because it is used in native and modern medicine. I now see that if not in the past but now, science and society are collaborating closer together.
This activity was a gardening
activity at general perception but there were many positive human biological
gains from this service to my community. We were exposed to sunlight which gave
our Integumentary system the ability to naturally synthesize Vitamin D3.
This steroid is a component to making the calcium that is vital for life and is
homogeneously regulation in blood concentration. The activities we participated in strengthen
the skeletal muscle system by aerobic endurance. Which by this exercise of
gardening, also places stress on the skeletal system causing an increase in
bone density and strength. I am now in my early thirties which is where the
onset of osteopenia initiates, and gardening is a way to preserve my anatomy’s
physiology.
Due to our Bioregion, such an activity's potential impact would be of great benefit. We have small sun exposure, and many days of rain, which causes outdoor activities to be uninviting. These factors increase the risk of rickets, muscle, and bone weakening. An activity such as gardening, even in a greenhouse, can cause a dramatic change. Human biology and daily life are interdisciplinary. We use and perform these functions throughout life. To have knowledge of how you can and are benefiting your quality of life through human biology is an important service to yourself as well as to others. By educating and informing others about prevention and continuation for a sustained human biology system.
Due to our Bioregion, such an activity's potential impact would be of great benefit. We have small sun exposure, and many days of rain, which causes outdoor activities to be uninviting. These factors increase the risk of rickets, muscle, and bone weakening. An activity such as gardening, even in a greenhouse, can cause a dramatic change. Human biology and daily life are interdisciplinary. We use and perform these functions throughout life. To have knowledge of how you can and are benefiting your quality of life through human biology is an important service to yourself as well as to others. By educating and informing others about prevention and continuation for a sustained human biology system.
The questions that were raised due
to the service learning activity:
1.
Are the indigenous people receiving credit or
any financial gain for supporting sciences advancement with their knowledge of
such natural treatments?
2.
Is gardening being used as a form of physical
therapy in medical treatment?
3.
Are there ways to gain access to the seeds or
plantings of these ethnobotanical native plants for growth in personal gardens?
4.
How can I find other ways to be of support to
the science in society role?
No comments:
Post a Comment