Adventure Learning Grant: South American Migration, Environmental Impacts through Fish, and Western Colonial Expressive Art Relations

Sequoia Pullella-Barca Exploring Venezuelan Migration in Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru The focus of my year on the ALG was to understand the experience of Venezuelan refugees as they left their homes and moved all over the continent. Additionally, I wanted to understand the perspectives of the people in countries that were receiving refugees (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru). I worked with two very different organizations in Ecuador, and learned so much about resilience, community, compassion, and culture. I was incredibly moved by the generosity of people that I met during my trip, and the sheer number of amazing things that can happen when you are open to adventure. Gloria Goni-Mcateer Colonialism, Invasive Species, and Climate Change through the Fish Eye Lens For my ALG grant I traveled to Patagonia, Chile and New Zealand. During this time I worked with scientist studying the impacts of salmon farms, I interviewed policy makers and Department of Conservation employees, I fished with local guides and indigenous tribe members, and I caught and released more fish than I can count! I learned about the dark roots of colonialism, the detrimental social and environmental impacts of introduced species, and how climate change and industrialization is impacting our fisheries. Clare Casey The Dreaming- appreciating Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander expressive arts: Reimagining world-views through models of tradition and identity in a contemporary world. Expressive arts can be used as a model in the appreciation of who we are, where we come from, and how we operate in a contemporary global worldview. Utilizing the adventure-learning platform, I will activate modes of listening and learning about the journeys of colonized indigenous peoples. This is my opportunity in juxtaposing assumptions, coming directly from a Western-influenced worldview, with the traditional ways of being in the oldest societies on Earth- that of Australian Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders- deepening my understanding of the ‘other’ before and during colonization, and reimagining future modes of leadership and communication in social practice