Quaking

Hi Everyone! I wrote Quaking for my fiction class as part of a writing exercise. We were told to pick a news article and use it as a branching point for a scene. I came across this link and began writing. I hope you enjoy!

Quaking

Sometimes I worry about what could fall on my head or if I’ll come home one day to see my building shaking. I might reach the block and see my neighbors’ buildings in a heap upon the ground, or worse—them crushed to the concrete. Yet today, I didn’t wonder because my worry became the real thing.

I live with a fault line.

I was walking to my apartment from my office building. The sun was warm overhead and dogs ran through the parks. I saw people holding hands and cars rolling past. Then, I lost my balance.

I heard roaring like a cement truck, but still only cars rolled past. As I wobbled back atop my feet, I watched the dogs pause, noses to the air. My heart started pounding and I wished it would’ve stopped, for I think it sent vicious waves straight down the block.

Those waves of vengeful energy lifted the streets. They threw people down screaming and ripped the leaves off the trees.

I started running to my apartment, sick to think of impending doom, but I couldn’t stay in the open or my bones would be lost in engineering’s tomb.

I know this, because as the street stretched up, moaning, I watched the buildings dance side to side to the roar of dissonant music. I heard the people scream to make them stop, as if dance wasn’t soulful here, but of course they couldn’t. They wouldn’t.

They wanted to crumble, and crash they did.

From afar, I watched them shorten, buildings who once stopped the drifting clouds. They fainted from exertion or found it amusing to spread across the ground. They covered the displeased audience—my people.

Dust particles entered my nose, turning mucous to cement. I hoped it would cloud my vision of the horror ahead, but outside of our dreams, reality never quits.

Yet earthquakes do.

Only five blocks later and the turmoil ran its course. My city died in a heartbeat and I had to wonder.

I knew I should.

Could I leave my people crying, homeless within one small slice of the clock? Who will clean up the messes—all the dirt, blood, broken hearts?

I can’t help but think I had a premonition. I must’ve known what was to come, but I worried and now I wonder.

Would this still have been real had I told someone?

We've Lost Our Nature

     Hello readers! Has it been a while since I posted or what? Taking summer classes was a great decision, but it caused my blog posts to slide. 

     One class was poetry, where I wrote the poem below. My summer consisted of biology, poetry, and contemplating how to bring the earth to the mind of those who don't consider it much. I think this poem encompasses that nicely. Enjoy! :) 

We’ve Lost Our Nature

Where earth’s encased in concrete a flower grows through a sidewalk crack  

Trying     telling us something

Down the bleak path between skyscrapers

blocking sun   a person     

eyes  focused    on wrong things   

In a one-room boarded box worlds away  

sits me—hand with pen  

Moving     contemplating

                                how to speak for flowers           

(If speaking could carve grey burdens…)

Would society understand?   Will they listen

flower searching     for sun  

when I tell them

where to weld their corneas 

 invest their hands?

.        .        .

Grasp the concrete

under the crack I ask.

Lift brave, exposing roots.

Stare at land, at last

able to breath and know

flower cries relief.

Feel your heart thrum in time

with the pulse of primitive life,

enriching us before

we cemented our souls.

But we progress—dismissing flowers.

Reindeer: “Cattle of the North”

I wrote this article for my school newspaper. It is about the Reindeer Research Program at UAF. The farm promotes research and agriculture, and it is relevant to resource management. Plus, the baby deer are so cute! Enjoy.

Reindeer: “Cattle of the North”

Three calves have already been born this season at the at the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station farm, also known as the Reindeer Farm.

The first calf of the season and her mom live in a pen at the reindeer farm with other deer who have never calved before 2015. Jessica Herzog/Sun Star

They are part of UAF’s Reindeer Research Program, where the “cattle of the north,” as Darrell Blodgett, program data specialist  says, are housed and studied. The herd started when 20 deer from a Seward Peninsula were brought to UAF in 1997. It is now the program’s 15th year with calves, Blodgett said.

Reindeer are synonymous with Santa in the Lower 48, Blodgett said. But at UAF, the 74 reindeer enable agriculture, research about nutritional studies and meat quality and a relationship with natives on the Seward Peninsula.

The Reindeer Research Program is the only one of its kind in the world, George Aguiar, program research professional, said. People across the globe “tap into our database,” discovering the farm’s applied research, which starts with calves.

This is student-farmhand Haley Heniff’s second calving season on the farm. She is a junior studying wildlife biology at UAF.

“I feel like I have been trained to sense what to do and how to handle any calving situation,” she said. She has helped with several births, ensuring the best care for the deer.

“It’s easy to get attached to the deer, especially calves,” Heniff said. “I certainly have my favorites, but don’t tell them.“

Although Heniff gets attached to the animals, she “has no reservations” about reindeer research, she said.

Studying aspects of meat quality is vital when choosing a product to feed yourself and your family. The farm educates people about reindeer, which aren’t studied in many other places, she said.

Workers grow different grasses and experiment with food sources, exploring reindeer weight gain and food preference. Meat is presented to taste panels to create a satisfactory product, Blodgett said. Workers test satellite collars on the herd for use on the Seward Peninsula herds. The farm even made a portable slaughterhouse to encourage the presence of inspected reindeer slaughterhouses in Alaska, Blodgett said.

The research is crucial to promoting reindeer agriculture, especially for Alaskans and natives who own the Seward Peninsula herds, Blodgett said. The farm herd has been an indicator for the Seward Peninsula herds since the mid-1980s.

Applying research from the farm to the Seward Peninsula herds can help make reindeer production viable to benefit the natives, Aguiar said.

People from the farm used the mobile slaughterhouse to teach residents of Nome how to process their own animals, Blodgett said.

Without a slaughterhouse, people field-slaughter their deer on frozen ground. Meat is sold across Alaska, but outside of the state the meat is labeled “eat at your own risk,” Aguiar said.  This causes meat prices to decrease in value.

However, reindeer meat is very valuable if grown and marketed correctly.

“Reindeer can live where other livestock can’t,” Aguiar said, and reach market weight in 27 months. This makes them great livestock for Alaska and elsewhere.

The meat contains 25 percent protein and tastes sweeter than other meats.

“Its good quality threatens beef,” Aguiar said. People will pay $30 for prime cuts, but there are no deer auctions so putting a “tried and tested” auction price on the meat is challenging, he said.

To determine a base-line meat price,the farm will auction some non-producing steers during the summer of 2015 to see what people will pay for the meat, Blodgett said. 

The Reindeer Farm is “an animal production facility focusing on producing meat,” Aguiar said. They have and will continue to research and improve reindeer agriculture and production with their herd. Educating, encouraging and supporting reindeer producers benefits people. After realizing this, everything done at the farm makes sense, Aguiar said.

 *This article originally appeared on April 14, 2015 in the UAF Sun Star. Additional pictures were added. Thank you to Darrell Blodgett, George Aguiar, and Haley Heniff for your insight.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everyone! Today is the holiday where we give back to the earth and take time to contemplate how our actions effect the environment and ecosystems. I encourage you to start making changes to become more sustainable today.

First, I encourage you to watch The Lorax. When I was little, I watched it and was influenced to express concern for my surroundings, but the movie has relevance for people of any age.

I like the message and the simplicity of it. Without the use of confusing language and scare tactics, we are nicely reminded to consider the environment and the impact we have upon it.

Furthermore, there is a multitude of actions you can take, both small and momentous, to support a better earth. Just research terms like "sustainability" or "zero waste" to generate ideas. After seeing what you can do, take the initiative to implement what works best for you to help out the environment.

Here are some sites I like:

Learn how to reduce the amount of waste you generate at zerowastehome.com
Figure out how and where to recycle things you didn't know were recyclable at earth911.com
Learn about composting on a large or small scale at eartheasy.com


Enjoy your Earth Day and I hope you all have the chance to get outdoors and start "going green"!

The North American Wildlife Conservation Model

This post is lengthy, but very important for everyone to be aware of. Maybe one resolution for 2015 could be learning about wildlife and ecosystems. They are the basis for enjoyment and opportunity. They affect us all regardless of age, location, or status. The North American Wildlife Conservation Model is the only one of its kind, helping sustain ecosystems and access to them. Unfortunately, people aren't aware of the model and its influence. Below you can read all about it!

Recognizing your personal role in maintaining the North American Wildlife Conservation Model is the best way to sustain ecosystems for society today and tomorrow. This model promotes varied wildlife use for every individual. It demands the scientific management to ensure ecosystem integrity. Furthermore, it enables powerful conservation efforts. Each person should learn about the model and make decisions to support it so the model remains effective.

Three key areas of impact could arise if the North American Model disappeared. These include the disappearance of the Public Trust Doctrine, suffering of ecosystem balance, and dismissal of synergized conservation efforts. Our best link to wildlife is the North American Model, but too few people realize its significance and the depth of these issues.

Diversity of wildlife use depends on the Public Trust Doctrine. Under the doctrine, wildlife protection is entrusted to the government, while the public owns the wildlife (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation).  Everyone has the opportunity and responsibility to develop systems of wildlife conservation and use (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). One sad circumstance could result if this doctrine disappeared along with the North American Model.

The first impact is now introduced, implemented by certain organizations. They say animals can’t be owned because they are akin to humans (The Wildlife Society, 2010). But if animals aren’t owned, people no longer encounter and use wildlife to their enjoyment and benefit. Thus, the right of many individuals has become the privilege of a select few organizations

Another impact is the dismissal of scientific management. Researchers with years of knowledge and experience (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation) use science so that wildlife “can be renewably and sustainably managed” (The Wildlife Society, 2010) and protected. But the organizations may try to manage wildlife without sound scientific principles. Possibly, they believe science is invasive or expensive. Perhaps they are simply ignorant to the success of scientific principles. Regardless, ecosystem health and wildlife fall short of full potential. For example, carrying capacity is ignored, leading to overpopulation, lack of food, disease, and ultimately the decimation of a once sound ecosystem. Science prevents ecosystem afflictions, but can’t be guaranteed without the model.

Lastly, the disappearance of the North American Model equates a dwindling of conservation efforts. Hunting and fishing are rights under the model and a large part of the conservation force. (Remember that hunting is the regulated and respectful harvest of animals, while poaching is criminal activity thriving on disrespect for the public and wildlife). In 2010, 749 million dollars from gun and ammunition taxes arrived at state wildlife agencies (Piccione, 2012). This money improves habitat and helps game wardens manage ecosystems. Furthermore, organizations like Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and Ducks Unlimited are overwhelmingly comprised of hunters and exhibit impressive impact. Hunting is a massive move for conservation, an activity that requires collaborative effort from all of us.

Without the North American Model, people are unable to use their wildlife so they become unconcerned. Thus, they leave conservation efforts up to organizations and disregard public force.  But conservation depends on all of our ideas, efforts, and funding. It is not a concept accomplished by one organization.

With such impactful problems potentially occurring, we may ponder their causes. One reason is a lack of knowledge. People don’t learn about their ecosystems and managing them with proven biological principles. Furthermore, people possess no personal stance. They don’t hunt or view themselves as “outdoorsy” so they never considered the meaning of animals. These people won’t show wildlife significant support due to indifference. Lastly, insufficient research exists pertaining to the organizations people choose to support. People don’t know what the organization truly believes, choosing to focus on the poster message and not read between the lines. Unknowingly, they weaken the model through their organizational support. These are the main causes of the disappearance of the North American Model.

Despite the numerous issues we and our ecosystems could face, we can take steps to maintain what is rightfully ours. Decide why you care about wildlife and your uses for wildlife. Know what the model is and why the doctrine, science, and hunting make it work. Devote time to researching your local ecosystems. All of this knowledge clarifies the model so you can make educated choices. We must use this knowledge to take action when the time arises.

Tomorrow, an organization might come to your door. For example, PETA proclaims the National Audubon Society regards animals as “resources to be harvested or pests to be eliminated” (PETA). Yet upon visiting the Audubon website, you find that Audubon is partnering with landowners to ensure farm land works for birds, people, and communities (The National Audubon Society). You must decide which organization deserves your support based on your knowledge, research, and stance. This is crucial due to the amount of control organizations potentially have.

Organizations attempt to promote their agendas through messages, projects, and even laws. New laws control wildlife use and management; either enhancing or deteriorating the model. The model links you to wildlife, so know your stance and vote accordingly. Imagine if you can’t try fishing because you don’t own the wildlife. Or you visit a national park and don’t see nearly as many animals as you anticipated because the ecosystem wasn’t scientifically managed. These are unfortunate consequences prevented by proper organization support and environmental voting decisions.

Problems affecting both people and wildlife occur if the North American Wildlife Conservation Model disappears. These happen because of a loss of ecosystem knowledge, personal stance, and organization research. But you can devote time to learning and use your knowledge to support organizations and vote for laws that keep the North American Model alive. The model facilitates experience, use, and enjoyment wildlife for every generation. “The model is second to none and the most democratic and sustainable system the world has ever seen” (Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation). Do your part to keep the model alive so society and wildlife benefit in the best ways possible today and tomorrow.

by Jessica Herzog

A moose in Denali National Park

References

The National Audubon Society. Putting working lands to work for birds & people. Retrieved from http://conservation.audubon.org/putting-working-lands-work-birds-people-2

PETA. Are there wildlife organizations that I should be concerned about supporting? [FAQ page] Retrieved from http://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/are-there-wildlife-organizations-that-i-should-be-concerned-about-supporting/#ixzz3KCOdVjsi  

Piccione, M. (2012, February 1). How hunting helps wildlife. Retrieved from http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/01/how-hunting-helps-wildlife/  

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The north American wildlife conservation model. Retrieved from http://www.rmef.org/Conservation/HuntingIsConservation/NorthAmericanWildlifeConservationModel.aspx

The Wildlife Society. (2010, September). The public trust doctrine: Implications for wildlife management and conservation in the united states and Canada. Retrieved from http://www.fw.msu.edu/documents/ptd_10-1.pdf  

Happy Earth Month

I should've posted this in the beginning of April to kick off Earth Month. Spring also shouldn't be the busiest time of year for me! Anyway, this is the first poem I wrote about the environment. It was for a sixth grade project. We wrote a little storybook filled with pictures and whatever we wanted to say about ourselves. Sixth grade was when I started to care about the environment after hearing all the big news about global warming. This poem has and still does describe the way I feel about earth. It didn't have a title back then, but I suppose I'll call it "World" now.

World

The blue and green gem that is our world,

too large for any ring,

to small to be left alone,

but just big enough for us to hold it in our hands,

as long as we are willing to share it with the good,

and protect it from the evil,

and love it always...

no matter what

by Jessica Herzog

P.S. I'll keep up with the posting since spring break starts tomorrow. It's about time for some free time!

Dark is our Teacher

     Throughout the past few months, there have been multiple suicides in my town. Everyone in my school feels the losses as a pain of their own and the community wants to ensure that people get help before it's too late. I attended a lantern lighting ceremony last night to honor the suicide victims and their families. It was a great event that helped start healing, closure, and hope. The event also triggered some thoughts of my own relating to my experiences.

     The poem below is what I wrote to explain that believe it or not, the phrase "it gets better" is true. I want people to stick around to be able to realize this and learn that tough times do make people stronger. Everything else I post about in my blog can't be enjoyed if a person isn't alive to experience it. Everyone has their purpose in the world, from something small like making someone laugh from a joke stated in class or something large like contributing to a long lasting friendship. People need to remember to stay strong and that every storm passes, no matter how hopeless and weak they feel at the moment.

Lessons from the Dark

The world is a magnificent place, yet we can’t enjoy it if we are nonexistent.

I know the feeling of being weighted down so much that I thought I could never be lifted.

But, stemming from the darkest times of my life are the reasons why I must overcome strife.

Down deep in a hole was where I learned what I never thought a person could know.

Climbing out to the edge was a glorious relief.

Mirroring the climb, my new-found perspectives are steep.

I know the field of utmost despair.

I know the profound appreciation of life a person gains from having to sit there.

I know the anguish of being banished from the sun.

I know the overflowing of love a person has to give after the battle is won.

I know the fear of not knowing tomorrow.

I know the fighter inside someone who overcomes sorrow.

I know frailty and meekness, destruction and hate.

I know that healing is possible, no matter how long we must patiently wait.

I might feel regret for my darkened past and the mistakes I made in my life.

But, I know that people will never achieve deeper knowledge and brighter selves unless they stay strong through strife.

Don’t give up on yourself or the people that surround you.

You have lessons to learn that will surely astound you.

by Jessica Herzog

The Reasons why I Wrote Imajin8

I'm not the owner of a single track mind.
I perpetually crave a new view.
Luckily I reside in a world where ideas are far from few.

I have brain built for thinking and legs made strong for walking.
With enough ambition the world is mine for the taking.

We can all open our front doors.
We can find new inspiration.
Boredom only happens when creativity stops flowing.

If I could make the world better and light up a few faces I could accomplish a purpose.
I want to show people that contentment can come in surplus.

Let's take a step outside.
Let's turn the wheel of creation.
I can assure you greatness will come sans hesitation.

Just open your mind.
Discover new a new view.
Imagine what can happen from the power of you!

by Jessica Herzog