Redesigning Our Future

By: Jumana Mograbi The focus group walking to their destination in the  Ecological Preserve Bright and early the campers in the Backbone focus group headed out to the Ecological Preserve for their bird catching activity. The campers studied the birds and the sounds which attracted them into the net which they later on set up in the Preserve. The campers then set up an iPod underneath the net which projected bird calls in order to attract them. After a 45 minute wait, a bird flew into the net and went quickly down the slope into the bottom of the net. The campers observed the features and structure, and all got a chance to hold each bird. After the bird was studied and observed, it was released and set free again. We interviewed Alyssa, a camper who participated in the activity about her experience this morning: " What did you think of this activity? " A: "Very interesting, it took a lot of patience to wait for the bird and it took a lot of con...

Robin Emmons, Founder and Executive Director of  Sow Much Good  By Payton Coleman & Alia Dahlan On the first day of the National Environmental Summit 2014 , Robin Emmons spoke to around 50 excited campers on Catawba College campus.  After an introduction from President Brien Lewis and Dr. John Wear, the founder and executive director of Sow Much Good spoke about the start and success of her non-profit organization.  Her journey began when she realized that the homeless condition of her brother was detrimental to his health and well-being. After he was arrested for having a schizophrenic episode in public, Emmons gained guardianship of him and enrolled him in a mental health institute. This organization did not have enough funding to provide healthy food for its patients, which gave Emmons' brother physical health problems.  Emmons decided to quit her job in the finance industry, telling her husband that she had a plan, although she did not at...