This past summer, Zeke Kingsbury’25 attended Coe College’s Wilderness Field Station in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Students at the field station have the opportunity to take classes such as environmental justice and nature writing while canoeing and camping for ten days. Some students elect to take these courses towards their majors, but students of any major can apply for this opportunity.

Zeke had the opportunity to develop teamwork skills during outdoor activities. With such a small group of people, each person’s individual role is crucial to keeping the team on track. When stressful situations arose, everybody’s unique abilities came together, solidifying the tight-knit team.

The first day of the eight day trip required a two hour drive to the drop off point. A storm the week prior had caused the water levels to drastically increase, leading to difficulties as the class portaged down the river. Portaging is when you carry a canoe and supplies between locations, an essential part of this trip as the students were to spend over a week camping.

Other patrons on the river prefaced their trips with warnings like “people went over the falls earlier this morning” and “when you get to the portage, be sure to grab onto the rope, or things will go poorly,” which did not inspire confidence in the class. The class persisted, but when they arrived, the waters had turned to rapids.

The class voted to find a new drop-off point, with Zeke being the one in favor of this idea, and quickly found a new location. The water was safer there, but there were still small rapids. There was no way around them, so the class canoed through. Spencer, the instructor, had his canoe flipped by the waves and all of their supplies went into the water. Wet, cold, and exhausted, they attempted two more times to canoe through the rapids, but both were unsuccessful, leading to a nighttime hike through the forest with the canoes and supplies to set up camp for the night.

This airtight crew also had the chance to bond in the sauna. While Zeke says it was embarrassing and awkward, it was equally awkward for everybody and they were all in it together. This is one of his favorite memories of the trip.

On this trip, Zeke learned a lot about bugs and nature, the knowledge of which is essential for his new position as a Community Fellows Intern at Nature at the Confluence, where he works with kids to educate them on their surroundings. He has found that the kids are fascinated by the bugs and love when he can explain more about them.

He applied for this course hoping for a breath of novelty to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. As a liberal arts student, he had little experience in STEM and needed this mental space to reflect on his goals. This trip was a breath of fresh air that helped him realize his goal of going to law school, which he is currently in the process of applying for.

Zeke’s advice for other students is to engage with nature and step out of your comfort zone. It’s the best way to realize what you really want and to reconnect with yourself.