Andrew Baudhuin - "On the surface I expected the Hill Country to appear dry, contain rolling hills, and be covered with mostly grass, dry dirt, and a few copses of stunted Juniper trees. Most of these images in my head were derived from John Wayne movies and books I’ve read. Basically I was envisioning what the native Texan landscape used to look like before humans began to control wild fires. After going down and experiencing the landscape for myself, I realized that my perceptions were not that far off, except for the fact that the rolling hills were covered with Junipers. Instead of the scattered copses I imagined, the Junipers had literally taken over the landscape as the dominant vegetation. The class heard many different perspectives regarding the Juniper and its prevalence, with both sides having a good argument for either liking or disliking the Juniper."
Hannah Bristol - "Prior to the trip to the Texas Hill Country, I had certain ideas about what to expect in the region—some of these perceptions proved to be true, but many of them proved to be false. These perceptions generally relate to the human-environmental tradition of the geographic discipline and can be further separated into environmental and human aspects of the region. Environmentally, I was amazed to see and hear about the issues relating to water and the ash juniper tree in contrast to the sprawling urban environment of Austin and San Marcos. The demographics of the cities themselves were also somewhat surprising. Having read about the Hispanic and Tejano population in Southern Texas, I expected to see a much more conspicuous population of these groups. Not only was the Hispanic and Tejano population fairly absent from our experience, but the few Hispanics that we spoke with about religion of the Hill Country broke our previous notions about the prominence of Hispanic Catholics and the religious landscape of the area in general."
Amelia Fitzpartick - "I think my perceptions of the Hill Country have changed since visiting it. I feel that the readings we had read before visiting the Hill Country were useful; however most of them were at least 10 years old meaning the Hill Country or perceptions of the Hill Country had changed. In my opinion there are three main themes that stick out in my mind from the week; these are the ashe juniper tree, the golden cheeked warbler and water. I found it interesting how strong the Hispanic and Germanic influences still were today in the Hill Country and Central Texas."
Corrin Turkowitch - "There were two themes on the trip: balance and relationships. While at first glance, you may think I am talking about the rapport we had with our class, the laughs that shook our bellies and the photographs that will serve as memory holders for years to come, I actually am referring to all of the experiences. The Hill Country exemplifies the need for balance and healthy relationships – between humans and other humans when discussing matters of class, ethnicity and religious background, as well as humans and the environment- soils, ashe juniper, water, golden-cheek warbler and cattle. Balance is absolutely one component of the solution to our current position on this planet. After traveling to the Hill Country, I am able to see quite clearly all that is out of whack in our society – we drive too much and walk too little, we eat too much meat and neglect vegetables and we use water for all of the wrong reasons, like industry and fracking, leaving the poison residue for us to drink
Oneness, at the same time, does not mean homogenous and conformity, rather the opposite! A thriving ecosystem is diverse, and in order to ensure the survival of humanity on the current landscape we must not hide the connections we hold with the planet, the animals, the plants and all other ecosystem services that are keeping us alive. As people we must respond to the cycles and rhythms of the earth, so this means respecting the need for change. For example, the Hill Country magnified the issues of suburban and urban sprawl and the consequences on habitat management and water conservation. The amazing part of the field experience is the very material examples that one can draw from when discussing matters such as sustainability, paradigm shifts, and the need for out of the box solutions."
Oneness, at the same time, does not mean homogenous and conformity, rather the opposite! A thriving ecosystem is diverse, and in order to ensure the survival of humanity on the current landscape we must not hide the connections we hold with the planet, the animals, the plants and all other ecosystem services that are keeping us alive. As people we must respond to the cycles and rhythms of the earth, so this means respecting the need for change. For example, the Hill Country magnified the issues of suburban and urban sprawl and the consequences on habitat management and water conservation. The amazing part of the field experience is the very material examples that one can draw from when discussing matters such as sustainability, paradigm shifts, and the need for out of the box solutions."
Deanna Kainz - "A lot of my classes this semester deal with sustainability which deals with use and availability of resources. Because these things have been my focus for the last few months, sustainability was in the front of my mind when analyzing the landscapes of Texas. The first very noticeable thing in relation to sustainability is how dry Texas is and it doesn’t seem like effective measures are being taken to reserve the water that they do have. Lake Travis and the dried up creek we walked in both blew my mind. The difference in the color of grass from rural areas to urban areas was a very drastic difference. The natural landscape of Texas is dryer grass and plants that don’t require much water such as cacti. In the city, people had lush green grass that is not usual for such a dry climate. It seems like everyone within the cities were trying to keep up an image of perfection and it really showed in the presentation of their lawns. As Amanda explained to me, certain addresses are able to water their lawns on certain days of the week to keep people from using too much water. I don’t think this regulation is doing enough. People need to get over this “perfect” image when it’s completely not natural where they live and it’s harming their water supply. If they had more water to use it wouldn’t be such a big issue but watering their lawns so much is such a waste. I can definitely foresee this drought continuing and everyone is going to get a big wakeup call when they’ll seriously have to start portioning their water just for basic needs."
Lauren Weiler - "This trip has changed my perspectives of Texas immensely, the people, the landscapes, the biodiversity was thrilling and impressive to experience. I’m so glad that I went to Texas as a part of a class, if I would have gone on my own with my friends or family there is no way I could have learned or had a good of a time as I did. With both professors knowing the area and knowing all the great spots to go to really helped, but mainly it was just seeing things through a spatial and thoughtful lens as opposed to just cruising through the landscape. The “Everything is BIGGER in Texas” wasn’t as prevalent as I was expecting, the only thing as struck me as wild was Bucee’s, still telling everyone about that . . . Overall, I had an amazing trip to the Hill Country that has changed my
perceptions immensely. I will think differently of the people, the water, and
the landscape in general, they all made positive impacts on me when I thought
they would be just ‘plain ol’ Texas’. Now all my friends and family know how
great the Texas Hill country is too! Going with this class made me appreciate
everything so much more, excited to take this new outlook with me to new
places. I’ll take it with me everywhere I travel and try to see things with
more observation and searching involved, to interpret my surrounding with a new
outlook that will bring better outcomes."
Phil Glodowski - "Before we left for Texas, I had thought that it would be a completely foreign and unfamiliar environment for me. Before this class, I had no idea that Texas had such a forested and diverse landscape. This changed when we arrived in the hill country and stopped at the rest stop to view its expanse. I was reminded of the bluffs and valleys of Buffalo County here in Wisconsin, so I felt very comfortable and at home. The only difference was that in Wisconsin there is much more deciduous forest, much less limestone strewn about, and much more access to water. At any rate, at the moment I felt like I was on top of a Wisconsin Bluff, looking over the valleys. However, as we continued exploring the area throughout our trip, the place began to seem less and less familiar. Yes, it was a beautiful landscape, but after considering the looming water problem, is it really ethical to be populating such an area to such an extensive degree? I think going to the Oasis and seeing Lake Travis really knocked this point home for me. It was surreal to go to this massive ‘attraction’ only to see that it was desolate and barren. It almost seemed like a post-apocalyptic environment. I think that entire experience, if nothing else, should be a red flag to the people of the area about the critical situation that they are in."
Jeremy Huhnstock - "When I first signed up for this class last fall, I had this perspective stuck in my head that Texans all talked like “Big Steve” with his low, deep Texas accent voice and that they think they are better than everybody else because they were from Texas. My perspective about the land was that it was hot, dry, and had plants and animals that wanted to poke or bite you. I thought rattlesnakes and scorpions were everywhere and that they were going to bite me. From the place presentations I knew that there were a lot of BBQ places and that BBQ was a huge thing in Texas, but not that big. Overall, my perspective
changed after going on this trip. I
would fit in quite well down in Texas if it wasn’t so hot! I would not be able to stand the heat. The culture and people are just like in
Wisconsin, friendly and they just go about their business trying to make their
living."
Aaron Schoeder - "At the first thought of going to Texas, I was a bit nervous. The only ideas I had of it was a place of ranchers, Texas rangers, Hispanic populations, and dangerous animals. But once we started reading articles about it and talking about it in class, those perceptions slowly disappeared. That’s not to say those ideas were not still relevant once we went down there, but the romanticized idea I had about it was gone. Probably the biggest surprise to me was how many different perceptions of the Ash-Juniper tree there were. When we read about it in class I was thinking it was only isolated in certain areas and it was a necessary habitat for the golden cheeked warbler to live in. But as we talked to the folks down in Texas, I was able to develop a pretty good understanding as to how the tree affects the landscape and the bird as well. On one hand, the tree was everywhere. I have never seen that many of one kind of tree in an environment where it doesn’t fit well into the environment. Then by learning how they reproduce and multiply, it is incredible that they have not appeared in other states. Then there is the fact that they grow thick canopies so smaller grasses cannot survive and that causes issues with top soil loss. When it does rain, the tree roots are not enough to hold what little topsoil there is so it washes away. If there were grasses there, their roots could hold the soil in place and erosion would not happen as often. The other interesting fact I learned is that the best way to kill the tree is by burning it. As long as all the green is removed from the tree it will die. I thought that was really cool to see some of the junipers that had grown back from being cut down because there was still some leaves on it. The other perception I had of the juniper was that it needed to be present in order for the warbler to make its nests. But in fact the juniper only needs to be about 20-40% of the forested area and not 100% of it. From that fact, I found many of the people’s views about the tree down in Texas were a little off. It just helped open up my eyes to the many views of the Hill country and what issues help build people’s viewpoints about the environment."
Alex Handeland - "My perceptions of the Texas Hill Country before and after visiting were definitely different. For starters, I wasn’t aware that this area was so affluent. Upon seeing the landscape, however, I quickly realized why this was a desirable location. The flowing hills and beautiful scenery brings money to an area. The culture I expected was also very different than what I ended up witnessing. I expected more Hispanic individuals and rural Texans. We did see both of these groups, but for the most part they reflected a German descent that we are used to seeing in Wisconsin. Their accents weren’t as ridiculous as I expected, but the southern hospitality was very much appreciated. One perception I had of Texas was the conservative mindset. I found, however, that many people we met were very informative and pro environment . . . In conclusion, this trip was
unforgettable. When most people imagine their spring break it includes diet
coke and a beach. Ours was filled with early mornings and learning
opportunities everyday, followed by a little diet coke. I can honestly say I
wouldn’t have had it any other way. I got to experience a geographical area I
wasn’t used to, while bonding with my fellow majors. This trip made me realize
I need some fieldwork in whatever job I want to pursue. It’s not going to be
enough to analyze data; I want to create it too."
Miles Hegg - "From the stereotypes I had in my head combined with the readings we did in class, I don’t think I can honestly say that I knew what Texas was going to be like going into it. I was surprised most of the time at all of the different aspects of the state, geographical or not. The focus on geography gave us an interesting perspective on the land, people and the environmental challenges they faced. The human environmental geographical aspects of the Hill Country were stated very clearly throughout the entire trip. Starting with management of the push against environmental change to the way people react to the changing environment. It was nice to see both sides of the story when it came to the Juniper and such. I am glad we had a taste. The Golden Cheek Warbler was a prime example of what was important to the people. If you ask someone why the small and seemingly insignificant bird is important they will tell that taking anything from the cycle will affect the whole and nobody knows just how it will or how drastic, it just will. The idea of balance was very present throughout the trip and it could be tied into any part of it all. There is no right or wrong answer to the situation. It must come from a balance."
Nick Topper - "Having never been to the Hill
Country before, let alone Texas in general, my perception of Texas was completely
fabricated from movies and stereotypes. I imagined it to always be 110 degrees,
the people to be wearing Levi’s and cowboy boots, and that everything as I know
it to be in massive form. When we first got to Texas, I began to notice one,
but very prevalent reoccurring thing. Texans are extremely prideful of Texas.
From the height at which they fly their flag, to the size of their “Texas”
sized pickup trucks, you never have any doubt to exactly where you are. Once I had a better grasp on the physical geography of the area, it then allowed me to begin to apply and relate the more complex, anthropologic ideas to the Hill Country. I was blown away at the rate of development and seemingly nonexistent regard to regulating any sort of plan for building more homes. It just seemed like anyone with some land and desire to make a quick buck could sell their land and throw up a new subdivision overnight if they wanted to. This “Texas” mindset to developing in my mind needs to be seriously put in check before the entire area and its numerous endangered species get sealed in by a concrete sarcophagus where everyone then vanishes because of thirst because they drank the Edwards Aquifer dry."