MANGROVE PLANTING. :)

This is where I stood while waiting for the others to come

        This write up does not only serve as a reaction to the activity that was done just last September 3, 2011, but this will also speak of what I have observed before going to the venue as well as the things that are seen on the venue itself. It was agreed that all of us are to meet and to gather at the rotunda, before 6am. There were those who came very early but there were those who came late as well; in every activity, that is always inevitable.

          

       We left the school at 6:30, everybody was excited for the reason that the place remained to be unknown for most of us. Upon arriving at the edge of a village (which also remains unknown to me), we had ourselves unloaded from the jeepney and then walked for us to reach the river. I personally was not surprised about the only channel of transportation –banka– for us to get to the venue since I was told about that during the orientation. Although I was not surprised, I wouldn’t deny the fact that I became very nervous since it was my first time to get to ride on a banka. The houses near the river are poorly made and the people too live in an unfortunate lifestyle. Anyway, there were only two bankas  that accommodated all of us. When we reached the other point, my friends and I thought that the area is just very near from the shore, but it certainly wasn’t. We had to walk for minutes; believe me, it was really far! We were so daft not noticing that there is a better pathway; we walked through the one that had many rocks of different sorts. You just can’t imagine how the rocks have hurt our feet. It took us some time to realize that there is a flat-surfaced pathway found on the side. Seeing it was really a great relief since it was certainly a great effort walking through the stony-surfaced one.

My classmates and I, going to the respective places where we were assigned

      The venue did surprise me; as well as the propagules. I honestly did not know how and what it looks like then. Some Political Science professors also went to the venue, and they were the ones who instructed and told us what to do. We started planting the propagules after the lecture has ended. All of us participated and found it as a productive activity for the reason that we somehow did something good for Mother Earth. 

Grace and I, heading to the "other" shore

        The activity is inspiring because it encourages us to do something that’s beneficial for the planet. Although I do not know of the particularities about how it helps the ecosystem, I remain faithful that it will if not now, in the future. We also have to inspire and encourage those who live just footsteps away from the rehabilitation center because they do not have to travel just to keep an eye of the propagules. After planting, we gathered again since breakfast is to be served. We are thankful to the Heavenly Father who guided us all though out the undertaking, to the professors who were with us, and to our History 198 professor because if it isn’t because of her, we didn’t realize how noble the cause was. 

My excited classmates

      We are still hoping to get ourselves involved in public service in the future. At the end of the day, we didn’t just bond with our classmates but with the professors as well. It was a productive day!