SanJac Students Get New Perspective on Ecology and Government

FRIENDSWOOD, TX -- Students from San Jacinto College’s Great Outdoors student club embarked on the club's first overnight camping trip to visit South Llano River State Park in the Texas Hill Country, providing students a learning opportunity outside the classroom.

Subjects of government and geology were taught. Students also talked about state park conservation and policies.

Denise Sanchez, a student at SanJac and an experienced hiker and camper, took part in the overnight camping trip, and said the trip was a learning experience.

"While on a summit, I asked questions about human impact on the environment, and the actions we could take as a community," she told the Houston Chronicle. "Professor Liana Boop talked about nature and how it has changed, while professor Cody Pogue talked about how to get involved to make real change happen."

The professors, who helped launch the new student club at San Jacinto College's North Campus, serve as the club's faculty advisers.

"A government that supports open spaces and conservation is conducive to people being able to enjoy the great outdoors," he said. "When I can add a personal story to explain a government institution in a class, it becomes more interesting. So, when I talk about the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, I usually includes some photos and a story of two of my hiking experiences at Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park."

To learn more about the trip to the state park, visit www.facebook.com/BoopGeology/photos.

Image: Nicolas Henderson via Flickr