Strickland Takes Part in Brevard College's Voice of the Rivers Expedition

Karin Strickland of Irmo participated in Brevard College's College's Voice of the Rivers (VOR) team.

Strickland is part of a group of Brevard College students and professors who embarked on an 18-day, nearly 300-mile kayak and canoe expedition that follows the Cape Fear Watershed in North Carolina from its northwest-most source at the headwaters down the Haw River and Cape Fear River to Bald Head Island where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

As the team paddles down the river, each participant studies, reflect on, and share the experience through the unique lens of their individual discipline. During the trip, Associate Professor of Recreation, Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education Clyde Carter and Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Amie Scheidigger teaches courses on river expeditions and environmental crime.

As they travel and camp along the river, the team gains a first-hand understanding of the many ecosystems found along the full length of the river in ways rarely experienced by today's average citizen. At the heart of its mission the VOR team hopes to meet as many people as possible, who live, work, recreate, depend on, and care about the river. They will hear their stories and ultimately share their own stories of these encounters with all who care to listen.

VOR students - whose majors include art, theatre and environmental science - are required to post daily journal entries, photos and videos of their travels and experiences online using Facebook, blogs and the Brevard College Web site:www.brevard.edu/VOR

Since its inaugural 1997 expedition from Brevard, N.C. to the Gulf of Mexico, the Voice of the Rivers program at Brevard College has offered students and faculty an opportunity to paddle and study a variety of ecologically and culturally significant rivers.

The VOR experience-which combines academics with outdoor exploration-is designed to educate the public and raise awareness of activities that threaten rivers; bring attention to organizations and groups poised to address those threats; and foster a sense of stewardship and community activity among the students who participate.

Strickland also was named to the Dean's List for the spring semester of the 2011-2012 academic year.

To be eligible for the Dean's List, a student must be enrolled full-time and earned a 3.50 grade point average or higher for the semester.