Volume 20 Issue 2

The

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The TRAIL

TRAIL Vol 20 Issue 2

Spring 2025

Meet The Dad’s The TRAIL

Bella’s Dad

Aleen’s Dad

Sofia’s Dad

Meet The Dad’s The TRAIL

Will’s Dad

Lindsey’s Dad

Marshall’s Dad

The TRAIL

Patrick Walter Fowler By: Bella Fowler Coming from a long line of Rutgers graduates, Bella Fowler grew up on Cook campus and her dad, Patrick Walter Fowler, is no exception. As a Cook College graduate, he spent much of his college years around Passion Puddle and walking around campus admiring the calm environment. That tranquility is one of the most valuable parts of nature to him. His favorite tree is Quercus Rubra, commonly known as a Red Oak. His favorite class from attending Rutgers was Dendrology, where he learned how to identify trees and their latin names. He feels confident in his own task to help the environment and with the future generations continued efforts as well. His favorite outdoor activities are sitting around a campfire and drinking beers with friends and tending to his whimsical garden. His guess on what EPIB stands for is “Environmental Policy Institutional Board”.

The TRAIL

Eli Mirza By: Aleen Mirza While he may not be the most passionate environmentalist out there, Eli Mirza still has a deep appreciation for the planet. Although my dad may not always stay up to date with various environmental issues or fully understand what terms like ‘organic’ mean, he genuinely values the importance of nature. In particular, he appreciates fresh air, clean water, and the ability to live a happy and healthy life. He emphasizes how we must respect the environment for many years to come, as it is a precious gift that should not be taken for granted. My father also acknowledges the challenges our generation will face in dealing with climate change, but he firmly believes that ‘we cannot kick the can down the street any longer.’ For him, spending time outdoors or in his backyard is the perfect way to spend the weekend, as it gives him the chance to reconnect with nature it is something he does not get to do often as a full-time IT director. When it comes to enjoying all that nature has to offer, his favorite tree is the classic pine tree, with its distinctive scent and beauty always seeming to catch his eye. However, his favorite outdoor activity isn’t just observing nature but also actively engaging with it, whether it’s through landscaping or flying his drone on a slow but clear afternoon. Lastly, when asked what EPIB stands for, he confidently and proudly replied, “Environmental Protection, Institutions, and Broadcasting.” Though I’m pretty sure if I ask him again in a few days, I’ll still get a completely different answer - no matter how many times I tell him what it actually means.

The TRAIL

Frank Little By: Sofia Little

Frank Little values a lot about his environment, including trees, clean air, good weather, and open spaces. He loves the fall and the spring, the winter when it snows so he can ski, and the warm weather. He loves moon rises and sets, as well as sun rises and sets. And he loves photographing the environment- especially celestial objects (he just really likes the moon). He likes auroras, green grass, the ocean, and other stuff too...but also the moon. He spent 9 years at summer camp out in the wilderness, and he had a lot of fun there, which instilled in him a love for nature. His favorite type of tree is maple because of their variety of shapes and sizes and especially for the unique shape of their leaves. He loves how they turn yellow and auburn in the fall and how distinctive maples are, from Japanese maples to maples in Vermont that produce syrup. Despite his love for the natural world, my dad does not feel proud when thinking of passing on the world as it is, saying how his generation has done a poor job of stewardship. He looks to renewable energy to find the answer, hoping that as a society, we will focus less on oil profits and more on renewables. He wants his next car to be a hybrid! His first favorite outdoor activity is photography (he says in half-jest), and his second is skiing. As for what EPIB stands for, he guessed: Environmental Policy, Industries, and Behavior, which is close enough... he’ll get it by the time I graduate!

The TRAIL

Corny Environmentalism By: Analiese Haag

What word do you associate the most with Dad? Is it corny jokes or a recreational sports coach? Probably not sustainability, but James Haag, high school math teacher, and father of four, shows that environmental awareness has a large overlap with parenthood. Of course, there is the classic lawn maintenance like mowing, Mr. Haag’s favorite outdoor activity. But there is also a deeper connection. Two of James’ favorite trees are the maple tree because it reminds him of his wife and the family he has raised with him, and the weeping willow, which he has fond childhood memories of climbing. Evidently, the nature around us can have played a key role in the memories we have with our loved ones.

There is also a care for the environment since he knows that wildlife conservation is very important to some of his family members (aka, me, the EPIB Trail writer). His knowledge of what EPIB stands for (except he said business instead of behavior) highlights how his consideration of topics around climate change has grown due to his desire to learn what his children are passionate about. Moreover, James Haag values breathable air and clean water, two essential things for life that nature provides and yet that are often taken for granted. A concern for the effect of current and past anthropogenic actions have had on the availability of basic necessities like these was revealed through his statement that he is not particularly proud of the state of the world that will be left for future generations. Part of creating a better world for one’s family is introducing individual and institutional eco-friendly actions. Overall, James Haag illustrates how sustainability and fatherhood are deeply intertwined.

The TRAIL

Paul Clark By: William Clark My dad has been working in environmental remediation for over two decades, and has an appreciation for the simple things. He appreciates what he understands, especially what he is paid to understand. When asked what he values most about the environment, he said this: “Clean air, land, and water. These are the things we all use and enjoy, human or otherwise.”

His favorite outdoor activity is directly tied to his favorite activity in general: collecting. From matchbox cars to comic books, he has never been one to turn down rare pieces that can complete his shelves. In a way, he is more sustainable than me, collecting things from the past rather than buying whatever is the newest and shiniest. With this love of good finds comes his love of flea markets, an outdoor activity best suited for collectors and hagglers alike. Since before I was born he was going to flea markets looking for whatever interested him and could complete his latest catalogue of military munitions boxes or coins. When asked his favorite type of tree, he answered three words: “Oak. Simple, strong.”

Although he has a keen interest in my studies and student activities, he did not know what EPIB stood for. His guess was not too bad, “Environmental Policy…. In Business?” Not too far off, if you think about it.

Finally, when asked how he felt about the current state of the world and his generation’s passing-on to ours, he had this to say: “I try to do my part but these dumb ******** in Washington. . . I guess the answer is I didn’t vote for this insanity, and I hope they don’t mess it up too bad.”

For the sake of publishing some words had to be censored.

The TRAIL

Steve Wiessner By: Lindsey Wiessner

Stephen Wiessner is the Executive Director of Flat Rock Brook Nature Center in Englewood, New Jersey, which is a 150-acre nature preserve with an environmental learning center and approximately 3.6 miles of hiking trails. As a graduate of Cook College here at Rutgers, Steve has a deep knowledge of how ecology and society connect in New Jersey and beyond. When asked what he values about the environment, Steve explained that he feels “the environment is worth preserving because it is a place that everyone can enjoy for free as a resource of beauty and enjoyment for the community.” Nature preserves, like Flat Rock Brook, allow for environmental services to be appreciated by everyone free of cost, making them extremely valuable to society as a whole. Next, I asked Steve what his favorite tree was, and he explained that he is very fond of the American Beech Tree. Steve’s favorite outdoor activities are hiking and basketball. He tends to hike around the trails at Flat Rock frequently while also visiting other parks like the Appalachian Trail. While he enjoys indoor basketball as well, Steve likes to play basketball outside at nearby courts whenever the weather is nice enough. When asked if he felt proud of passing the world on to our generation in the state that it is in, he said, “No, I feel like our generation and past generations could have done more to have an environment that is better positioned for the future generations.” When asked what the acronym “EPIB” stands for, he correctly answered, “Environmental Policy, Institutions and Behavior.”

The TRAIL

Greg McCullough By: Marshall McCullough

Greg McCullough is an IBM manager who completed his education at Ithaca College in New York. When asked about what he values in the Environment, he said, “It’s everything, so it’s hard to say one thing”. Greg has a deep appreciation for the environment, specifically for the access to open green spaces around his home. His favorite type of tree is “Whatever the birch tree in my backyard is”, which I assume is a Black Birch. He also commented that “My favorites are the ones that don’t fall on my house”. He wasn’t proud of the world being passed down to our generation, however, he feels that many people around the world, in his generation and the ones before, are working their hardest to improve that world. He carries hope that when the time comes to truly hand off the world to us, it will be in a notably better state than it is now. His favorite outdoor activity is his daily walks with the family dog, Koda. He enjoys bringing Koda to the previously mentioned open spaces and running with him in fields. His best guess for what EPIB could stand for was Environment Policy and International Business. Greg gets a 2 out of 4 for his answer.

The TRAIL

Greg and Steve’s Big Day