For Patrick Bondy, winner of a Rising Star award at this year鈥檚 Dalhousie student Impact Awards, it鈥檚 all about adventure.
鈥淚 think adventure is anything you experience as if for the first time,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he 鈥榓s if鈥� is important because I think the connotation around being an 鈥榓dventurer鈥� is that you have to do something like run away to Peru to do it. I disagree.鈥�
It was this idea of every-day discovery that inspired Patrick鈥檚 . At its heart, Adventure by Bus, or ABB, is simply the concept of 鈥渦sing public transit to get outside and explore the outdoors,鈥� as he puts it. But since launching the initiative in October, Patrick says it鈥檚 become so much more.
鈥淚t's really allowed me to connect with a lot of people, and spending time in nature is key to me for living well," says Patrick.
Weekly discoveries
Patrick is a first-year Arts and Social Sciences student in the Environment, Sustainability and Society program, coming to Dalhousie from Kansas City, Missouri. He based the ABB program around English author Alastair Humphreys鈥� philosophy of 鈥淢icro-Adventures鈥�: small trips which get an individual out into the world and break up the mundane nature of the day-to-day. Because of the UPass that full-time students receive with their tuition, the trips are essentially no-charge for most students, and a bus ticket or two at most for others.
Some of the destinations for the group鈥檚 hiking trips, which occur weekly during the school year, have included York Redoubt, the Northwest Arm鈥檚 Dingle, Frog Pond Park, Micmac Lake, Purcell鈥檚 Cove and more. The experience allows students like Patrick and others to get to know the Halifax region and its natural environment.
Even when the weather doesn鈥檛 always cooperate, there鈥檚 great fun to be had.
鈥淭he worst trips are often the best trips,鈥� says Patrick. 鈥淲e went on a trip to Sambro during Munro Day and it was one or two degrees and raining heavily the whole day. We went on this 20 kilometre hike and it was awful. But in the midst of that terribleness that鈥檚 where memories are forged.鈥�
Photo from a recent Adventure by Bus trip to Deadman's Island Park.
It doesn鈥檛 necessarily need to be all hardship and struggle though, as most ABB events are much more tranquil in nature, and scheduled to allow for a welcome break from hectic student life.
鈥淎 classic two-hour adventure would be to take the #1 bus route out to Dartmouth, out to the commons, and run around for as long as you like, then take the ferry back. It gives you great views of the city and is a very fun time.鈥�
Sustainability in action
Patrick is very keen on studying and exploring sustainability topics, and for him part of the appeal of the Adventure by Bus concept is that all transportation to and from its desintations is by public transit. 鈥淚t鈥檚 empowering to not need a car," he says. "I think it鈥檚 a common stereotype that you need a car to get out and experience nature, but in a city like Halifax that鈥檚 just not true.鈥�
Adventure by Bus is just one of the reasons cited for Patrick鈥檚 鈥淩ising Star鈥� Impact Award, which is an award presented to students outside of their final years of study who鈥檝e quickly demonstrated commitment, leadership, creativity and initiative in student life. He鈥檚 been an active member of the Environmental Sustainability Society, including working on its 鈥淲ave of Waste鈥� project, and he was a key organizer of the SkilledUp conference on campus which focused on helping students learn sustainability skills.
鈥淕ood work is valuable for it鈥檚 own sake, but it鈥檚 sweet to be recognized for what you do,鈥� says Patrick. He hopes the message his Rising Star award suggests is that students can, and should, think about what they can contribute to their campus and community.
鈥淵ou can actually make something new,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 necessarily think that I can change the entire world, but you can legitimately create something that wasn鈥檛 there before.鈥�
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