Reflections on “Animate Landscapes,” Penikese Island, and The Gull Island Institute
What did our experience on Penikese Island mean for us?
Welcome to this section of the website, where Professor Justine Quijada and her students from the “Animate Landscapes” course share their reflections on their transformative experience at Penikese Island. These reflections delve into the personal significance of the trip, its connection to the course material, and the diverse methods of learning encountered in this unique setting.
Reflections on the Penikese Island Experience
The Penikese Island trip held unique significance for each participant, yet we were all deeply impacted by our shared experiences on the island. This section features individual student reflections, exploring the personal meaning of the journey, as well as insights into how the course, the foundational principles of The Gull Island Institute, and the island’s unique environment converged to shape our collective experience.
Individual Student Reflections
What did our experience on Penikese Island mean to each of us?
This section features student reflections on their transformative experiences during the “Animate Landscapes” Penikese Island trip. Students share how engaging with the land, working together, and living in community deepened their understanding of course concepts like “Land as Pedagogy” and the interconnectedness of knowledge, care, and reciprocity. Their reflections highlight the unique ways the island and its rhythms served as both a setting and a teacher, fostering personal growth, academic insight, and a renewed connection to place and community.
Reflection on “Animate Landscapes” and Penikese Island
How did our experience on Penikese Island intersect with the ideas and concepts we have studied in the “Animate Landscapes” course?
This section discusses how the Penikese Island trip transformed the “Animate Landscapes” course by bridging theoretical study with direct engagement with the land. Inspired by indigenous cosmologies and the concept of “Land as Pedagogy,” the trip allowed students to connect viscerally with the natural world, deepening their understanding of the course material and their own relationships to place.
Reflection on “Animate Landscapes” and the Gull Island Institute
How did the three pillars of The Gull Island Institute intersect with our experience on Penikese Island?
This section highlights how the Penikese Island experience transformed students from passive learners into an engaged, self-governed community. Through shared labor and mutual care, students took ownership of the trip, creating a collaborative space for meaningful connection with one another and the island. Their reflections emphasize how this sense of community allowed them to fully engage with the natural beauty around them and the concepts studied in the course, turning the experience into something profoundly personal and impactful.
