Here you get to see the north end of our beautiful campus! At present, things look a little different, as construction on the new wetlands project has begun. If you look just above all these building, you can see the horse pens. This is where the wetlands project will be.
Guess What Kind of Bird Took This Picture!
These pictures were taken–not by a bird–but by a digital camera on a remote-controlled model airplane, which was ingenuously sent up by one of our many interesting instructors, Gordon Gilchrist.
Gord seems to be a man of many talents, which he shares with his students. He teaches geospatial technologies like AutoCAD to Land and Horticulture students. Previously he also taught structures and utilities farmyard layout in the Ag Management program.
Gord has a true belief in allowing his students to learn outside of the box and outside of the country! A few years ago, following Hurricane Katrina, Olds College students went to Louisiana to help in the clean-up process. Every student who went said it radically changed their life.
Olds College Team Cleaning Up After Hurricane Katrina
Volunteering In Louisiana Was A Valuable Experience
In May 2009, he went with some staff and students on an educational tour to Bolivia to study the unique and diverse agricultural styles they use there. A great chance for students to learn more and make connections!
Presently, Gord is on a leave from Olds College, while he volunteers with an organization called A Better World. He is using his skills and gifts to help people in other countries organize themselves to fix local problems in their communities. So far he has been in China, Tibet and India. Twice he has been to Haiti and as I write this, he is back in India. After the big tsunami, he was out there helping, as well.
The first thing he does to help is identify the problems. Then he finds people living in the community who have the necessary skills and/or expertise to solve the problems. He gets all those people together so they can work as a strong team and solve their problems locally.
Gord Gilchrist Blogging From Haiti
Gord says he cannot do this on his own. When he doesn’t know something, he draws on the advice and knowledge of one or more of his 79 Olds College colleagues who are back in Canada. They can all be proud of how they are reaching out and helping others from so far away. And as an Olds College student, I am proud of them, too.
(Thanks to Gordon Gilchrist for sharing your photos and your stories. Keep up the good work!)
