From May to August, senior Biology majors Adam Rice and Theo Kuntz worked on Longwood's Hull Springs Farm in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Their mission was to gather as much information on the farm as possible about everything from history to wildlife and to compile this information for the utilization of the university.
Their internship was approved by Dr. Fink and Dr. Akre, both of the Biology Department, and the students received guidance from the Advisory Directors of The Hull Springs Farm Foundation, Bobby Burton and Katie Register.
Their internship required them to do some really interesting work; they hacked deep into the woods with machetes, canoed out to nearby sandbars, and much more. The things that they did on a daily basis would make any troop of boy scouts jealous.
There were difficulties that the two faced in completing this task as well: They once got lost in the 400 acre pine stand, for example. They knew that if they kept going straight in one direction that they would eventually get out, but their machete was starting to get dull.
But their exploration of the property was not nearly as difficult as describing it. "The hardest was putting all of our experiences and the fun we had into words," said Kuntz.
Hull Springs Farm is "a 662 acre site in Westmoreland County that is situated between two tributaries to the Potomac River," according to its page on the Longwood website, but to many students, especially these two, it has become much more than that.
"Hull Springs just has a wealth of everything," explained Kuntz. This is no exaggeration. The land has a great deal of forested area, farm land, and water frontage. The farm's location on the Northern Neck puts it close to many important historic sites, including Nomini Hall. It is also home to a great number of local plants and animals, which the two searched for and photographed during their time at the farm.
"We just kept our eyes and ears open," said Kuntz. Thanks to this policy, they were able to locate a family of eagles, amongst other things, even what they believed to be the indication of a bobcat.
Currently, the farm is frequented by Anthropology and Biology majors, who go there as part of several different classes. "I know the first time I went there was for Aquatic Ecology," explained Kuntz "we jumped right in to trudging through a swamp." It's this kind of hands on learning that makes the farm such an asset to the university.
"Being in a classroom can be boring," Kuntz said. At Hull Springs, "you actually get to be outside with people and experience things together; it's a bonding experience."
Accommodations on the farm are typically agreeable. Students often go prepared to camp out, but there is a large cabin for them to stay in. Now, partially thanks to the work of Adam and Theo, the cabin is even fully air conditioned.
Kuntz explained that he wants Longwood to keep the farm available for use that benefits students. There is a lot of potential for its use among classes of many different types. "Everyone should go there," he said, "It's just plain awesome. I want everyone to be able to experience it."
