Charged with the Grandeur of God

On a recent day trip as part of the college’s required Field Science course, I accompanied a colleague, Dr. Teresa Tibbets, and several of her students to Wyoming’s Whisky Basin, a beautiful valley in the northwestern part of the state.

We travelled there to observe bighorn sheep that were moving to lower elevations in search of grazing. Early snow had begun to cover the surrounding mountain ridges. We passed the day exploring the basin, scanning the slopes with binoculars, looking for tracks and scat, and finally coming upon four shy ewes as they fed near a creek. But the payoff was not limited to the sighting of these majestic creatures. As we combed the area, we also examined rock formations, sketched plants and shrubs and listened attentively for songbirds, such as Clark’s Nutcracker.

The glory of the autumn landscape made me recall those words of Gerard Manley Hopkins: “The world is charged with the grandeur of God….”  This, to be sure, is not typical fare for college classes nationwide, but frequent encounters with natural beauty form an essential part of the curriculum at Wyoming Catholic.

The reason seems clear. Through such encounters, whether hiking, horseback riding or star-gazing, students and faculty here cultivate the very habits necessary for all true education: wonder, patience, humility and love. Not a bad beginning in that apprenticeship of life-long learning which we call the Liberal Arts.

Dr. John Freeh is Visiting Associate Professor of Humanities at Wyoming Catholic College.