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The Hutmacher
Expedition A Service Learning Opportunity Certain
courses taught by Prof. Isern incorporate a service
learning option, and these generally, too, include the Hutmacher
Expedition, a work weekend engaged in the restoration of a historic property,
as a specific opportunity. What Is Service Learning? Service
learning is active participation in work that ·
Meets real community needs, meaning it’s not just
an exercise ·
Is related to the academic curriculum, and thus is
a learning experience There
are a couple of things students get from service learning they may not get
from more formal, classroom learning. First, many students learn better from
hands-on experiences than from lectures or classroom exercises. Second,
people come away from the service learning experience with a feeling of
accomplishment and contribution to the community. What Is the Hutmacher
Expedition? The
Hutmacher Farmstead is a property in Dunn County,
North Dakota, listed on the National Register for Historic Places. It is a
complex of historic buildings comprising a residence and outbuildings that
represent traditional architecture of the Germans from Russia as manifest in
western North Dakota. The buildings express methods and styles characteristic
of the Germans from Russia; the residence, for instance, is a great example
of a German-Russian long house. The buildings also have a strong relationship
to the prairie environment, as they are constructed almost entirely of local
materials—stone and clay quarried from nearby hillsides; timber and brush cut
from local groves and thickets; flax from neighbors’ fields. The most notable
and laborious feature in the restoration effort is the earthen roof atop the
house and other buildings—10 or more inches of clay mix. Participants
in the Hutmacher Expedition travel to western North
Dakota as a class group; lodge in a dormitory owned by the Benedictine abbey
in Richardton; and work on site at the Hutmacher complex
in Dunn County. This is serious physical work, sometimes under tough
conditions. It’s also a fair bit of fun. We work hard during the day, then
unwind at a local establishment in the evening. The
usual routine is to depart Fargo in vans late on a Friday afternoon, dining
en route and arriving in Richardton for the night; work a long day at the Hutmacher site on Saturday, returning to Richardton after
supper; work a half-day on Sunday; and return to Fargo fairly early on Sunday
evening. What Is the Work Like? We
divide into crews to accomplish a series of related tasks simultaneously. You
might find yourself part of a crew that is rebuilding a stone wall with clay
mortar; cutting timber rafters for the roof; cutting truckloads of brush to
use as a base layer on the roof; mixing clay, straw, and aggregate to use for
walls and roof; riding a Bobcat bucket to shovel clay atop the roof; or doing
any one of any number of associated tasks. It is an amazing process to
observe people organizing themselves and coordinating their work to
accomplish the restoration process. NDSU students are really good at this.
Most of this work is rather dirty. Some of it is really, really dirty. Prof. Isern and other experienced hands do the teaching of
skills and the initial organization of working groups. Then things evolve
from there as needs arise. Go with the flow and make yourself useful. What Do We Need to Bring? All
tools and materials are supplied, of course. As is transportation. As is
lodging, including bedding and towels. So, what do you need? ·
Clothing appropriate to manual labor and current
environmental conditions. You can check the National Weather Service forecast
for Killdeer, North Dakota, in your planning. Layers are a good idea, also
clothing that wicks and sheds moisture. (I generally go with the Carhart look and fleece.—TI) ·
Personal items and toiletries. ·
Some cash. Noon meals, drinks, and snacks at the
work site are provided. You’ll have to buy your own breakfasts and suppers in
cafes. ·
A good attitude. We’re traveling and working
together and have to get along. Some
people like to bring a camera in order to take embarrassing photographs of
their companions. (Actually, it’s an interesting operation in an interesting
place, meaning there is quite a bit to photograph, if you’re inclined.) Collaboration with Preservation North
Dakota Prof.
Isern is a longstanding and active member of
Preservation North Dakota, the statewide association for historic
preservation. PND seeks to preserve historic buildings and landscapes of the
northern plains as heritage resources for future generations. PND owns the Hutmacher Farmstead and leads the effort to restore its
historic buildings, involving many other citizen volunteers and contributors
as well as students. Paperwork NDSU Field Trip Informed Consent
– release form you have to sign in advance in order to participate in a
university activity – must be returned to Prof. Isern
before departure PND Hold Harmless Agreement – release form you
have to sign in order to work on the site owned by Preservation North Dakota
– must be returned to Prof. Isern before departure
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