Pole Vaulter Lark Shares on Trip to New Zealand
8/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
White water rafting and cave rafting were just a few of the many unique experiences Meghan Lark got to see first hand while on her trip.
As one half of Michigan's senior pole-vaulting duo from the 2015 season, Meghan Lark used her senior season to record three top-seven finishes. She set a new indoor PR at 12-9 ft. (3.89m) at the indoor conference championships, and competed for her team at both the Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Championship meets, helping the Maize and Blue to runner-up and fifth-place team finishes, respectively. Now graduated with a degree in neuroscience, Lark -- who has always had interests in the field of ecology -- took her chance to explore her other interests and spent five weeks in New Zealand through the EcoQuest program, which partners with the university. There, she went white water rafting, hiking and exploring, among other activities. She shared more about this once-in-a-lifetime journey in this Q&A with MGoBlue.com.
Q. Tell us about the program you took this journey with. How did you find out about this opportunity? Who was with you on the trip?
A. I found this opportunity through a program called EcoQuest, which is run out of New Zealand and partners with various American universities. It was actually really cool because the 15 students that were in the program with me were from universities all over the country like the Universities of New Hampshire, Vermont and Virginia. I really enjoyed it because I didn't know anyone going into the trip, and in just five weeks I gained 15 new close friends, which was an amazing part of the whole experience.
Q. What made you choose New Zealand?
A. I knew I wanted to study abroad somewhere that has a lot of diverse natural habitats, and I've always heard very good things about traveling around New Zealand. I've always been very passionate about the outdoors and biodiversity, but I was never able to fit any ecology classes into my schedule, so it was a perfect way to explore some passions of mine outside of my major.
Left: Home to more than just lush green scenery, New Zealand's crystal-clear waters help to support one of the planet's most diverse and unique ecosystems.
Right: On off weekends, Lark and her fellow students spent time hiking and backpacking through New Zealand's mountain ranges.
Q. New Zealand is known for its exotic landscapes and wildlife. What was the coolest or most unusual thing you did or saw while on the trip?
A. I did a lot of cool things like white water rafting and cave rafting, but I'd have to say the coolest experience I had was seeing a kiwi, which is an incredibly rare bird and the national symbol of New Zealand. They're extremely endangered and less than five percent of New Zealanders have ever seen one, so being able to see one in the wild was absolutely amazing and is something that I will definitely never forget.
Q. What was the most memorable experience of this trip for you?
A. The most memorable experience was definitely connecting with all of the New Zealanders we had the pleasure of meeting along the trip. I learned so much from all of the field leaders that ran the program, and every person we met was very willing to share their culture's values and ideas.
Q. Rumor has it you are a big sheep lover, and New Zealand has more sheep than people! What was that experience like?
A. This is so embarrassing, but for some reason I've always been fascinated with sheep, and I'm not going to lie, I got pretty emotional the first time I was able to interact with them. Unfortunately, they don't really enjoy human interaction very much, and I learned that the hard way when I tried to pet one in an open field; they can actually run quite fast!
Left: The New Zealand countryside supplied Lark and her friends with plenty of incredible views, like this one. It was impossible to take a bad picture when the surrounding environment was this scenic!
Middle: Always a lover of sheep, Lark had a 'dream-come-true' experience in the only country in the world where the sheep outnumber the humans!
Right: Lark and her newest group of friends roaming the New Zealand countryside.
Q. Before you came back, what were you looking forward to most about returning to the United States? What do you think are some of the major lessons or ideas you will try to bring back with you to Michigan?
A. By the end of the five weeks I was definitely missing my friends and family. I had never been away from home for that long, let alone on the other side of the world! I think one major thing that I've brought back with me is mindfulness of our natural resources that we are fortunate to have.
The program focused on conservation and taught me many minor ways that I can improve my way of living to live more sustainably, which is something that I did not know much about prior to the trip. Another lesson I learned was to be more adventurous and to do things that are outside of my comfort zone. Before New Zealand, I had never hiked or backpacked before, and on one of our weekends off the other students and I backpacked to the top of a mountain and on another occasion we hiked nearly 12 miles in one day. The ability to take on challenges like these that I had never done before was incredibly rewarding. These are lessons that I've taken to heart and have changed my outlook on life for the better.
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