Class Notes & Profiles

Happy Trails

By Micah Buis '02

The VQ checked in with David Nova ’83 in the spring, just before he began PopHike: A Hike for Population Awareness (see Spring 2005 VQ, page 25). Nova’s five-month, 2,650-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail was completed in part to draw attention to the impacts of population, consumption, and suburban sprawl and to raise money through per-mile pledges for family planning and environmental organizations. While the nearly $100,000 Nova raised for his cause is no small accomplishment, the personal fulfillment Nova gained from the hike was just as important to him: “You don’t hike 2,000-plus miles—mainly in solitude—without gaining a new perspective on life. I suspect a challenge like this has prepared me for greater challenges ahead. As for my backpack, it won’t be stowed for long!”