Walking the Farm: The Dish

By
Surabhi Balachander

Surabhi Balachander, a graduate student at the University of Michigan, and Mira Olson, a student at Mountain View High School, are spending their summers working at the Bill Lane Center for the American West. During their time at Stanford, they explored two routes through campus from Tom DeMund's "Walking the Farm". Here, Balachander recounts their hike of the Dish.

Read about Surabhi and Mira's walk following descriptions of the 1906 earthquake here.

Recent Center News

Articles worth reading: November 11, 2025

Colorado river dispute draws federal pressure to solve interstate conflict; Uranium mining makes a comeback in the West; recovered turtle populations in Hawaii raise questions about how to manage conserved species; and other environmental news from the West.

Richard Luthy, environmental engineer and water quality expert, has died

A beloved engineer, researcher, educator, and colleague who sought innovative solutions to hydrate a drought-stricken American West, Luthy was a powerful force for water conservation and cleanup for more than five decades.

To honor the West's past and sustain its future, Bill Lane Center students produce 15 new research projects

Students projects explored topics such as zero-emissions transportation, water and climate resilience, and the impact of climate change on housing. Additional research mined the complex interplay between Western communities and their environment over time.