Teaching in Lander, WY

John, Liz H., and Dale headed to Lander, WY for the weekend (Feb. 23-25) to teach students from local elementary schools. Liz H. had the little kiddies, grades K-1, John with the 2-3rd graders, and Dale with 4-6th grade. We met at the Children’s Museum in town and then headed out to the field for most of the day Saturday, and then Sunday morning. Lessons focused on animal and plant adaptations to winter and were spent on the trails at Sinks Canyon State Park.

My (Liz H.) kids were adorable! Most of their parents tagged along as well and were able to spend the field-time with the group. Saturday was spent outside all morning and early afternoon. We focused on plant communities in Sinks Canyon (juniper, conifer, sage, riparian, aspen), where kids were able to “meet the tree” by looking closely, touching, smelling and receiving letters with a message and facts from the plants themselves. In the conifer community, one of the kids was able to share with the group what they knew about the story of why Douglas Fir cones have tails. The kids were also detectives, looking closely at the plants with Private Eye magnifyers. Sunday, we started the day indoors at the Children’s Museum with exploration-stations for kids to think about animals in the winter through observing and touching different animal pelts and wings, pondering what bears do in the winter, concluding why weasels change color, and making their best guess of where a frog goes in the winter. After spending some time inside, the kids were eager to get out on the trails to use snowshoes! We spent the day reviewing plant communities with a scavenger hunt and a game of “Ursus Says” (similar to Simon says) where the kids acted out what animals do in the winter (led by their very own bear mascot, Ursus americanus, can you find him in the picture?). These kids were troopers! Thanks to Dale and John for a fun teaching weekend!

Jackson Hole HS: Art and Literature

The week of February 19-23 brought in local seniors from Jackson Hole High School for the Art and Literature program, which has been a tradition at the Teton Science Schools for over 30 years. It is a change from the typical snow science curriculum of winter Residential Eduction programs at the Teton Science Schools Kelly Campus. Instead, the students receive a bound journal, colored pencils, watercolors, and micron pen, and are engaged in activities focused on solo time, journaling, literature from writers such as Aldo Leopold and Barry Lopez, sketching, watercolor painting, drawing, poetry, story-telling, naturalizing, reflection, and sharing their work throughout the week. Morning and evening programs were run by Matt Daly (focusing on writing and literature) and Greg Houda (focusing on art techniques). Field instructors were able to embrace these techniques and journaling skills during field-time skis around campus, and a showshoe at the Bradley/Taggart area. Students also spent an afternoon at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, spending one-on-one time with paintings and sculptures and adding inspiration to their journal work. For Jaime’s teaching team (Kirsten, John, Joel, Colleen, Nancy, Liz H.) it was their last Residential Education teaching week of this semester!

The work these students created in their journals was amazing! They are so talented and were continuously engaged in making the most of this experience as an escape from college applications, school routines, and stresses of senior year. At the end of the week, students created a group book as a reflection of their experience this week, filled with art and writing, and visually represented as a group totem pole. There was also a chance for students to build snow sculptures along the entrance of campus.

Thanks Jackson Hole High School for an inspiring week, and a special thanks and recognition to Matt and Greg as visiting teachers!

Judge Memorial High School Visits the Teton Science Schools!

 On the late afternoon of February 11, 2007, with bellies full of Mountain High Pizza Pies, Judge Memorial High School rolled into the Teton Science Schools’ Kelly Campus from Salt Lake City, Utah.  We settled the group into their cabins, fit them with gear for the week, played some games, and headed to bed.  We all had a long, but exciting week ahead of us!

Throughout the week, the group focused on elements of change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  They cross-country skied around the Kelly Campus, snowshoed at Bradley-Taggart, carried out and presented research projects on snow science, and spent a day in Yellowstone National Park.  Yellowstone was a truly magical place to visit in the wintertime- the bison were digging in the snow, the colorful bacteria in the pools contrasted with the surrounding snow, and we arrived at Old Faithful just in time to see it go off!  The final day of the program was spent at the Kelly Campus, celebrating with a monumental ski to Coyote Rock, a slide show, and certificates to all the program participants. 

The Teton Science Schools crew wishes to send out a final thank you to the Judge High School teachers and students for helping to make this week such a fun and memorable one! 

Moose Chase

Viennia, Colleen and I (Dale), will be skiing in the Moose Chase skate skiing race at Teton Village tomorrow.  If you are in the area, come by and cheer us on!!!

What is Wilderness?

Jack Turner, author of Teewinot: A year in the Teton Range and Abstract Wild, spoke with the graduate students and faculty for an evening.  Jack’s ideas were presented in the context of a book of his that is to be released this summer called Travels in the Greater Yellowstone.  Jack’s new book highlights ecological issues in the greater yellowstone ecosystem by documenting various locations throughout the area that illustrate specific problems.  For example, the Bear Tooth Plateau is an high alpine area that exists at 10,000 ft and is home to the American Pipit, Black Rosy-Finch, and pikas.  The increases in temperature associated with human induced climate change may “push” these species out of this habitat.  Jack contends it may be the new silent spring for the Bear Tooths.

 Jack also spent a portion of the evening discussing what “wild” means to our society.  Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are often thought of as wild or wilderness.  Jack believes they are not as wild as we may think.  He posed questions such as, “How can we call something wilderness if we actively try to control it?”  Poignant examples he used were the controversial wolf reintroduction and the newly proposed elk and bison herd culls.

His ideas have sparked interesting discussions around our community.  The discussion has been timely because it corresponds to the “Ecological Inquiry” class currently happening.  In this class, graduate students are exploring multiple perspectives on ecological issues in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  Check back for some results of their inquiries.