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| DRSS students traveled to Yosemite National Park during STEMmersion. Editor's note: the grade levels of students listed below are their grade levels during the 2016/17 school year. Some of the students listed are recent DRSS graduates now. |
June 1, 2017 - Fifty Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) students and five DRSS teachers embarked on a journey to Yosemite National Park. Before the group took this adventure for their STEMmersion, a two-week course which focuses on activities outside regular class instruction, they went on three field trips, including Delco Park, Charleston Falls, and Glen Helen. Each time, the students built up their stamina in order to handle the amount of hiking that they endured in Yosemite. Everyone was very excited to take this once-in-a-lifetime trip.
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| The students relax before more hiking in the park. |
When I asked several students about what they were excited
about to see or do in Yosemite, I received various answers. Aidan, 12th
grader, stated, “I have no idea.” He felt like everything in Yosemite would be
amazing to see, so he did not have an exact answer. Jacob Hampton, 11th
grader, stated, “I am excited to see the difference in nature and how it
compares to Ohio. I am excited to see the wild.” Spencer, 10th
grader, stated, “I am excited to see the sights because I have never been that
far out West.” Sophia, 9th grader, stated, “I am excited for hiking
and waterfalls.” Grace, 8th grader, stated, “Water features—I love
water. I love seeing the different aspects of water. You can never step into
the same water twice.”
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| Getting ready to hike. |
Unfortunately, the students were delayed at the Cincinnati
airport for three hours. When I asked the students and one of the teachers
about how they felt about this delay, there were a variety of answers. Aidan, 12th
grader, stated, “It’s not that bad. It gives me time to get food. Read a book
or something.” Grace, 12th grader, happily declared, “All a part of
this adventure.” Jasmine, 12th grader, with a disappointed
expression stated, “It’s kind of irritating because it messes up my schedule.
We won’t be able to go to the restaurant or the Pier.” Sophia, 9th
grader, declared, “I don’t really care. I feel kind of neutral.” Mr. Pant, the
9th grade U.S. History teacher, stated, “I like it a little bit
because it allows us to learn about flexibility and how to handle ourselves in
the public setting to represent our school.”
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| The whole group at the airport making the best of a small setback! |
Everyone did behave appropriately in the airport, and
everyone arrived safely to California. Once they reached the San Francisco
Airport, they got into their motor coach and traveled to their hotel, The Argonaut on Fisherman’s Wharf. The group walked to
Pier 39, and they ate at Bubba Gump’s restaurant, well-known for their seafood.
The next day, the students rode in the motor coach to Yosemite National Park
for four hours. Before leaving for Yosemite, the students and teachers had the
opportunity to walk around San Francisco in the morning, listening to sea
lions, seeing the Golden State Bridge covered in fog, and they observed
Ghirardelli Square from a distance.
The group took a pit-stop in a famous fast
food restaurant in California, In-n-Out Burger. This fast food restaurant has
the smallest menu in the country. It only serves burgers, fries, and
milkshakes. After the group ate at this location, they got back on the motor
coach and traveled to Crane Flat, the first shelter for the week. Crane Flat
was 6192 feet above sea level, and the students and teachers stayed in
bunkhouses together. Sadly, due to flooding in Yosemite, the bathhouse was
closed. The students only had porta potties and pumping sinks available to
them. They were not allowed to shower either. During the morning and evening
hours, the bathhouse sinks were open for the group to brush their teeth and
wash their faces.
When I asked several students about how
they felt once they reached Crane Flat, most of the students were very excited
to start doing activities in Yosemite. “Not excited for not showering, but it
will be more fun once we start hiking,” Cara, a 9th grader stated.
“[It will] be a lot more fun than we think,” Maddie, an 8th grader
declared. Katie, an 8th grader, happily stated, “Think I will get to
know my friends better because I’ve never peed behind a tree before.” Lastly,
Olivia, an 8th grader, shook her head as she stated, “Not excited
for the bugs.”
The next several paragraphs will be
interviews from each day with different people from varying trail groups. Each
day, the trail groups would participate in diverse activities which correlated
with themes. The first day, students and teachers were introduced to their
trail leaders. The leaders were named Janaki, Lawrence, Aaron, and Madeline.
Day 1: May 22, 2017
Interviewee: Yue- Shan, 10th
grader
How was your day? Why?
“Good, got to play games and got to talk
about World War II history.”
A student had a nasty nosebleed and needed
a tampon to help slow down the flow of blood. People sometimes experience nosebleeds
due to a change of elevation. That is why Yue-Shan was able to talk about this
occurrence.
What did you do?
“Went hiking and saw Giant Sequoia trees
and we climbed in a dead Sequoia tree. Mr. Pant is the ‘Almighty Sequoia tree.’”
The majority of the students hiked to
Mariposa Grove where Giant Sequoia trees grow. These trees are known to grow into
the world’s widest trees. Also, Mr. Pant’s group gave him that nickname because
the trees are also very tall, just like him.
What are you looking forward to?
“Maybe we can organize another game of
camouflage. I am also excited for tacos and hiking.”
The students participated in a game for
their evening program. This game taught them about how animals have adaptations
during their active hours. The game, camouflage, focused on how animals hide
from their predators while still keeping tabs on them, so they know when to
flee.
Day 2: May 23, 2017
Interviewee: Ashley, 12th grader
How was your day? Why?
“Long, we hiked very high up. I want to
sleep.”
All of the groups went to the same
location, and the way to get there was very steep.
What did you do?
“We hiked up to a Fire Lookout, and the
view was amazing. Then, my group did a debate about climate change with another
group.”
The Fire Lookout was an incredible location
because you could see Yosemite from 360 degrees. Also, the Fire Lookout is
where the fire crew could detect potential fires in the mountains especially if
they spotted smoke.
What are you looking forward to?
“Showers.”
The group was still without showers, but
everyone did have access to showers eventually.
Day 3: May 24, 2017
Interviewee: Patrick, 12th
grader
How was your day? Why?
“Today was mixed. You get here, and it was
a really great view. Tons of cars and tons of noise doesn’t make it really feel
like I was in nature essentially.”
At this point, the group moved from Crane
Flat, a private residence, to the busy Yosemite Valley. In Yosemite Valley, the
students and teachers were “glamping.” They stayed in tents with two twin sized
beds and one queen sized bed with heaters. Also, outside of the tents, there
were “bear boxes” to put their smelly things (shampoo, lotion, sunscreen,
deodorant, etc.) into, so the animals would not come in their tents
unexpectedly.
What did you do today?
“Basically, we walked around Yosemite
Valley, went to the museum, and talked about all the mountains.”
There was a museum in Yosemite Valley that
explained the history of the mountains. Some groups did look through this area
while others were off rock climbing or circumnavigating.
What are you looking forward to?
“Getting to go to El Capitan and walking
through flooded trails.”
El Capitan is a huge summit that many rock
climbers want to climb because of its structure. Since it is a vertical
mountain, it is a very risky climb.
Day 4: May 25, 2017
Interviewee: Sophia, 9th grader
How was your day? Why?
“Good, I got to up really high into the
mountains, and I got to see a waterfall up close.”
The group, Sophia was in, and another group
went on a trail which got them to the top of Vernal Falls.
What did you do today?
“First, I hiked up the Mist Trail, and
then, we went to Vernal Falls. Finally, we went to Clark Point to see Nevada
Falls.”
The Mist Trail was 1000 granite steps that
was intimidating because if you fell, you would go straight into a rushing
waterfall. Clark Point was a stopping point on the John Muir Trail which
actually goes outside of Yosemite. John Muir played a huge role in making
Yosemite a National Park.
What are you looking forward to?
“Hike a little bit. Go to the airport, and
go home.”
This was the last full day for the group,
and the next day, students and teachers would be boarding a plane back home.
Day 5: May 26, 2017
Interviewee: Jack, 8th grader
How was your day? Why?
“The day was okay. I was tired.”
Today was the group’s last hike in Yosemite
Valley.
What did you do today?
“I woke up, ate breakfast, and we went
caving in a cave that was not on the map. It was dark, and it was fun to try to
get through and to help others get through.”
Other groups focused on reflecting on their
time in Yosemite while some did challenging endeavors at the end of their adventure.
So, I asked people who were nervous about
the trip on the first day how their overall experience was, here were their
answers.
Cara, 9th grader
“Because, if I never started getting used
to things and opening my mind, I would never have had so much fun and made two
best friends.”
Maddie, 8th grader
“I think at first I was disgusted because
it was porta potties and no showers. But, once we started doing these fun
activities, it was not as disgusting.”
Katie, 8th grader
“The experience was well. I met more people
than I thought I would, and I had made closer friendships. I did become closer
with friends because I cried and peed behind a tree.”
Olivia, 8th grader
“I definitely used my bug spray. The bug
spray did not act like bug spray, and I got a bunch of mosquito bites. But
looking back, the bugs did not matter versus what I saw.
Quinton, 9th grader
(I did not interview him at the beginning
of this experience, but here was his response to my final question.)
“After walking around this cool place and getting
to know people, I had a great time. I was scared of heights at first, but when
I hiked up to see El Capitan, the view was amazing.”
This experience was definitely an
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The educators were all incredible, and the
teachers who came on this trip were spectacular. A special shout-out to Jim
Teeter who helped coordinate with Nature Bridge, the educational organization
in National Parks, to have our group learn so much during this trip. On a final
note, the educators answered one final question for me, and it is important for
me to share this.
Question:
Why is it important for people to learn
about nature?
Janaki
“Learning about nature is learning about
yourself. Everything is connected.”
Lawrence
“We all share one planet. It is the only
planet we have. The more we learn about nature, the more likely we are to
respect it.”
