GO!

Ensign Peak

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:13:00 +0000

UEM went to Ensign Peak on Friday, December 11th.

Here, above
the smog, we
could see the entire Salt
Lake valley.

Our focus for the day was adaptation to changes,
including environmental and social changes.

We used our experience of hiking up Ensign Peak in the winter as a creative writing opportunity regarding adaptation to changes.

Some of the students chose to share their writings.

Christina
Today, December 11, 2009, we went to Ensign Peak to hike. When we got there it was really cold. Since I haven't been in the snow or hiking in the snow for a while, I had to adapt to change because the elevation was higher and it was tiring. I had to take some time and get used to the change. It was hard but it was worth it, because people need change in their life or they are going to keep doing the same routine everyday. Some times you do need to adapt to change or your life will be boring. A lot of people, in fact, everybody in the world needs to adapt to change because in Utah we have the four seasons so you need to get used to or adapt to change or it can be life you are risking.

Nate
Adaptation is a very interesting subject. I sometimes wish I could adapt like a fox, so I wouldn't be as phased by the snow's cold or it's slickness or how deep it is. Plus I could hide when I felt like it. Or, if I were a cheetah I could run away. Living like that would be amazing and free.

Bjorn
I can adapt to change by changing with it. If it is cold, I would dress warm. If it were warm, I would not dress warm. I would wear pants and a t-shirt. I can be prepared before. I can look at how an animal would do it and bring water and extra food. Or I can over dress and be resourceful. Animals always have a way of adapting. Humans create gear to help us adapt. Animals adapt by hibernating or moving down from the mountains, or birds migrate to warmer places. Animals have evolved to adapt to there climate. We have not.

Gabe
Adapting is very hard. You can adapt to the weather or you can adapt to different climates, or anything else. Like a bear...they sleep throughout the winter and, then, throughout the summer they are active. So that is how they adapt to the cold. But we humans do a different thing. Like we wear warm clothing and we do not sleep throughout the winter. You also have to adapt when you are a baby. You have to adapt to life.

Nicholas
My body adapted to the cold by wearing six layers of clothing to stay warm. Some types of animals can stay warm with one fur coat. If I was like a deer, a bear, or a bunny...all of them can stay warm. I would like to be a bear, because then I can be warm all winter when I hibernate. Although in summer I would get very, very hot.
When I am cold, I always run around or just sit down and do nothing. It works for me. I always stay warm. Adapting was sort of hard, but I did adapt. At the start, I was cold, but when I started walking I started to get warmer. After I had lunch I was cold, but when I was sliding down I was steaming!

Camryn
Today, we went to Ensign Peak. First, it got very cold and then piping hot. Walking up was the hardest part. Me and Maddi did not like going up at all, so we went slow. We also got tired of crawling (that did not work). Then, Maddi, Ally and I got really tired of walking down to the vans, so we decided to slide. We slid most of the way and when we got up, we had to run because we didn't have much control of our legs.

Allyson
My body adapted to the change in weather when we got higher up into the mountains because I knew that if you get higher up it will get colder.
I adapted to the change in the weather when we were hiking because I had all of my gear to keep me warm and I didn't think about how cold it was outside.
Me, Camryn and Maddi adapted to the weather and the snow by siting down and pushing ourselves down the mountain.

Elise
Animals adapt to change by growing fur, hibernating and shedding. Humans adapt to change by wearing layers and not wearing layers. For example: today, we went to Ensign Peak. It was cold and we had to wear layers but some times it got too hot so then we took off layers. That is a way to adapt. For animals it would be different. For example: when it was hot, animals would shed their fur. But when it was cold, they would grow fur and some of them would hibernate.
If it is your first time, it can be hard. But when you are adapted, it is easy. And some people and animals adapt to it straight away.

Donda
One key in adaptation, I feel, is following the path of joy. It is more joyful to sled down the mountain on your bottom (as long as you have a good pair of snow pants!) than to walk down while straining to control your steps. I think other animals would agree...such as the penguin, the otter, the bounding deer, and the snow monkeys taking a dip in the hot springs within the mountains of Japan (as seen in the National Geographic). Having fun is the king of adaptation when faced with difficulty and changes!

October and November Outings

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Upper Elementary & 3rd Years
Antelope Island

Several of the students took pictures of the natural beauty
that is so often missed by the eye of the common visitor.

We were fortunate enough to witness several herds of bison
on the island. The students even noticed a couple of calves!

We were very grateful to Adrian for bringing his set of binoculars
and was kind enough to share with the group!

There is such a fascinating menagerie of habitat forming
between the lake, the shore and the interior!
Jule`, one of the lower elementary teachers, is leading
us back to the vans for more adventures.

Another shot by a student which we
suspect is a deer footprint.

Eric was one of our photographers of the day, as well.

Tyler was relieved at the absence of
swarming brine flies at this time of year.

Another student photo...

We compared the sand from our school to that of
the rounded oolitic sand found at the Great Salt Lake.

Nicholas took this close-up of the foaming waters.

Nicholas discovers more fascinating features of the island.

We spotted two bison near the roadside, however
they refused to cooperate with the photographer!

The antelope graced us with
a warm farewell as we were leaving the island.

Gratitude to Antelope Island!

Upper Elementary
Look Out Pass
of the West Desert

The trail here leads up to a great view
of the basin and range!

Allison is signaling to the camera that she is finished
taking her photos, so we know which pictures belong to whom.

Students took turns taking pictures
of the area and, of course, each other!

Nicholas found a rugose coral fossil
in a piece of limestone.

We found the top of the ridge to be breezy and chilly!

Students are busy with their s.g.s. on the desert habitat.

Bjorn and Elise are prepared for the chill in the air.

Look Out Pass always lends us great inspiration!

Upper Elementary
Mill Creek Canyon

This outing was devoted to exploring our animal totems.
We discussed how Native Americans consider animals to be great teachers to us.
We also peered into other areas of life where people look to animals for inspiration and strength, such as sports mascots and symbols in countries. Then, we did a visualization exercise
in which we discovered what animals seem to add
inspiration and strength to our own lives.

It is always fascinating to see how each person relates
to nature in their own way.

We used sage to do the traditional smudging as we
prepared ourselves for our own inner journey and meditation
on this beautiful fall day.

After our meditations, we journaled our experience including our animal totems,
which some times, comes as no surprise to the children.

We also discussed the specific uniqueness and strengths of our animal totems as we considered how we might learn from them and integrate their wisdom into our own lives.

Gratitude to all animals of Earth!

We also took time to look for our own walking staff
amidst the brilliant tones of autumn.

There is so much to gain
when we observe nature closely.

UEM
Groundwater Study
with Shirley Steinmacher
(one of our many amazing parents at MCS!)

Shirley is a senior geologist at MWH and was kind enough to
share some of the process involved in investigating, as well as,
the remediation of groundwater contamination.

Shirley's project involves investigating for ground water contamination
in the seven communities surrounding the off-base Hill Air Force Base.
We got to see how they were drilling to install a ground-water monitoring well,
which enables them to sample ground water for contaminants.

Nathan holds a piece of bentonite which seals the monitoring well and prevents cross contamination between clean and dirty ground water.

The auger drill rig turns down into the soil and pulls it out, so they can install pvc casing with a well slotted-screen interval to sample ground water at desired depths.

She is unlocking the well vault to access the monitoring well
as she measures the depth of the water.

Here, we get to see how they log the soil types.

We learned a lot from this on-site experience!
There were many discussions of ways that our ground water gets
contaminated and ways we can prevent it.
Ultimately, we discovered it costs a lot more
(money, time, and energy) to clean up a mess than it does to
prevent contamination in the first place!

...because, we all live downstream from someone else!

Many thanks to Shirley!

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:58:00 +0000

UEM

Upper Elementary and Middle School students
Bend in the River

Community Tree Planting Project
Phase I

Steve Storheim took us on a tour of the area showing us the many landscaping projects that have been done by various members of the community. He also went into detail on the surrounding flora. Steve also invited some students to help water some of the newer plants and trees.

We scouted out the area and made some sketches and plans for our tree planting.
We will be working on this throughout the year with a proposed
planting date at the beginning of May.

Hope is alive and well at Bend in the River!
Thank you, Steve!

Upper Elementary
Little Dell

The Upper Elementary students tried out their self-guided-studies (s.g.s)
on the Little Dell trail that leads down to the reservoir.
They found the beginning of this trail to be a riparian habitat having many kinds of plants, grasses and trees. This contrasted starkly with the almost-desert-like habitat we encountered as we got further down the trail toward the reservoir.

Many students discovered adaptations to the hot environment by holding their back-packs above their heads as shade, which also allowed their sweaty backs to air out!

The students kept up well with the trail that went for about a mile and a quarter
one way, which, of course, we also hiked on the way back.

Everyone was very grateful for the Willow tree that shaded our lunch at the reservoir!

We saw many signs of animals such as these raccoon paw prints!

Many found the water's edge to be calming and great source of curiosity.

The Upper Elementary students and the 3rd years of Lower Elementary
spent the day at one of our favorite places, the Swaner Eco-center and wetland preserve.

The tall grasses and reeds were an endless source of fun and discovery!

On these group outings the 3rd year students get to be assistants to our upper elementary students in a unique mentorship as they collect data, sketches, and sometimes specimens regarding the habitat studies.

Leadership and assistant roles were tried on and eventually established
uniquely to each partnership among the students.

Our Upper Elementary students have many nurturing qualities
that are encouraging to the 3rd year students.

Because of Savannah Wake, a guide at Swaner Eco-center, we were able to visualize the many animals that take up residence on the wetland such as beavers, moose, fox, rabbits, and the many bird species. We even got to see a beautiful Sandhill crane fly before us!

The students were quick to discover the spiders spinning their webs near the eco-center! Some of them were so large, we suspected them to be pregnant!

Savannah had arranged for a special guest to work with us, the founder of the Norwegian Outdoor Exploration Center. Tom Cammermeyer was very supportive of the student's needs and began his discussion by inviting them to run up the hill and back, giving a heart-filled holler as they ran freely!

Tom then explained his message of thoughtfulness and regard for the Earth. He reminded us that we are an important part of the Earth and what we do (or don't do) can vastly effect Earth for the better or the worse. He shared the letter that Chief Seattle wrote which depicts our inheritance of the Earth so profoundly.

We always enjoy our time at Swaner!
Thank you, Savannah!
Thank you, Tom!

The 3rd years from Lower Elementary got to experience the Little Dell trail in a slightly different way than did the Upper Elementary class.
We began with a vizualization inquiry into our personal animal totems.
As it turns out, we have a dolphin, bear, spider, moose, some hawks, elephant, tiger, dinosaur, iguana, frog, Husky, deer and a wolf in our midst!
We looked into the qualities of these animals and thought of ways that they help us in our lives through inspiration, as well as, by studying their way of life.

We tried a less used trail that lead us to the river where we decided to explore the narrows of the banks and we eventually had to walk in the river for a while.
Our sense of adventure was definitely beckoned,
and at one point we, somehow squished our way through the thickets of the willows and bush-wacked our way back to the main trail!

We collected walking stave along the way and celebrated
at the discovery of the main trail!

Most of the students loved this outing.
Many of the students faced some challenges in this outing.
Some students found this outing to be difficult.
I saw all of the students gain something from this outing.
Each outing is unique and we have the opportunity to take something
of value from every adventure.
Some are challenging. Some are easy and relaxing.
All are valuable!

Earth Jam- Nature Cards

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:39:00 +0000

The students worked hard on the design, construction and sale of their nature cards.

We had an unexpected visitor to our booth, Tim De Christopher

In the end we raised over $400!!! Great work!!

Birdwatching - Sugarhouse and Jordan River Park

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:57:00 +0000

The G.O. students have been working hard on their Nature Card project. Here's a peek at the photographers themselves.

In an attempt to capture a glimpse of "wildlife" for the photography project, we explored local parks frequented by birds. Can you guess at which park this was taken?

Bjorn carefully followed this Canadian Goose to take this picture.

While observing the birds near the Jordan River we encountered another type of fauna, a horse.

Photography at City Creek

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Photo above and below by Allyson

Photos by Christina

Photos by Riley

Photos by Camryn

Photos by Theo

Photos by Noah

Photos by Maddi

Lunch time festivities!

Allyson at the lens

Putting the value of nature into perspective!

Ogden Nature Center in Winter

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:33:00 +0000

Upon our arrival at the Ogden Nature Center we we treated to the company of a few deer in the meadow. They chose to keep their distance, but it was lovely being able to capture a picture of them relaxing under a tree.

We started working on a photography project during our trips into nature. The students are learning about composition, angle, design, prospective and how to work with a SLR camera. With these photos we hope to create something that the students will be able to raise funds for the organizations who have worked with us during the year. Here are a couple pictures to give you a sneak peak of what the students are seeing.

Swaner Wetland in Winter

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Savannah took us on another fun and informative journey.
We covered track identification, layers of the snow, habitat and wildlife adaptations in winter at the wetland, and we even got to see a vole run across the snowy field.

The Swaner Ecocenter is alive and pulsing with many opportunities
for interactive environmental learning (inside and out).
We had a full day of adventure and discovery,
and at the end of our day we enjoyed some creative
writing that tied our experiences together.

Once upon a time, there was a rabbit that changed color in every season.
First, in winter it's fur is white and you can barely see the rabbit. Now, the rabbit is hunting
to find it's favorite food, wetland flora. As it chases to find food, it realizes that it is tired. Right when the rabbit is taking a rest, it looks to see if their is any more wetland flora. Then, he looks and sees a plant and he decides to see if it is the wetland flora, hopping with all four legs. Then when it got there, it sees baby beavers. The rabbit smells them to see if they needed some help, then, the mother beaver was watching the rabbit. The beaver came to her babies trying to protect them, but the beaver babies tried to tell their mom that the rabbit was just protecting them. She realized that her babies were right because the rabbit just stood their scared as a cat, and the momma beaver said, "Sorry I was just trying to protect my babies. Would you like to stay for dinner?" The rabbit asked, "What are you having for dinner?" "Well, I was going to see if I could find some fish. Do you want to come with me or do you want to watch my babies?", the beaver Mom asked. "I'll watch your babies", the rabbit said and, "Where is their dad?",
asked the rabbit. "I'll tell you what happened when I come back." And she ran to get the food and came back with the fish. As they ate the food the mother told the story.
-Anonymous

Once upon a time, there was a long-tailed weasel. He was in his house waiting for his wife to come back from hunting for food, mean while, the mother was waiting for the scent of an animal. Suddenly, she found the scent of an animal. She quickly went into it's burrow and snatched it. They were baby animals, so she took them for her husband and her own babies. When she got home, all the baby weasels were gone and she asked her husband, "What happened?"
"They got eaten!" He answered. "Oh no!" cried the mother, "Who ate them?!"
The father looked sadly at her, "The badger!". "Oh, No!" She cried, "What will we do?"
"I really don't know what we should do. What do you think?" asked the dad.
"Oh, I don't know. I can't think of anything."
The mom said, "Well, I guess we'll just live our lives."
And, the dad said, "You're right!"
The End.
-Elise

Beaver's Family
Once upon a time, there was a beaver family and the mom was going to find food. So, she went to the river to find a fish. Instead, she found a weasel. The weasel had found berries, so as soon as the weasel had gone away, the beaver looked for the berries but they were all gone. So she went back to the river to find a fish. She finally found a fish. She tried to grab hold of the fish, but it was too slippery. So she tried again, and missed. Then, she thought of a fishing stick. She found a stick and a fishing string and two little sticks to tie and make a hook. By the time she was done, she tried and caught a fish, but it was too small. She kept it anyway. She tried again, but it was too big. It pulled her across the river and then it hit a rock. She picked it up and went home to her family. Her family was so excited, they had a feast, (the dad, mom, son, and daughter). They all went to bed and slept for a long, long time. Then, they woke up because there was a robber. And the robber was a badger. They saw him trying to take veggies and fruits. And they all lived happily ever after, except they wanted their fruits and veggies!
-Camryn

The Fox
There was a family of foxes. There were two young ones and their mother. She was brave and loved her pups very much. One day, she went out to hunt. She was gone for a long while. The pups started to worry very much. Then, a thought come into the pup's mind like she wasn't coming back. He kept it to himself, so he went to find her. He searched a day and a night. His hopes started to fail. Then, he thought when he dies he will see her again. He went home and went to bed. When he heard her voice in his ear, it was her. The end.
-Anonymous

The Dead Snake
A snake slept in a burrow.
It woke up, but it was spring. The snake fell asleep for two more months. But it still did not care. The snake went to go get a vole, when a hawk attacked it and it dies. The End.
-Anonymous

Beavers
There was a family of beavers. The mother beaver was about to give bith to five kits in a lodge. A few week later, mother beaver and her kits went for a swim. When they got to the lodge, Mother beaver saw that one of the kits was missing! Mother beaver dove into the water and found her kit. He didn't look so good. Mother beaver picked him up. When they got to the lodge Mother beaver carried her kit. It was having a hard time breathing! All of a sudden, their kit could breathe better. The mother beaver gave her kit a beaver kiss. The kit's family was so happy he was alive. Two weeeks later Mother beaver gave birth to five more kits! Father beaver said, "We have a handful!" Everyone laughed at what father beaver said, even the new kits laughed. The beaver family live happily ever after, for now. Ha ha, ha ha.
-Allyson

Savannah shows us how to discover different layers within the snow, using popsickle sticks. We determined that the layer closest to the ground was a lot softer and warmer. We also took the temperature of the different layers!

Spruces in Winter

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:42:00 +0000

Vanessa Welsh was our guide from the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation.

Margaret and the middle school students teamed up
with us for a soggy adventure!

Vanessa covered a lot of ground with us in terms of
animal adaptations for winter living, especially for non-hibernators!

We inspected the handy work of busy beavers,
who we discovered have amazing adaptations for their lifestyles.

We also discovered the importance of huddling!

Noah gets somewhat used to his snowshoes.

Vanessa shows us the squirrel cache of Engleman Spruce
pine cone shavings. Apparently they eat them like corn on the cob and make a big mess while doing it. However, it works out great for the Spruces!

Here, we find an easy entrance (possibly for a weasel or vole)
into the insulated subnivian zone.

We learned how to identify coyote tracks that wind
around from place to place.

Despite the cold and wetness, we learned a lot
and discovered some of the benefits (at least, for non-humans!)
of wintering in the sub-alpine habitat!

Great Salt Lake Desert

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:15:00 +0000

The mysterious beauty of

the desert inspired us,
and invited us,
to be free and,
poetic...

What I Feel & See...

Wind
I feel the wind blowing
swiftly through my hair.
The wind does not make a sound,
it just blows in peace.

Sand
There is a lot of sand.
When you pick it up it easily goes through your fingers.
The sand is also very cold because it's winter now.

Mountains
The mountains are mostly sand.
They're also curved the same way as all the other mountains,
but some are different.

-Christina

D onda

E ast
S andy
E aste
R omantic
T ight Sand
-Elise

The day is bright
there is a lot of light
I am gazing in the sky the birds are tweeting
we run and have fun playing my game
the breeze is cooling
the motorcycles are roaring
it is peaceful here
I will never forget these words of peace
the birds tweet there little song
there is a moment of silence in the air
we eat our food
the mountains are peaceful and silent
there is a light drift of snow
the bushes shake but do not wake from their deep winter sleep
soon they will wake next year
but that will be another time
-Bjorn

The wind is smooth and cool the sand is nice and silky.

I feel calm and free when I feel the sand rush through my hands
but when the sand is gone
I feel alone but someone comes to talk to me and
I feel their love.
- Ally

Is the desert a place there is no life and just sun? No. A bird flies over our heads he sees us but we don't see him. Maybe because he is getting twigs for his nest because he knows winter is coming. Suddenly a wind comes in the bird is gone. I was curious now where the wind was blowing so I threw up some sand the wind was blowing north. So the desert is filled with life the sun is life the sand is life and the desert will always be with us.

- Samantha

Hello Sunshine,
Everything revolves around you out here! Especially today, on this breezy, crisp December day - in the Great Salt Lake Desert.
There is spacious openness and an irresistible beauty in the soft emptiness and velvety rolls.
In the shade of this golden, dry shrub lies the promise of moisture in the form of frozen snow, only the size of a dinner plate but big enough to be meaningful to some in these parts- perhaps a bird or the roots of this plant.
Fresh Blue Sky cleansing my mind, bringing deeper, longer breaths of trust, love & life!
How long does it take for one rock to become pulverized as this fine powder that surrounds me in mystical sand dunes? Thank you Desert.

- Donda

Stark, barren, scarred sacred earth.

Beauty hidden just past the pavement and engines.

This dune provides a solitude not yet experienced.

Wonderment,

Awe,

Gratitude

for the breeze, sunlight, peace.
- Joshi

Look Out Pass

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:20:00 +0000

The west desert offered us

lots of exercise, chilly breezes, and amazing vistas.

The hike was steep, but full
of discovery! We found many remnants of Lake Bonneville,
such as fossilized Rugose corral!

We enjoyed a few moments of sunshine here and there,
which we took advantage of eagerly.

Sam takes a photo of this plant
having mysterious evidence of feathery seedlings!

We played a game involving adaptation,
synonymous with desert life.
Elise demonstrates her idea of plant adaptations
as an answer to the stress of short growing periods, by
acting out a cactus flower surrounded by plants in the sun,
and then showing the seeds fall to the ground.

After exerting much stamina and courage, we all
made it to the top!

It was clear to see, the grandeur of the basin and range from
Look Out Pass!

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:12:00 +0000

The open expanse of the
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
was refreshing and inspiring!

We discovered many nests of Cliff swallows against
the education center at the Refuge.

There are many Sedges and Cattails surrounding
the water's edge.

We looked for birds which we could hear in the tall grasses.

We went on a discovery scavenger hunt
within the education center.

The Refuge is wonderful at translating the intelligent orchestra that is playing out within the Refuge in the form of varying wetland zones such as marshes, mudflats, and salt water including their uniquely adapted inhabitants.

There are many vibrant quotes at the education center such as this one from poet Linda Hogan, "There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks.
Most of the time we are simply not patient enough,
quiet enough, to pay attention to the story."

As our adventures continue, we discover more and more
of the vast and dynamic story that nature weaves.

Swaner EcoCenter

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:34:00 +0000

At first sight, some students wondered why the
Swaner wetland preserve didn't appear more wet!
From the paved trail, we were not able to see the streams nor
any other obvious evidence of water.

Savannah reassured us that the Swaner preserve was, indeed,
a squishy, productive, and muddy wetland by allowing us to walk out onto designated areas.

Lots of mud!

And, some sections of streams having
an abundance of algal bloom!

The wetland provided excellent medium for discovering
animal tracks!

The Swaner Preserve is the lowest point within the Park City/Kimball junction area,
draining water from the surrounding Wasatch range creating the perfect wetland rest area for
migratory birds that may be on their way to the Great Salt Lake (as well, as elsewhere)!

The Swaner Preserve is located at approximately 6,000 ft. in elevation and is home to many grasses and plants such as, Crested Wheat, Kentucky Bluegrass, Timothy, Foxtail, Cattail, Duckweed, Flax, Borage, Buckwheat, Mallow, and Willow.

Savannah played a fun game with us to get us familiar with the different animals that benefit from the wetland such as, the American Beaver, Muskrat, Uinta Ground Squirrel,
Jackrabbit, Mule Deer, Coyote, Red Fox, and Skunk.

Here, we each have a picture of each animal in hopes of getting clues from each other
so that we might guess what animal is taped on our backs.

One of the students is looking at this poster which reads,
"What we need now are heroes and heroines,
About a million of them.
Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul."
-Edward Abbey

Living Close to the Land

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Susan Snyder led the students in a day of "Living Close to the Land". She talked about the native people of Utah; Shoshone, Goshute, Ute, Paiute, and Navajo.

Students ground the corn for Journey Cakes.

The students learned about how people's names were given to represent the type of person they were. Each student was given a Nature Name.

Ally- Happy Squirrel
Elise- Jumping Horse
Samantha- Frolicking Deer
Riley- Dancing Willow
Theo- Weaver Bird
Maddi- Rosie Water
Camryn- Dancing Dragonfly
Christina- Dancing Tree
Bjorn- Protective Preying Mantis
Noah- Rumbling Cloud
Donda- Healing Deer
Joshi- Moon Dancer

While hanging out in the Shoshone or Ute style Tipi, Susan talked about the materials that are used by native Americans and told a story about how the star constellations were created.

The Ogden Nature Center provided a Native American experience that touched our hearts and kindled our relationship with nature exquisitely!

Neff's Canyon - October 24, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:48:00 +0000

The Upper Elementary students hiked up Neff's Canyon. This is a picture looking south to Mount Olympus.

The vibrant colors of fall were all around.

Elise, Theo, Samantha, Riley and Ally found a good perch to listen to the sounds of nature around us.

The project of the day was to show the connections in the surrounding environment.
This string shows the relationship between animals and the wood.

The girls then found evidence of that relationship.

Volunteering with Tree Utah

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 23:03:00 +0000

As stewards of the environment, we joined Tree Utah at their South Jordan Audubon Restoration Site to volunteer our services.

Tree Utah's Vaughn Lovejoy carefully demonstrated how to plant Oak Leaf Sumac seedlings.
Kelly and Britt helped us make sure we planted each seedling properly as they educated us on the Jordan River Restoration site.
We proceeded to plant around 50 or 60 seedlings, that will create refuge for migratory birds.

Donut Falls - October 10, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:46:00 +0000

As an extension of our alpine habitat study at Ruth's Lake, we ventured up Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The U.E. (Upper Elementary) students got to experience the chilliness of the mountains prior to the full blown winter season, frost and all.

The chilly temperature was the main topic of conversation. So we talked about how we can better prepare for the environments we travel into.

The day did warm up, so we were able to discuss the habitat in more depth. I asked the students to write down questions they had about the area. Here are a few:

"Why is there a hole in the rock?"
"What kind of animals are here?"
"How cold can this place get?"
"How fast does the temperature change?"

Later that day we headed to the city library in search of answers.

Hello

noreply@blogger.com (Blog Team) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Ready, set, go!!

Ogden Nature Center- October 3, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Upon our arrival to the Ogden Nature Center William, also known as Itsy Yaya, greeted us with tunes he played on his guitar. Here we start our walk down the Birdhouse Trail.

The students counted how many bird houses there were along the trail.
Isty Yaya, who's name means Little Bird, talked to the group about Field Ecology. He talked about the evolution of the Ogden Nature Center from farmlands to what it is today, a 152 acre nature preserve.

Christina shows off a Teasel plant seed pod which can produce over 2000 seeds.
Noah investigated bugs and plants in depth.

The students had the opportunity to catch bugs living in the area.

Maddi inspected the praying mantis

After learning about field ecology we shifted gears into stewardship. The students helped the Ogden Nature Center by removing the invasive plant, Dyer's Woad, that has been spreading across the center's meadow.

Moss Ledges

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:08:00 +0000

After our third elevation comparison in Big Cottonwood Canyon (5,500 ft.), we celebrated with drums, xylophone, and chimes. We found ourselves paralleling the rhythm of nature.

Elbow's Creek

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Elevation comparisons at Elbow's Creek (Millcreek Canyon) near 7,500 ft. The girls found it slightly warmer here than our previous level in the Uintah's. We discovered more variety in plants and trees including vibrant berries!

Ruth's Lake - September 26, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (GO) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:17:00 +0000

Soaking up the sun in the cooler alpine habitat at 10,580 ft.