Student Blog: Yosemite - The Experience of a Lifetime
Going on a six-day expedition to Yosemite National Park earlier this October with all my friends and classmates was incredible. We saw mountains, giant trees, rock falls, and lots of squirrels. I’m so glad that at Ocean Shore School this is an annual eighth grade trip and I’m looking forward to visiting Yosemite several more times in my life. I learned all about the wildlife there and the complicated ecosystem. I faced my fear of claustrophobic spaces and I learned what it was like to have to rely on senses other than sight.
Standing in the forest next to a tree over a thousand years old was unbelievable. I imagined other people from ancient times seeing the trees I saw now, and I imagined people coming thousands of years from now to see a tree that, when I saw it, was no bigger than my upper arm. The feeling I got from seeing those Giant Sequoias was almost like time travel. While humans rarely live to be 100, these trees are still young at 400. This was just one of the mind-blowing things I experienced at Yosemite National Park.
While the sights were fantastic, my favorite part was sharing it all with my friends. One of my best memories from the trip is sitting down at the end of each day and gossiping with my friends about anything and everything. About our crushes, about hiking, about periods and other bodily functions. The funniest part about these evenings was that our vice principal knew all the juicy stuff about everything sometimes before we knew. I honestly live for those moments that I can spend venting and giggling with my friends, and those moments were plentiful at Yosemite.
Yosemite is the experience of a lifetime. Going there, you can see what made John Muir devote his flesh and blood to the earth, what made Ansel Adams paint it. The granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome are imprinted on my memory, and the relationships I built like fortresses are as long-lasting as the mountains. There in the wilderness, a scene of beauty fills your sight and an awareness of life fills your heart.
-Eleanor, 13, Ocean Shore School
Stories
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.
Staff Spotlight: Appreciation for Miho Aida
Miho Aida (she/they) has held multiple roles at NatureBridge over the past twenty-four years, including Environmental Science Educator, Community Connection Coordinator, Field Staff Scientist, Marine Project Coordinator, Pacific Rim Environmental Education Specialist, Armstrong Scholars Educator, Diversity Coordinator, Equity and Inclusion Manager, and Director of Equity and Inclusion. Now, on the eve of Miho's departure, we asked them to reflect on their time at NatureBridge and share a bit about their upcoming adventures.