2018 Shenandoah Scholars: Frontcountry Days
The adventure for our 2018 Shenandoah Scholars started on Monday of this week! Our 16 Scholars from Australia, Brazil, Hungary, Spain, Iceland and the U.S. spent the first day getting to know each other and for some, adjusting to quite a different timezone.
Prep Time #
As much as our Scholars were ready to hit the ground running, we took the day making sure we had the individual and group gear we needed.
Scholars learned how to pack their backpacks, which holds their tents, sleeping bags, cookware, food and all the other supplies they need, and got used to wearing them by walking around the green space by the hotel.
Highlights #
All 16 Scholars presented us with something special about their culture. We learned Hungarian, Brazilian and Spanish dances, learned what the Pittsburgh Terrible Towel is all about from an American Scholar, were treated to Tim Tams and fairy bread by the Australian Scholars and passed around a beautiful sweater made from the wool of Icelandic sheep.
Wednesday, the Scholars took a 2.5 hour bus ride to Shenandoah National Park. Almost immediately after getting a dropped off by the bus at the National Park Visitor Center, we saw a mama bear with two cubs in Big Meadows! This was the first time many of the Scholars had seen a black bear and it was a great start to the day.
National Park Service Ranger Lindsay met with us and talked to the Scholars about the importance of preserved public lands, her own experiences backpacking in Shenandoah National Park and along the Appalachian trail, and the scientific research that is currently happening in Shenandoah.
After meeting with Ranger Lindsay, Scholars split into their trail groups, and went with their NatureBridge educators to explore Big Meadows. They explored the area and learned more about the science investigations that they will each design as they backpack through the park. They then walked to the nearby campground, where they set up their tents and sleeping bags for their first night outdoors. After a dinner of vegetable stir fry, the groups had evening meetings and then went to bed.
And they're off! #
Yesterday, the Scholars woke up bright and early and ate a full American breakfast of eggs, sausage, cereal, yogurt and fruit. They then broke down camp, packed their backpacks and hit the trail to start their backpacking trip.
We can't wait to hear their stories and see their pictures when they return to the campground next Wednesday!
Stories
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.
An Incredible 10th Anniversary of Evening on the Lake
On October 25, the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle buzzed with celebratory energy as over 300 NatureBridge guests and supporters gathered for the 10th anniversary of "Evening on the Lake," our signature Pacific Northwest fundraising event for our Olympic campus.
"Science became fun" at NatureBridge for Alum Laura Lomeli Russert
Laura Lomeli Russert is a NatureBridge alum who grew up in Groveland, CA and now calls Washington, D.C. home. Laura’s journey with NatureBridge began when she attended the Golden Gate campus as a young student with her class from Tenaya Elementary. Laura credits NatureBridge with shaping not only her love for nature but also her passion for education and science. "Science became fun,” she recalls. “You weren’t learning from a textbook anymore, and it became so much more real." Her hands-on, scientific experiences at NatureBridge laid the foundation for her eventual pursuit of a Ph.D. in psychology. “I feel like I owe a lot to NatureBridge."