2018 Shenandoah Scholars: Backcountry Adventures
Our Shenandoah Scholars came back from a WET yet rewarding backpacking trip late Wednesday.
Shenandoah received daily rainfall, making the wilderness experience all the more raw for everyone. The Scholars arrived back to the campground in high spirits on Wednesday afternoon with a sense of accomplishment having endured the wilderness, rain and all! They were rewarded for completing their backpacking journeys with showers and ice cream, as well as fresh fruit and veggies with dinner. The two trail groups had unique but equally awesome experiences.
Amanda & Jim's Trail Group #
The trail group led by Amanda and Jim was comprised of Ben and Heidi from Australia, Kaitlin and Andrew from the U.S., Fanni and Rebeka from Hungary, Henrique from Brazil and Jofridur from Iceland.
These students hiked for approximately 40 miles (64.37 km) over seven days. If that isn’t impressive, we don’t know what is!
They started the trail by hiking next to Dark Hollow Falls, spent two nights at the base of White Oak Canyon and woke up at 5 a.m. one morning to reach the summit of Old Rag, Shenandoah’s most popular and difficult loop trail. This trail group saw lots of wildlife, including nine bears, a few cubs, a copperhead snake and many scurrying salamanders!
Christina & Dani's Trail Group #
The second trail group was led by Christina and Dani and included Naomi and Liam from Australia; Nico and Inés from Spain; Tamás from Hungary; Ellie and Ryleigh from the U.S.; and Lára from Iceland.
These Scholars started hiking on the famous Appalachian Trail, a national, 2,180 mile (3,508 km) scenic path before crossing onto the Rose River Loop and then out and back along the Cedar Run Trail. This group had a change of plans and arrived in the campground two days early, having hiked back along the Appalachian Trail.
They made the most of their additional day at the Big Meadows campground by continuing their science research (in the pouring rain, we might add), and by becoming official Shenandoah National Park Junior Rangers! This trail group proudly bears the group name Oasis.
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.