WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
Editor’s note: WildLink is a partnership between the National Park Service, the Yosemite Conservancy and NatureBridge with the goal of expanding access and opportunity in our public lands. We invite students from communities who have had historic and systemic barriers to accessing the outdoors to explore the Yosemite Wilderness and the career opportunities offered here. Through wilderness expeditions, volunteer stewardship projects, leadership trainings, family weekends, and career development opportunities, WildLink empowers young people to strengthen themselves and their communities. Learn more about WildLink here.
This November 2024, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
We just got here today! While I know most of the people in my group, I am excited to learn more about a small number of my peers instead of being a number at my school.Ella, Woodlake High School 2024 WildLink Participant
The group spent their first evening in the park asking questions and reflecting on their hopes, fears, and intentions for the trip. After being convinced that they won’t fall off cliffs, nothing will eat them, and that they are perfectly capable of using the bathroom in the woods, they were ready to spend the next day packing their bags and further preparing for their Wilderness expedition. Once everyone was equipped to spend four nights out in the Wilderness, the group closed the second day by the river. They also spent the evening stargazing with Amelia, and were enamored by the bright Milky Way Galaxy lighting up the sky, something that is not nearly as visible from where they live. The students went to bed that night enchanted by the beauty of Yosemite Valley, and excited to hit the trail the following morning to see even more.
In the morning, the group met Ranger Lissie at the McGurk Meadow trailhead, and proceeded on a lovely hike to where they would be camping for the next three nights. They walked two miles with heavy backpacks to their base camp. They first spent some time hearing a story of how Wilderness came to be with Ranger Lissie, and then spent some time reflecting in their journals about the intangibles that exist for each of us in the Wilderness. Once we waved goodbye to Ranger Lissie, grateful to her contribution of context to our experience of this place, we set up camp and started a fire and ate a hearty meal to warm up in the chilly fall air.
Day one in the wilderness. I feel freedom and a lot of tranquility outside.Aaron, Woodlake High School 2024 WildLink Participant
Well, it was even chillier than anticipated, as we woke up to find that our water had frozen nearly solid and that there was ice collecting along the banks of the river! Being from the central valley, many in the group weren’t used to the cold, and worked through the frosty challenge with grace and resilience! Luckily we were all able to stay warm enough at night to get some good rest before our hike the next morning.
The group was all getting used to being out here by the next day. We had what felt like a routine, and were growing closer to one another. On day two in the Wilderness, the group embarked on a four mile out and back hike to Dewey Point in hopes of getting some views of Yosemite Valley. When we finally got there, the scenery was mesmerizing. We had an extremely scenic lunch, and took some time to reflect in our journals about who we would bring with us if given the opportunity, before heading back to camp for the night. The evening ended, gathered around the warm campfire on another chilly night, before retreating to our sleeping bags for well deserved rest, with warm water in Nalgene bottles to use as “heaters” in our sleeping bags.
The next day involved a challenge-by-choice hike to Taft Point. Half of the group hiked, and the other half stayed back for a river day to relax into the beauty of the natural landscape. The group going to Taft Point enjoyed a hike full of laughter and interesting conversation. Upon arriving at the overlook at Taft Point, they were all shocked by the feelings of exposure when looking out over the railing! They enjoyed lunch in the sun, and headed back to camp to join the river crew, who had a lovely, relaxing day. Until it was time for dinner, everyone hung out by the river, creating incredibly delicate rock stacks and sharing stories from their days. The campfire that evening was the best one yet, with everyone in the group sharing gratitude for the experience they had, and their newfound appreciation for both the natural world and their loves back home.
When I return home I will reflect on this experience and be proud of myself for stepping up and going through with this trip! Excited to show my dad the pictures and tell him stories about how I slept in below freezing weather. Very thankful to Sarah and Amelia for keeping us safe and feeding us all week! Thankful for the views and connecting to these people more than I wouldn’t just by being in school!Gabby, Woodlake High School 2024 WildLink Participant
Leaving the Wilderness was bittersweet. The group definitely experienced the challenge of intense cold and was excited to be warm while sleeping that night, and to share stories with families and friends back home. However, it was acknowledged by many that although the cold was very uncomfortable at times, learning to be okay with discomfort can better prepare us to face challenges and discomfort in our lives back home. That is something that everyone on this trip is excited to take with them - a newfound sense of accomplishment, resilience, and gratitude.
Stories
WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
This November, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
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.
WildLink October 2024: Venture Academy
Venture Academy’s second round of 2024 WildLink students arrived in Yosemite full of wonder, excitement, and on the lookout for bears. With a $10 per person pot, stakes were high to be the first to see the famous furry critters. Their fearless chaperones—Mr. Meza, a seasoned WildLink participant and expert whistler, and Ms. Dustin, a lifetime Yosemite visitor and lover—encouraged the students to bring their best selves. After settling into their cabins, the group met with their educator Katie for dinner and an evening of stargazing by the Merced River. The headlights of climbers spaced out like a constellation on Washington Column’s rock face after dark, far above the valley floor, and was a twinkling inspiration for these soon-to-be adventurers.