WildLink May 2026: Woodlake High School
May came along and the weather continued to warm as summer approached. WildLink welcomed the third trip of the year: Woodlake high school. The Woodlake students gathered on a warm spring morning at their high school on the foothills of the central Sierra Nevada. Excited and ready for an adventure the group loaded up their vehicles and began their journey toward Yosemite National Park. It was a long and windy road but eventually the group made it to the National Environmental Science Center (NESC). Their NatureBridge Educator Sam greeted them. The group unloaded and settled into their cabins, gathering for dinner afterwards. A quick orientation and dinner was served. After dinner the group had a chance to come together, slow down and enjoy a relaxing evening getting to know each other.
The next morning the group was woken up by their amazing chaperone Mrs. DeWitt for breakfast. After breakfast the group headed over to Yosemite valley to meet their other NatureBridge educator Jezra and gather all their gear for the upcoming four day backpacking trip. The group gathered all the gear they could need as Sam and Jezra described what the equipment was and the best way to pack it into a backpack. The students were quick learners and by mid afternoon all the gear had been gathered. The group took advantage of the extra time to explore Yosemite valley a bit, and walked to the base of lower Yosemite falls. After exploring the valley for some time the group made their way back to the NESC for dinner and another slow evening getting to know each other, this time with Jezra.
The morning of the third day came, the day when the group was to hike into the wilderness for the next four days. After a filling breakfast and one last look over all the gear and equipment the group loaded into the vehicles once more to continue their adventure.
This trip is a trip I never thought to experience. I would love this trip to make me realize that experiencing new things isn’t scary. I want this trip to help me learn more about myself and learn the type of person I really am. This trip can change so much about me and help me lose bad old habits, it can help me be less scared to let new people into my life. I think this trip is a really great way of achieving all of these goals.Keniah Alcaraz
The group arrived at their trailhead mid morning, Rancheria Falls in Hetch Hetchy. It was a foreign and spectacular landscape and the group was excited and astonished by it. Everyone unloaded the vehicles and donned their packs, after a last minute check, they were off on their journey. The hike into Rancheria falls was warm, but Wapama falls cooled the group down as they hiked below it. The rest of the trail had lots of small creeks, perfect for a refreshing splash. As the group hiked, played, and explored the campsite got closer and closer. As they got closer to camp, the ranger that had joined them at the beginning of the hike, ranger Kayon, said goodbye and the group continued on. Once the group got to the campsite, they settled in and set up their tents. Dinner was eaten around a campfire and everything seemed to slow down as the start lit up the sky.
The group spent the next two days exploring and enjoying the landscape. They played games by the creek, journaled and had conversations about anything and everything. Their explorations led them to a place called Till till valley, a remote valley in the Yosemite wilderness rarely visited by people these days. There a different magnitude of solitude was experienced, there were no cars or buildings for miles in every direction and the only humans in the valley at the time were them. The group played in the remote aspen grove that flanked the valley to the east, curiously inspecting the marks and scars collected by the trees over their life. Back at the camp more laughs were shared, dips in the creek, and conversations around the campfire while eating dinner.
The last day, the group woke up early and packed up camp. As they made their way back to the trailhead, the trail was the same but they were not. Everything looked slightly different, this place was now part of them and they are now part of it. They finished the trip having counted over 100 newts encountered, as well as over amphibians and wildlife that call this place home. The group got to the trailhead with smiles on their faces, thankful for the adventure and joyous as they reminisced about their time in the backcountry. This was a really special group and we hope to see you again in the future Woodlake High School!
Throughout this experience I saw many plants and realized how all the plants moved side to side in a calm manner. I hear the wind hissing and the birds chirping. I touched cold water. I smelled fresh wind and the relaxing smell of grass. I feel relaxed and full of energy. I am grateful for the experience I got to have and I couldn’t feel more happy.Keniah Alcaraz
Stories
“It’s Human Education”: Why Tashanda Giles-Jones Has Been Bringing Students to NatureBridge for Over a Decade
For Tashanda Gilies-Jones, hands-on activities are at the heart of an education that leads to true understanding and transformation. In 2014, Tashanda chaperoned an ECS seventh-grade trip to NatureBridge’s Southern California campus in the Santa Monica Mountains. More than ten years later, she’s still bringing students back to experience NatureBridge programs.
WildLink June 2026: Monache High School
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Why Access Matters: NatureBridge Alum Alicia Bales Reflects on the Power of Outdoor Education
Alicia Bales, current Director of the Redwood Chapter of the Sierra Club, didn’t grow up seeing herself as an outdoorsy person. Raised in Sacramento, CA, she thought of herself as a “city kid” who had spent little time in nature—until a school trip to NatureBridge Yosemite changed everything.