Yosemite

Somehow, we are back into our day-to-day lives, with traffic and lengthy to-do lists and microwaves. This summer's Armstrong Scholars program, in retrospect, was so short, yet the impact of those twelve days in the backcountry with twelve amazing young women will forever shape our lives. We may have left the magic of the backcountry, but with the simple act of closing our eyes, we are taken to awe-inspiring wilderness, dirt-caked and deeply content.

When high schooler Rebecca Welch boarded a bus at 5 a.m. in a Safeway parking lot, she had no idea that she was about to embark on a journey that would forever transform her worldview, career path, and relationship with the outdoors. A quiet tenth grader from Burney, CA, Rebecca had never gone hiking, never camped, and rarely traveled outside her small rural community. But thanks to a teacher’s encouragement and a winning essay, she found herself en route to Yosemite National Park to take part in a NatureBridge program. Now a teacher herself, Rebecca credits the NatureBridge trip during her sophomore year with unlocking a whole new path for her future.

I am thrilled, though not surprised, to report that the 2025 Armstrong Scholars are THRIVING!!! It was such a delight to see them glowing radiantly this past weekend when we, the Resupply Angels, arrived. They were standing arm in arm in a tight arc, singing the most beautiful round for us. SO precious! The round then transitioned into a boisterous rap-rendition dance party! After our collective laughter subsided, the Scholars greeted us with smiles, appreciation, and hugs for those they knew. Such warmth, such beauty, such joy!

Keith Eshelman, Los Angeles-based founder and CEO of Parks Project, is also an active member of NatureBridge’s Yosemite regional board of directors. His stewardship journey began not in a boardroom, but at the trailhead of a closed trail in Big Sur, CA. Hoping to share an outdoor experience with his young daughter, Keith found the trail shut down—and it sparked a question that changed his life: How are we leaving parks and trails for the next generation?

Working in Yosemite, every week poses a new challenge, whether it's snowy weather in the winter, mosquitos in the spring, or any number of other things that could happen while working in a wild place. One week this past April, my challenge came in the form of working with a new age group of students: high schoolers from the McConnell Foundation. In the time that I’ve been working at NatureBridge Yosemite, I have mainly stuck to my comfort zone of working with middle schoolers, but this week? Something new, something different, and hopefully something exciting. I hoped that my group would also be willing to take on new challenges with me.

Terri Carta has spent most of her life championing the importance of preserving natural spaces. Growing up in Southern California, Terri avidly explored parks and outdoor spaces with her family, but it wasn’t until high school that she learned what it means to advocate on their behalf. Her conservation journey began not with a specific career goal, but with a class trip to NatureBridge (formerly Yosemite Institute) that combined adventure, discovery, and the power of Dr. Seuss’ book "The Lorax."