Armstrong Scholars Resupply Joy!
Editor's note: This message from Kim Laizer, Yosemite Education Manager, originally appeared in an email sent to Armstrong Scholars supporters on July 25, 2023. Visit our Yosemite Armstrong Scholars page to learn more about this annual program, which is inspired by and in memory of former NatureBridge environmental science educator Joie Armstrong.
Last Sunday, eleven fantabulous volunteers (aka Resupply Angels) joined me in hiking fresh fruits and vegetables, bagels and yogurt, chips and cookies, along with next week’s meals to the Armstrong Scholars. This year’s resupply team was one of a kind, in that TEN of us had been Armstrong Scholars or Armstrong Scholars leaders ourselves! Three of us flew across the country to be resupply angels! We represented 2002, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2022 and were all there to support the team and pay forward the goodness we’ve received from this program. It was such a delight to see Joie’s light burning so brightly on Sunday!
This year’s resupply team was one of a kind, in that TEN of us had been Armstrong Scholars or Armstrong Scholars leaders ourselves!KIm Laizer, Yosemite Education Manager
The Scholars were elated to receive the goodness we had to share! The yogurt, watermelon and chips were huge hits. We serenaded them with music as they arrived and shared with one another what drew us there and what we had learned in the last week. The Scholars presented a fun dance routine and rallied our spirits with their "Gulp Life" chant. I wish I could capture a bit of that radiance in a bottle and send it your way so you could feel it too!
In four short days we will see the Armstrong Scholars again when we pick them up at Tenaya Lake and bring them back to our Crane Flat campus to clean gear, shower, feast on freshies and share their stories with all who attend the closing program on Saturday, July 29.
Please join me in wishing them the ability to be fully present and truly Gulp Life their last few days in the wilderness together.
With gratitude, Kim
Stories
Staff Spotlight: Dylan Meek
“I don’t know if I’d have such a keen interest in what I do now” without experiencing NatureBridge programs as a middle schooler, says current NatureBridge staff member Dylan Meek. As a seventh grader, Dylan and her classmates from Southern California attended an environmental science program at Yosemite Institute (known today as NatureBridge Yosemite). That trip represented Dylan’s first visit to a national park and her first exposure to the field of outdoor education. Now on staff as the Lab Steward at NatureBridge Golden Gate, Dylan ensures that the environmental science educators have everything they need “to get the most out of the lab spaces” on campus.
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.