Our school in Fort Collins.
First, we unpacked the trucks at Moraine Park campground in Rocky Mountain National Park. A lot of stuff!
Afterwards, we went to the Fall River visitors center and heard a presentation by Ranger Bill. He told us about the Park's history and a few other ecological highlights.
After visiting the Ranger Station, we came back to camp and had a lesson on maps and map-reading given by Caroline's dad, Gary. We learned about the USGS topographical map and compass directions.
The first evening we cooked spaghetti and salad for dinner.
And we ate it! Yum!
As night approached, Sadie's dad, John, gave us a great lesson on fire building, and Brent, a CSU student, took us on a night hike. Before our hike, Brent gave us lessons on how to use our senses after dark. We couldn't see, so we had to listen, smell, and feel our way around. The stars were amazing, and we heard coyotes and frogs.
The next morning, we cooked pancakes with strawberries on top for breakfast.
It was kind of cold out, so the syrup poured reeeaaally slow.
After breakfast we saw a dead elk, and learned about wildlife ecology and predator-prey relationships.
We saw lots of live elk, too.
After breakfast, we went to the Moraine Park Museum and heard a talk by Ranger Farrell. He told stories about Rocky Mountain Jim and other old-time characters. He also told us about the geological history of the Moraine Park Valley and about glaciers. Great view, too!
After lunch, we got to do some hands-on science. Angie, a CSU student, led us on a water ecology trip to Sprague Lake. First, we listened to her explain the tools of her trade.
Then she gave us a short demonstration on how to sample the lake with dipnets.
After we collected our own samples, Angie and Brent helped us identify the creatures of the water. We found caddis flies, larvae damselflies, leeches, fairy shrimp, water striders, and a whole lot more. The bugs were really cool.
Next, we went on a walk around the lake and stopped at a wetland area. Here, we talked about beavers and wetland ecology, and then drew in our journals. While we watched and listened, we saw a muskrat playing nearby.
We collected more samples at the outlet of the lake. Angie had us all mesmerized by the creatures we caught. She knew all about them and told us about their life cycles and habitats.
Then we went on a hike to Cub Lake. When we arrived, we all read our poetry, including readings by Sadie,
and Sadie's dad, John, who said it was the first poem he ever wrote in his life. Yes, even the grown-ups learned new and exciting things.
Finally, we gathered for a funny-face group photo. Afterwards, we sang a rousing chorus of "This school is your school, This school is my school" to the whole mountain-top, just like in The Sound of Music. The Hills Were Alive!
See you next year!
* Note to viewers: I have all of these images in a higher resolution format. If you would like a copy of any of them, send me an email request with the image name: garywockner@attbi.com.