Outdoor Education School Science Camps California

For Which The Time Is Now Or Never – Danny Walden

In just a few short months, I will board a plane with my bicycle and fly to the one of the northernmost towns in Alaska. After cycling through Alaska, Canada, and the U.S., I will proceed south through the Americas and all the way to the southern tip of Argentina while backpacking in natural areas along the way.

“It is all right to do good to others and lead upright lives, but there is time for that later; and there are other things, for which the time is now or never.” – L.Tolstoy, Family Happiness

This journey might seem crazy when compared to the lives most people live, but I don’t think it’s so ludicrous. Rather than the cement cityscapes and physical comfort that underlie much of modern life, I need nature and new experiences to be the bricks and mortar of my consciousness and actions. Not everyone can or should go on a long bike tour, but I believe that a relationship with the natural world, travel, and adventure are vital to living a mindful and fulfilling life.

The natural world, on a physical level, is the very foundation of life. Wetlands cleanse our drinking water of pollutants, and insects pollinate our crops. The oxygen we breathe was once exhaled by trees and is soon to be inhaled by them and recycled.

There are also proven links between greenery and emotional health; nature’s gifts extend far past the mitochondria and alveoli of the physical realm. Renowned primate researcher, Jane Goodall, said she learned to keep the peace of the forest within, something I have noticed in myself. I can’t quantify it or even measure it, but I feel it even when I venture into the concrete jungle.

I’m a much calmer and healthier person than I once was.

For all its physical and emotional gifts, nature is almost never the paradise it is oftentimes made out to be. There are jaw-dropping vistas and more stars than you can count, but there are also armies of bloodthirsty mosquitoes, thermometer-breaking temperatures, and the dangers inherent to venturing away from humanity. Yes, the challenges are formidable, but because of their magnitude, the rewards for facing them are ample: physical ability, self-sufficiency, a lucid mind, escape from crowds, and freedom of body and soul. For me, the juice is worth the squeeze.

In addition, being able to enjoy life without comforts like climate control helps me realize that so many modern inventions that make life easier are not necessary for happiness or health. Many of the students that I teach, not ever having lived without a TV, find it almost unthinkable that I don’t have or want one!

Travel, whether to Alaska, Guatemala, or the next city over, has its own challenges. It’s entirely natural, rational or not, to fear what we don’t know, and even when the drive is there, it’s still difficult to find the time and money to get up and go. I’ve had enough ambition, time, and money for my trip, and preparing continues to test me. The proverbial suitcase I will live out of for the next 18 months has to have everything I need to survive bears, snow, dirty water, remote areas, pickpockets, extreme heat, injury, and everything in between. Oh, and I’ll be carrying it the whole time, so I’ve got to pack light! Again, the juice is worth the squeeze, for traveling endows countless rewards.

One of the sites to be seen on this journey.

Meeting new people and seeing new perspectives are key to understanding the world and how we fit into it. Throughout my journey, a priceless education awaits: in foreign cultures, in the Spanish language, in the glory and fury of the wilderness, and in my own mental and physical limitations. I will also have the chance to strengthen – and surely, at times, strain – my own relationship, for my wonderful girlfriend Tamara will be accompanying me. The initiative for this challenge has been as much hers as it has been mine. After 18 months of being squashed in a tent together, we’ll either love or hate each other a lot.

Might I fail? Maybe.

But seeing as I’m young and able, and that I may never have another opportunity to do something as original and challenging as this, I’m going to attempt to cycle and backpack from Alaska to Argentina. The real failure would be to never try, and that goes for everyone. Of course, each person’s individual fears and desires dictate what adventure means to them; for all of us it’s about leaving our comfort zones behind. This is no easy feat, but when we challenge ourselves through nature, travel, or something else, we come out stronger on the other side. New experiences are worth the pains and perils. Get out there!

Follow my journey starting June 2014 at bikesandbackpacks.blogspot.com

At High Trails Outdoor Science School, we literally force our instructors to write about elementary outdoor education, teaching outside, learning outside, our dirty classroom (the forest…gosh), environmental science, outdoor science, and all other tree hugging student and kid loving things that keep us engaged, passionate, driven, loving our job, digging our life, and spreading the word to anyone whose attention we can hold for long enough to actually make it through reading this entire sentence. Whew…. www.dirtyclassroom.com

Opinion and Inspiration, Trail and Trip Review

Raaaare Earth Elements – Hollyann Duskin

Can Science Teach You To Be Nice? Sarah Wood

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Taking Applications For Granted - Driz Cook

I believe in not taking things for granted. In the early years of High Trails, staff would start to talk about the next school year and I would stop them in their tracks. "If there is...

For Which The Time Is Now Or Never - Danny Walden In just a few short months, I will board a plane with my bicycle and fly to the one of the northernmost towns in Alaska. After cycling through Alaska, Canada, and the U.S., I will... Waterflies - Stephen Perry In our Little World class here at High Trails we discuss three types of decomposers: Bacteria, Fungi, and Invertebrates/Scavengers. We do in fact find all sorts of interesting critters, both growing and crawling around the... Home - Tamara Perreault What makes a place a home? This can be a tough question. Think about it for a moment. When you say, “I feel like I’m at home” what makes you feel that way? 2,000 years ago... Over the Moon...Cycle - Suzanne Bosman “The common theme of calendar making is the desire to organize units of time to satisfy the needs and preoccupations of society. In addition to serving practical purposes, the process of organization provides a sense,... Tradeoffs - Cass Landrum When I was 18 I sat in a mandatory economics class and listened to my sweet elderly teacher say that “when making a decision, you must consider two things—‘how much does it cost’, and ‘what’s... Why do male seahorses give birth? Joanna Leach When teaching students, have you ever gotten a question that stumped you? If the answer is no, then I applaud you on your vast knowledge of everything. For the rest of us, we can make an... Mars InSight Lander - Karen Solange Fraser Mars’ latest lander, InSight, launched in May 2018 and landed in November 2018. At approximately 5 feet long and 20 feet wide, it features two solar panels, two cameras, and three scientific instruments with a... Bird Sounds of Spring - Danny Walden Spring is here, and it's an exciting time! Our bird friends in the San Bernardino mountains begin to sing, and these year-round populations are complemented by a whole new host of migrants. To many people,... Is This Real? Carolyn Tallman All too often I hear these words uttered by friends, family, and strangers. Here at High Trails, we lead an interesting and unique lifestyle. We laugh until our stomachs hurt, live and work in the... Contour vs Downy Feathers – Frazer Winsted It is the middle of Feathered Friends class. After discussing that there are multiple feathers on a bird consisting of contour and downy feathers, one of my students says: “Mr. Frazer, what is the difference... Leaves Have A Color and Reason for Each Season - Rose Riordan Every autumn in designated areas in the northern hemisphere, trees prepare for winter, just as the creatures in the forest are getting ready. The diminishing hours and falling temperatures enable the trees to shed billions... Big Picture Lesson #2: The World You Know Is Not the Entire World - Danny Walden “Wait, you don’t have a TV?” My students’ mouths are agape. “Nope,” I cheerily reply. “So… you don’t watch TV at all?” “Nope,” I say again with a little smile. In their eyes I am... Blackfish: a film review -- Shannon Pappas How should YOU feel about SeaWorld? The documentary, Blackfish, was released in 2013. It explores the life of Tilikum, a performing orca that had killed two trainers and one civilian in his lifetime. The film, which... Find A Feather...Pick It Up? - Shane Hyre Occasionally, walking through the wilderness, I find some bird feathers on the ground, due in no small part to my work in the woods. However, coming upon a feather the likes of which I had... My Former Self - Shannon Diaz Have you ever thought back to when you were in fifth grade? What was the world like for you then? I remember when I was in fifth grade, and getting ready to go to Camp... Talking With School Teachers - Nick Miller Like most of you, I often times wonder about the impact we make on students and what they actually learn and take away from their experience here at High Trails. We are in the unfortunate position... Rules of Management: Book Review by Alex Kaklamanos My dad then turned to me and said, “I have to fire this worker. I remember when I was in high school and my dad showed me a picture on the front page of the Charlotte... Group Development - Connor Lee At High Trails Outdoor Science School we teach thousands of students from over 100 schools each year. High Trails students learn hands-on about their environment and themselves in small groups with students from outside... What is your “Dawn Wall”? Barb Bemis On January 14, 2015, history was made...in the rock climbing world at least. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson succeeded in free climbing the Dawn Wall on El Cap, Yosemite National Park. 19 days. 32 pitches of...

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Special Concerns: Information and form for special situations. Health Consent Form: required for every student attending High Trails. Medication Form: required if a student is bringing medication to High Trails. Discipline Form and Packing List: general information to prepare for your trip. Forms Video: check this out for a visual explanation of our forms. Printable Parent's Guide: used in lieu of the online Parent's Guide. Menu: a weekly list of the food up here.

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