8th grade NatureBridge trip, Nov 2017

Despite the unseasonably cool temperatures, our 8th graders had a great time at NatureBridge. The tops of Pyramid Mountain and Storm King were dusted with snow, but the area along the shores of Crescent Lake remained pretty dry. In groups of 10, led by very capable NatureBridge educators, Hazel Wolf kids hiked to Marymere Falls, Barnes Creek, and along Lake Crescent. They learned about the tools scientists use to evaluate watershed health. This led to students investigating turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, macro-invertebrates, and water velocity in several areas. A highlight of the week was a field trip to the Elwha river, where students saw the former site of the Glines Canyon Dam. This dam, along with the Elwha Dam further downriver, was demolished in 2012-14 to give salmon access to their spawning grounds upriver. After seeing the areas returned to their original state near the dams, the kids walked out onto the acres of new land at the mouth of the Elwha, created by the newly-released sediment. While there, groups learned about how salmon return to their spawning streams using a ‘scent,’ created ephemeral artworks based on the work of Andy Goldsworthy, and even had the luck to observe a family of river otters eating their freshly caught fish.  The rain magically held off during all our outdoor experiences, and the kids wrapped up with a heartwarming ceremony around a campfire on our final night.

Read on to see pics from our trip....

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