Reflection on Yellowstone Wolf Project Trip

Out WEST! This is the name of our group of students who are involved in our Field Science project, our trips to Yellowstone and Olympic NPs. WEST stands for Willson Environmental Stewardship Team. Out refers to our outdoor learning.

Background:

After four trips to Yellowstone, and countless trips to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for camp and other outdoor field trips, this is the name we believe signifies our goals and beliefs about outdoor education.

“Where’s the trail? Where’s the trail?” After once again falling into the snow during their hike to the acclimation pen, Ja’Mya asked this question when she attempted to get up and start hiking again. I love this quote because it reflects how I have felt about growing a program for outdoor learning that would provide my students with opportunities that so many of them might never find on their own. It has been a long and bumpy trail, but I do believe we have found our way in the direction that most benefits our students.

We had no idea where the trail would lead when we first decided that we would take a group of students to Yellowstone National Park (YNP). After years of making connections with people who could help us, we finally had dates for a trip to the park. Thinking this would be a one-time event, we bought boots, backpacks, and coats for the ten students chosen for the trip. Students were chosen based on interest, behavior, and camp attendance (Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC)). After choosing the students, we spent the next few months prepping them for their adventure. We taught them about altitude, safety around wildlife, trophic cascades, and some Yellowstone history.

Our trip was wonderful. Our ten students were accompanied by me and four other adults including our building principal. On our third day out, Dr. Hayden walked into our cabin and told me that we were doing this again the next year. Now the trail was laid bare before me. It was going to be a challenging trail.

My first issue was with the programming that Yellowstone Forever provided. I found it to be more tourist driven than educational. So, I asked the instructor I had during my master naturalist class if she could possibly create a junior naturalist class with some of the same materials covered for the master naturalist class but at a middle school learning level. Amanda was up for the challenge and created an amazing class for our second group of students.

After seeing the interest levels of some of our students along with several requests to return to the park, I wrote a grant to take some students back for an opportunity to take Amanda’s junior naturalist class. It was during these two trips that we met Taylor Rabe of the Wolf Project. It was suggested that I request Taylor Rabe to do the presentation as she is African American like my students. I remember her telling us that our group was the first group to whom she presented who looked like her. She was an instant rock star with some of our students. When we heard that she was going to be in Cleveland the next month, we invited her to visit our school. During her visit, several students presented her with their research about wolves. That’s when we learned that our students could volunteer to work with Taylor in the field. I was then challenged by my principal to make this happen. With a grant from the district and help from the Conservation Nation, the challenge was met and conquered.

Key Takeaways:

Taylor presented our students with some amazing opportunities to learn about her job as a technician with the Wolf Project. It was not just about watching wolves, it involved finding wolves, tracking kills, and even doing paperwork that is often not shared when people share their work. In addition, Taylor introduced our students to other scientists who study animals besides wolves.

Many of the people I have met at YNP are willing to share their knowledge with our students. Programming like this allows students to get a firsthand look at real life science in the field. This is seeing beyond what they might view on television or social media. More than that, it is science that no textbook will ever be able to duplicate for our students. I truly believe that doing this kind of work with our students prepares them for their future. Even if those futures do not include science, our students have learned the importance and value of protecting the environment.

I am not sure where this trail will lead us but I do know that it is a trail I will continue to travel as long as I can find the support to take our students out into the natural world. It is a trail that has allowed me to make connections with so many people who want are willing to help us make our way down this trail to a bright future.