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Friday, March 7, 2014

I Don't Do Science

This past week I got to miss school to go to another school. I know, awesome!

But this school was wayyyyyy cooler!!!

It's in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and it's a school that's all about science, (called the Teton Science School.)

Instead of sitting in a class room all day just waiting for the weekend to come, I was outside learning science hands on.

Before I went on this trip, science was definitely my least favorite subject but after learning outside in the actual world rather than a classroom, it caused me to enjoy science so much more!

I heard from past students told this trip was fun.


But that my friend, was an understatement.

This trip was the most amusing, entertaining, exciting and all around awesome school trip ever.

Each day we were on the tips of our toes just dyeing to know what adventure we would encounter next. Wether it was snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, doing the dishes, singing every where ever we went or building snow sculptures. I definitely made many memories and funny stories I'll tell over and over again. (Most that include Ally & Caroline.)

Here are the highlights of my trip:
  • Marty the Moose sculpture along with our flash mob at dinner.
  • Watching Ally ride the struggle bus while trying to climb up the hill on cross-country skies
  • Cutting down willow trees as a stewardship project
  • MAFIA!!!
    We took selfies during the night hike even though we
    may have sacrificed our vision for the next few hours
  • Caroline's animal call video
  • Building the snowman that was as tall as me
  • Our water baby experiment 
  • Seeing Le Tetons (Muy bonita) 
  • Going down steep hills that were hardly even a hill and epically falling
  • The night hike and everything that happened along the way
  • Cleaning Hoo-Rahs while singing and dancing
  • The cursed YOLO
  • Lane's story about chasing a coyote

And along the way we actually learned tons of stuff. (I know shocking, it's not like we're on a school trip while at a science school or anything like that...)


So I was told I had to make sure to use science words in this post so here's my list of science words:
  • Adaptation
    Our bus rides were better than yours
  • Snow Layers
  • Scat & Tracks
  • Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
  • Facets & Rounds
Okay just kidding. I can actually put those vocabulary woods into context.

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH UNLESS YOU ARE MENTALLY PREPARED TO SEE THE NERDY SIDE OF ME, AKA THE SCIENCE SIDE.

The first night here we learned about the GYE (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) and all the species that live inside it using the acronym ASCAR. (A for alpine S for sagebrush C for conifer A for aspen R for Riparian.) Later on we had learned about behavioral and physical adaptations species have to help themselves survive the winter. FUN FACT: Did you know aspens have a layer of sunscreen on them to protect their photosynthetic bark underneath. We also dug three snow pits six feet deep and learned about the snow layers along with the difference between facets & rounds. Sara also learned that she likes to dig holes along with her hibernation cave. It was really cool trying to identify tracks out in the wilderness and kinda strange observing animals poop inside a container. The final thing I learned was the French fur trappers must have not seen some ladies in a very very VERY long time. (Hence the name Le Tetons.)

This trip was so much fun and if anyone who reads this has the opportunity to go, I 100% hands down, recommend it.

P.S. If you want to check out the blog for this trip, you can find other students who went and their fun experiences here.

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