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The Final Word

I've been given the task to sum up the entire trip with a Final Word.  What a challenge!!  Six exciting days with 13 fantastic kids and adults in one of the most beautiful, breath-taking environments on Earth.  For most of us, this was our first trip to Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons--for four of us, we had been here before.  Nonetheless, each day provided new and exciting adventures for all of us.  From the flight to Jackson Hole via Dallas, Texas (how ironic Mr. Burcin), to our tram ride 10,000 feet up the mountain, to the calm and relaxing evening float with Mike from Barker-Ewing, our journey began on a great note.  As the days progressed, we explored more and more of the splendor that is the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole.  We took in all the great sites and learned many things about the environment, each other, and ourselves.  We worked together to conquer some challenging tasks and became a great team.  To all the students who came along, I hope you've gained a greater appreciation of this area and I hope you will apply what you've learned to your own home in Lancaster.  It's been a lot of fun spending the week with you.  To Mike Burcin, thank you for pioneering this trip and for your ongoing help and support.  To Dave and Kim, it's been a blast working with you and getting to know you better.  I look forward to returning often to the Grand Tetons and Teton Science Schools.
Jeff Landis

P.S. Go away SCARP!

Another final word..... Each year that I am privilaged enough return to this magnificent location, my reward is seeing our L-S kids discover Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.  This evening during our closing ceremony we went around in a circle describing what we learned this week that was meaningful to us.  Instead of one trip around, the kids kept going and going and going. Any trace of silliness melted away, and each kid shared their heartfelt appreciation of their experience.  If each student brings home even a small piece of what this week meant to them, they will carry a life-long understanding of why natural places like this are important.  I need to repeat Jeff's thank you to Mr. Burcin whose vision it was to make places like this real for kids from L-S.  We missed you.  Additionally, thanks to the Teton Science School for again delivering a week of exciting and relevant instruction in one of the most beautiful places on earth.. Finally, I am grateful to the parents who trusted Jeff, Dave and I with their kids for a cross-country trip.  Your kids have been a pleasure.  You would have been proud.
Kim Kann

Last Day...Some Serious Science

With one last wake-up pending, this was the final one with adventure pending.  It wasn't the coldest morning at 52 degrees but then again, it never got too hot today either.

Today's schedule came packed with Bird Banding ....

The net used to catch birds

Weighing the birds

Colored bands used by the Banders of Teton School

Standard bands used for small song birds.

...and followed by some Macro Invertebrate Stream study

Grayson and Josh stir up and catch some Macro Invertebrates

The rest of the gang collects data

Stirring up some more in the Willow Area

Collecting Data in the Rain

Wrapping everything up at the end of the day.

Both types of scientific study and investigation are used to determine the health of an ecological system.  We didn't find many birds but we were able to witness three birds being banded and learned some facts about the different types of bands and techniques.

Danner explaining how the nets work

David trying to identify the bird.

Preparing to band the bird

Danner is Skulling to try and age this song bird

As for the stream study, we were trying to see if there was any difference in Macro Invertebrates between the Willow are and the Non-Willow area.  We didn't find any.  But what we did find was a huge Thunder Storm and some very nice May Flies, Caddis Flies, Water Mites, Dobsonfly, and Midges.

Eating lunch and reviewing the day before stream study

Hiking out to the stream

Getting some instruction before the study

Catching some gunk and goodies

What did we find?

Separating the Macro Invertebrates for classification

The Day before The Last

  Another great start to the day....

Just sprinklers today....plenty of Sun!

This Post Brought to You by our 10 Science School Students: Jess, Elise, Ashlyn, Taylor, Josh, Dan, Mike, Seth, David, and Grayson.

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One day in the grand Tetons we started our day off with breakfast of waffles, eggs, and other stuff like lemonade. Afterward we had to do the dishes and tables by a lot of people. Then we got ready for the day by filling water bottles, bringing  extra clothes etc. Next we loaded in the van for a great day of adventure!

Driving down any road was amazing, seeing the sights of the Grand Tetons from place to place for about 30 minutes hours per ride.It made the time so fun! We left from the school and drove to String Lake. There we unloaded our gear, including our canoes.

When we got to String Lake we got our life vests on and tested them to make sure they fit.

Then we got out all the stuff we didn't want to get wet which was really "a fail" because everything in our pack got soaking wet anyway. Next we learned how to use our oars by playing a game using the different parts of a boat as call signs.  It was lots of fun and Grayson was the last of our group to be in the game.  BUT, then he let his paddle touch the ground so he got a penalty....he had to kiss his paddle which he did lovingly.

 
Then, we went canoeing.

In order to get to the different lakes  we had to carry a thousand of those heavy "ships" everywhere (called Portage).

For lunch we paddled to boulder island or what we called "cannibal island" in which, one camper, Taylor Bowles, got captured and eaten by them (just kidding).

 Next, on our way back,  we played canoe games and people got very wet.  We played this one called canoe basketball that was really fun.Later we played another where we had to be in our canoe team and use our hands and arms to paddle which was surprisingly impossible. Finally, we played this one where we connected three canoes together and raced while we were connected, and Grayson, Mr. B, Mrs. Kann, Scarp, Dan, and Jes, won!! Even after having to perform a penalty 360 for paddling on the same side...WOOT!

On our way back from canoeing, we were all spent!

 Some of us were improvising dry clothes...but then the guides gave us dry clothes in case we didn't have any.

After dinner (steak burritos) we got ready for a wildlife car safari. We went driving through the Grand Tetons to see all the wild life like Bison and Pronghorns. While there weren't many animals out, we also stopped to see the early Jackson settlements called Mormon Row.

Can you find the Swallow Nests?

Finally we went back to the school and played a game of Apples to Apples! That's a really fun game! After a long night of games we had to hit the sack. When we all went to bed we all probably talked about how cool it was to see all of the animals and going canoeing and good quality horror movies. We have had an awesome time during the trip so far. We all would definitely come here again.
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Day 4 Photo Album

The Day after Yesterday

As you can tell by my title the actual number of days we have been at the Teton Science School has become as irrelevant as the days of the week.  The total value of this week is not measured in sunsets and sunrises, number of days, or days of the week but, instead, the experiences that occur during those times.  And by far, our experiences outweigh anything calendar related.

Today began not with a rain drop, but a cloak of fog.

The Tetons became invisible as it rolled through our cozy school ground, and the sun was right behind it, letting us know we were in for another spectacular day.

Before we got started I really thought this picture of Dan captured how we might all have felt after a fairly intense schedule, but after a delicious French Toast, Eggs, and Bacon breakfast...we were ready to face the day.

Today we were heading out to apply the knowledge we had gained previously from the tracking session.  It's funny how everything we do the night before plays big role in the next day's activities.  For example, when we landed in Jackson Hole, we had dinner in Subway.  We watched the fine sandwich chef's assemble our delicious meals and the very next morning we were applying the very same skills as we assembled our lunches!  Amazing!

Before we started we attended to some blisters and went over what we would be focusing on today.  Scat, claw marks, tracks, bedding, and any movement we might detect.  Within a few meters of our descent into the trail we crossed a bridge that had more than its fair share of life flowing beneath it.

And next to it.....

...don't worry they're harmless!

As we continued to move into the trail we came across some SCAT.  SCAT is just one of the ways we can tell the Bears are locally present.

Kelley quizzed the kiddoes as to what kind of SCAT we had and it was indeed bear.  Though we never saw the bear, it was cool to know that one lives in the area.

We moved onto Emma Matilda Lake.  One the way we saw a Moose and saw workers maintaining trails.

Can you tell what kind of forest this is?  We can!

Then things got really interesting (before we got to the lake).  We saw some serious signs of bear.

As we continued to make our way we needed to blaze our own way down to the lake.

One final steep descent........And then the big payoff!  The Lake!

Here, at Two Oceans, we were going to look for good deep tracks and try to cast them in plaster.  Lots of tracks were found, but none good enough to cast.

That's a Wolf Print

So, we decided to take advantage of such a picturesque spot.  We ate lunch and skipped rocks and took in some of the most beautiful scenery we have scene yet.

Great skipping water!

Dan's feeling great now!

Time to move on.....unfortunately, what came down has to go up.

On our way back we saw some wonderful signs of a porcupine.

As we left the trail and headed out away from Emma Matilda for more tracking, we felt a little good and a little bummed.  While we had seen some great tracks, bear scat, and had fun at the lake, we had no casts.  But our luck was about to change.  Our guide spotted this spot on our way out in the morning and manged to find a way to get in on the way back.  By the way...this is the famous Snake River. Here, we saw great tracks and learned to make casts.  It was hot, but a great cloud moved in and we made some casts that would make Mr. Leone proud.

What makes this really great is that animals can come down from the mountains at night to grab an easy drink and maybe some grub.  What made it great for us was that there were many tracks!

Ashlyn prepares the track with Pam Non-Stick as to leave it intact when she's done casting

Dave and Mike mix their plaster

Gray and Josh mix it up and get the right consistency

Seth waits for his cast to dry and set

Taylor shows off his cast

  And then we left.  As we headed back to the Science School everyone had made a wonderful cast but had also replenished energy with some rest.  It was a long day and mostly in the sun but something no one had done before.A little pizza for din-din and then a trip to Jackson Hole Downtown for some browsing and ice cream.  A wonderful ending to another wonderful day.

Here's the gang at the Elk Arches.  Wait, is Jeff sleeping again?

We spent the day following tracks and looking for evidence of local animals.  Hopefully we didn't leave a human trace...BUT...we are definitely leaving a mark in Jackson and in the trails of our own memories. Day 3 Photo album.