Expedition Yellowstone is a National Park Service program where school groups get to choose a theme, such as history, ecology, and wildlife, says Pioneer 4^th and 5^th grade teacher Nicole Bronson. “The kids are outside all day everyday despite the weather,” she says. “I usually start getting them ready for the trip two-to-three months before we go, so by the time of the trip they have a huge wealth of knowledge, and then they get to do field work and there are the hikes and the games that they play. It’s like a capstone trip for my class.”

The Expedition Yellowstone trips and in-class learning at Pioneer cover a wide range of topics that can change from year to year, but one of the main themes Bronson says they always try to touch on is the idea of Yellowstone as a supervolcano. “It’s pretty crazy. It’s this massive bubble of magma down in the ground, the biggest one in the world, actually, and it’s still active. That’s why there are so many hydro-geologic features there.”

Bronson says they also cover the concept of conservation and how it’s been evolving throughout the history of the park. One example she cites is how the bears in the park were once fed and treated like circus animals.

Today, she explains, feeding wildlife is strictly prohibited and bears have returned to their natural food sources, which is much better for the bears, and conflicts with people have decreased too. According to Bronson, getting to view the park’s incredible wildlife is a major highlight of the trips. “Every year we go we see either bears or wolves and other species you don’t often see, like pronghorn, bison, and elk.”

Writing about their Expedition Yellowstone experiences is also a part of the trip. Here are three Pioneer School 4^th and 5^th grade essays from this year’s trip that provide a window into the park’s wildness and unique history and geology through the eyes of students.

“Yellowstone’s Thermal Features” by Benson Side

“Artists in Yellowstone—Thomas Moran” by Nyomi Meinhart

“Yellowstone Wolves” by Vansh Amin

The post Spokane Students Write from the Wilds of Yellowstone appeared first on Out There Venture.

1. Learn History. 

Public lands have a rich, in-depth history, and some of it’s ugly—starting with the fact that all U.S. public lands were originally inhabited by Native Americans until tribes were forcibly pushed off their lands by western settlement and the U.S. Army. National Parks employ interpretative rangers specifically for teaching the public and the junior ranger programs.

Additionally, state parks often have interpretative signage to provide historical context for the land and teach about a park’s unique features or environmental impacts, such as threats to wildlife or effects of climate change.

In the Inland Northwest, you can learn about Native American history, Ice Age floods and the Channeled Scablands, and the Great Fires of 1910 by visiting state parks, wildlife refuges, and national forests.  

2. Engage. 

Don’t just look; teach kids to use all their senses to enjoy the wonder and beauty of a place, like the scent of evergreen trees and wildflowers, the sound of songbirds and rivers flowing, the taste of huckleberries, and the feel of rough bark and smooth rocks.

Practice Leave No Trace principles; kids can draw pictures in a field journal (make your own) or take photos of what they might otherwise want to bring home.

Bring a field guide to better identify native plants and wildflowers while you’re there. I started doing this with my kids and it has enriched our time in the wild and can even make it feel like a scavenger hunt. (National Audubon Society has regional field guides for North America.)

3. Stay overnight. 

Camp at a national forest campground. It’s rustic, but campsite reservations cost less than state parks. Some state parks have cabins, yurts, and converted fire lookouts for overnight accommodations, and national parks also have lodges. 

Experiencing a park after dark provides new sights and sounds that kids will love, especially the starry night sky.  

4. Become a Junior Ranger.

Most national parks, and many state parks, offer Junior Ranger education programs for youth. (State parks programs: Washington; Idaho). With COVID, some in-person programs have been modified or suspended, but there are Junior Ranger Online programs (NPS.gov/kids/junior-rangers), such as Junior Cave Scientist or Railroad Explorer.

The Bureau of Land Management website offers a Make Your Splash! Junior Ranger program to learn about America’s Wild and Scenic Rivers. 

5. Visit a wildlife refuge.

Find a National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. States also manage wildlife areas; for example, there are six in the Idaho Panhandle region. 

6. Every Kid Outdoors pass.

Available to children in 4th grade through EveryKidOutdoors.gov, the free pass provides a year of unlimited visits to all federal parks, lands, and waters (Sept. 1-Aug. 31 of that school year). The pass waives vehicles fees, and for any park that charges a per person entrance fee, up to three adults and all children age 16 and younger are free. 

7. No-Fee Days.

Most national forests and recreation areas, such as Lake Roosevelt, cost nothing for day visits. Certain days at state and national parks are designated no-fee days. In Washington State, many public libraries offer “Check Out Washington” that includes a Discover Pass for admission to state parks and water access sites. 

The National Park Service offers free America the Beautiful Passes for active-duty U.S. military and people with disabilities, and discounted passes for senior citizens (hey, grandparents!). 

Upcoming No Fee Days (2020)

• Sept. 13 (make-up day from Spring 2020 when parks were closed)*^  
• Sept. 26: National Public Lands Day*^ 
• Oct. 10: World Mental Health Day* 
• Nov. 11: Veterans Day*^ 
• Nov. 27: Autumn Day* 

*no Discover Pass required for Washington State Parks 

^no fee for parks/public lands managed by National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management.  

Find more no-fee days

• Washington State Parks
• National Parks

Story originally published as “Teach Your Children Well” in the September-October 2020 double issue.

Amy McCaffree was born and raised in Washington State, in the Puget Sound region, and now lives in Spokane where she adventures outdoors with her husband and their two children.

Read more stories about public lands from the OTO archives.

The post 7 Ways to Teach Kids to Love Public Lands appeared first on Out There Venture.