In the Field the primary focus is on nature, how we
affect it, how we can responsibly enjoy it, and how we can share it with
others. The students coming up here get to experience things they have
never seen or done before, from their first arrow actually hitting the
archery target to peering into a magnified bug box and seeing firsthand
the different parts of an insect they found. Our job during the day is to
teach, in new and exciting ways, drawing the students to our words and
encouraging them to catch our energy and passion for the environment and
this world.
Our instructors generally start their day in the field
at 9am in the dining hall. Here they prepare for their day outside, making
their group's lunches, setting up experiments and props, and detailing on
the camp map where that day's adventure will take them. Once 10am hits we
meet our group and make sure they are ready with clothing layers,
backpacks and water bottles. We talk about the classes for the day, where
we're going, and then we're off! We eat lunch on the trail, under the
shade of tall Ponderosa Pines or enjoying the sunshine and high altitudes
of our Southern California mountains. As the day begins to draw to a close
we review the classes from the day, take lunch orders for the next day and
head off to dinner at 5:15pm. Our instructors are off duty after dinner,
when they turn the students over to the Cabin Instructors and head home to
get some much needed rest.
The Field
From 10am until dinnertime, students are officially
in the Field! Students will grab a lunch,
their instructor, and then head off for the entire day to explore nature,
learn as much as they can, and have fun. We have two types of days;
Adventure Days, where we've got classes like climbing, archery,
teambuilding, orienteering, and archeology. Environmental Days are more
class oriented with topics like plants, water, outdoor survival, birds,
mammals, entomology, and environmental awareness. Schools choose
the classes, instructors teach, and students....experience!
