Articles by lizhoffman

Summer is here, and kids are out of school! What better way for kids to spend the summer than outside getting their hands dirty and exploring nature?
In the first week of the Teton Junior Science Schools, there were two programs, Colors in Nature for grades 3 & 4, and Wee Little Wonders for grades 1 & 2.
Kate, Caroline, Derek, and I worked with the Colors in Nature program. On the first day, students traveled to the Wedding Tree in Bridger-Teton National Forest to find colors and name them for their own crayon box, looked closely at tent caterpillars and played a complete metamorphosis game, and after learning the distinguishing characteristics of beetles, created their own colorful beetle to take home. Throughout the rest of the week, students also went to Schwabacher’s Landing to explore the area and build their own beaver dams, the Teton Science Schools Kelly Campus to discover which community was the most colorful, the Snake River to find colorful rocks, and ended the week with bird banding. How much fun did the kids have? The pictures tell it all.

To add onto Rob’s previous blog, here are some more pictures from the Wolf and Bear weekend trip to Yellowstone National Park. On the drive out of Kelly, we saw a coyote feeding on a carcass in the Gros Ventre River. We had barely left campus, but had to stop and take a look through the scopes.

It was my first time in Yellowstone, and it was exciting to spend the weekend there when the roads first opened up since winter. I was fortunate enough to had already seen a wolf in the sage flats near our campus in February, but was thrilled to see two more wolves on this trip. There was a coyote following a wolf for a while, and the wolf kept turning around and tried to chase off the coyote. I never realized how much bigger wolves were compared to coyotes until I saw them side by side.

The Teton Science Schools Kelly Campus graduate students and faculty gave back to the Jackson Hole community by volunteering for Habitat for Humanity for a day during seminar week.

During April 3-6, second grade students from the local Jackson Elementary School visited, each class coming for one day. Students looked for wildlife, did some tracking, and kept their eyes out for animal signs along Ditch Creek. On Thursday, a couple of groups saw a moose near Ditch creek and were able to follow it’s tracks! After learning about the history of the Muries and what it means to be a naturalist, students explored the Murie Musem with some scavenger hunt questions. Before coming to this program, each student had researched an animal in detail, so this was an opportunity for them to look closer for animal signs outside and at specimens in the Murie Museum. By the end of the day, each student had completed a species account in their journals, which included sketching, coloring, and a writtendescription.

Traveling all the way from New York, Churchill High School visited the Teton Science Schools March 25-31. It was one of our smaller groups, with 12 boys. The first couple days started off with strengthening teambuilding activities and setting goals for the week as a group. In the field, students explored the four plant communities around campus, and spent an afternoon hiking to Taggart Lake to learn about the geology of the Tetons and fire ecology of that area. After spending time in the Murie Museum, students went to the Murie Center and had some time to be naturalists, either looking for wildlife and tracking along the Snake River, or hiking on the “around the world trail” for some journaling, reflection, and further discussion of the Muries. One group was fortunate enough to spend some time watching a porcupine next to the trail! An afternoon was also spent at the National Museum of Wildlife Art to do some sketching. Evening programs included astronomy, night hike, art, create your ideal community, and a discussion of clean energy and how to conserve it at home. The final day was an adventure hike up Blacktail Butte to celebrate the week. This group set out for an adventure this week, and that’s just what they got!

John, Liz H., and Dale headed to Lander, WY for the weekend (Feb. 23-25) to teach students from local elementary schools. Liz H. had the little kiddies, grades K-1, John with the 2-3rd graders, and Dale with 4-6th grade. We met at the Children’s Museum in town and then headed out to the field for most of the day Saturday, and then Sunday morning. Lessons focused on animal and plant adaptations to winter and were spent on the trails at Sinks Canyon State Park.

My (Liz H.) kids were adorable! Most of their parents tagged along as well and were able to spend the field-time with the group. Saturday was spent Read the rest of this entry »

The week of February 19-23 brought in local seniors from Jackson Hole High School for the Art and Literature program, which has been a tradition at the Teton Science Schools for over 30 years. It is a change from the typical snow science curriculum of winter Residential Eduction programs at the Teton Science Schools Kelly Campus. Instead, the students receive a bound journal, colored pencils, watercolors, and micron pen, and are engaged in activities focused on solo time, journaling, literature from writers such as Aldo Leopold and Barry Lopez, sketching, watercolor painting, drawing, poetry, story-telling, naturalizing, reflection, and sharing their work throughout the week. Morning and evening programs were run by Matt Daly (focusing on writing and literature) and Greg Houda (focusing on art techniques). Field instructors were able to embrace these techniques and journaling skills during field-time skis around campus, and a showshoe at the Bradley/Taggart area. Students also spent an afternoon at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, spending one-on-one time with paintings and sculptures and adding inspiration to their journal work. For Jaime’s teaching team (Kirsten, John, Joel, Colleen, Nancy, Liz H.) it was their last Residential Education teaching week of this semester!

The work these students created in their journals was amazing! They are so talented and were continuously engaged in making the most of this experience as an escape from college applications, school routines, and stresses of senior year. At the end of the week, students created a group book as a reflection of their experience this week, filled with art and writing, and visually represented as a group totem pole. There was also a chance for students to build snow sculptures along the entrance of campus.

Thanks Jackson Hole High School for an inspiring week, and a special thanks and recognition to Matt and Greg as visiting teachers!