Graduate Program

By Josh Kleyman,
Graduate Faculty

As spring continues to encroach on the valley, a group of 6 graduate students are fully immersed in the natural history of the area. Advanced Elements of Field Ecology began with three early mornings as Dr. Dale Gentry and Mike Windsor took the graduate students birding.

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By Elizabeth Terp,
Volunteer

Carolyn Neblett, Montessori teacher, is here with 19 students. Because her class spans 3 grade levels, this is the third year some of her students have come for a residential week. Montessori students take a weeklong trip during the school year to broaden their understanding of the land and community of life we all share. Read the rest of this entry »

By Heather Ristow,
Graduate Student

Last Sunday evening in Spur Ridge classroom we were graced with a sunny vista of the Teton Mountains as we gathered to welcome four Elderhostel students to TSS. They had come from Arizona, Nevada, and Indiana to participate in a weeklong ornithology course coordinated by Dr. Dale Gentry. They brought varying degrees of passion for birds and birding, as well as a wide variety of life experiences that they shared with us. They came with many goals for the week: to see a Sage Grouse lek, to add the gray-crowned rosy finch and other birds to their life lists, and to experience the majesty of the Tetons. The first woman to arrive had the amazing luck of seeing three wolves mid-day on the drive from the airport to the Kelly Campus. Read the rest of this entry »

By Aliesje King,
Graduate Student

It is strange, now, as the snow begins to melt I reflect on the winter teaching experience. It was an adventure to say the least. Not only did we have to recall all the new knowledge about snow science we recently obtained, but we had to teach efficiently when the temps were below the 0° C mark. The students couldn’t wander about on scientific adventures as they had in the fall, it was just too cold. To add to this, not only was the air frigid, but we also had these funny contraptions on our feet: skis.
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By Elizabeth Terp,
Volunteer

George Angelo, Science teacher, and Rich Bartman, Principal, have brought thirty-two students here for a week of Winter Ecology. When asked what draws him to continue bringing students here, Bartman states that it is a great experience with knowledgeable people who work well with kids in a safe and fun environment. His school added a day in Yellowstone and brought Teton Science Graduate Program instructors along with them because they wanted total involvement with instructors who taught the geology, animals and expanded the science piece.
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By Josh Kleyman,
Graduate Faculty

What impact do we have as educators? A question I have asked myself often. At times, we are given the opportunity to see and hear first hand. Read the rest of this entry »

By Judy Fisher,
Graduate Student

When I hear the word “studio” I envision a huge room with lots of natural light and room to move freely creating artistic expression. The studio space at Kelly Campus has amazing natural light and the best view in the Kelly valley of the prominent white frosted rock spires of the Teton Cathedral Group. The Spur Ridge classroom, a new addition to Kelly Campus, was designed with the thought of a space for the Graduate students. The classroom is located near Ditch Creek at the base of Spur Ridge.
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By Elizabeth Terp,
Volunteer

Professor Barbara Middleton, who teaches Interpretation and Environmental Education at Utah State University in Logan, brought seven of her undergraduate students here for a three day program. Their goal was to strategize their project to expand the animated Web Rangers site for Grand Teton National Park as a service for the Park. Read the rest of this entry »

By John Hoener,
Graduate student (2007)

Hello science school,

The first of hopefully many Class 13 Sundance Film and Snow reunions was last weekend. Anne and Jason, Colleen, HJ, Jay, Jess and Ron, Liz Hoffman, and Mary and I enjoyed a long weekend of film, skiing, and fun.

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By Josh Kleyman,
Graduate Faculty

For three weeks, six graduate students have been at Journeys School immersed in ideas of innovative independent schools and preparing for two weeks of classroom teaching. We started our experience with a week of observations and seminars. In one of our seminars, we discussed the beginning of Parker Palmer’s “A Courage to Teach”. In the introduction he describes “teachers who…love learners, learning and the teaching life.” Through our observations and experiences, it is clear that this idea of passionate teaching is a reality at Journeys.
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By Heather Ristow,
Graduate Student

The snow pack settles with a resounding “WHOMPH” as I glide out onto Upper Meadow. It is a sound I hope I never hear while standing on a slope for it would surely precede a cascade of snow rapidly running downhill. Read the rest of this entry »

By Julia Stuble,
Graduate Student

Our little community saw its first big split, when many of my fellow graduate students and I fled for home over Thanksgiving break. The class work load had steadily increased as due dates loomed before the break, and it was with stealthy looks of desperation that heartfelt goodbyes were quickly exchanged. The homework and assignments had reminded us all that we were actually in graduate school, and like it had been in college, these holiday breaks were much enjoyed.

Now, only a few weeks later, we have exchanged more holiday wishes and hugs and temporarily split our community once again, though not without first enjoying a holiday retreat together.

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By Aliesje King,
Graduate Student

Amazing, I survived my first semester (or what-have-you) of my graduate education. This includes taking my first science test in ten years, a wondrous trip to a cabin (not-my-own) in the woods with my fellow classmates and instructors, and successfully completing my first scientific research compilation and presentation—–water quality analysis, baby! Read the rest of this entry »

By Derek Meier,
Graduate Student

The day was quite warm—if you are used to Jackson winters. The sky was blotched with blue and white with a few stray stellar dendrites floating down landing on our clothes allowing a quick inspection of these delicate intricacies before being blown away. Our graduate class was out with a local avalanche expert Ron Matous to learn about the snow pack, avalanche safety, and instructional strategies regarding snow science. Read the rest of this entry »

By Heather Ristow,
Graduate Student

Solitude.

It creeps into the spaces between stillness and silence, framed by snow-covered branches in aspen groves. It seeps into my cells with each step that I take deeper into the forest, away from cabin warmth and human merriment. Read the rest of this entry »

By Sarah “Webbie” Webster,
Graduate Student

Our second half of Community Ecology was riddled with excitement.

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By Julia Stuble,
Graduate Student

I have recently come to terms with being a full-time student. During my undergraduate days, being a student became a four-year transitional stage. In the beginning I was happy to be a student, though I was always facing a golden light at the end of the student tunnel. By year four, I had a mini-rebellion against my own ambitions, and the standards set upon me. I moved graduate school back a few years, skipped the graduation ceremony and headed for a construction job.
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By Sara Stephan,
Gradaute Student

Yeah that’s right. It’s October and it’s SNOWING!

I called home yesterday and my friend complained that the weather was 90 degrees. I told her it was 38 degrees and we were expecting snow. She laughed and said, “No, seriously, what’s it like there?” All I could say was “SERIOUSLY.” Read the rest of this entry »

By Aliesje King,
Graduate Student

Trying to put a highlight on my time with Dr. Dale Gentry and the wonderfully small group of grad students that make up my academics clan is quite a task. Natural Science is something I am just learning to articulate. My Social Science background gives me aid when it comes to statistics or random analysis, but getting out in the field and studying the natural world is something I used to do in my “free time.”
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And a Bison curls up next to my cabin!

By Judy “Pippi” Fisher,
Graduate Student

Last week became the week of wildlife. All the students in the field learning about the environmental communities on the Teton Science School campus also learned about charismatic megafauna! Read the rest of this entry »

By Julia Stuble,
Graduate Student

Have you ever used a word so often, or stared at it for too long, that it seems misspelled? I have, and did this week with the seemingly innocuous word “place.” This was the first week of my team’s two week stint in a class titled “Principles of Place-Based Education,” and we used the word “place” a lot. Read the rest of this entry »

By Robin Brooks,
Graduate Faculty

Our Fall Outreach Team includes: Allison Greene, Ann Braak, Heather Ristow, Melinda Galleher, and Meta Dittmer.

September 17-20, 2007
Moran Elementary School is located near the north entrance to Grand Teton National Park. This year there are only fourteen students attending the school? There are two full time teachers which teach the 1st – 5th grades. Caroline Ryan teaches Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade, while Amanda Pinkerton teaches the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classes. Read the rest of this entry »

Written By:
Judy “Pippi” Fisher,
Graduate Student

As I embark on my phenology project, the Aspens begin to glimmer gold. Phenology is the study of natural phenomena and the relation of it to climate and changing seasons. As an artist, color effects my everyday life. The colors in nature create a landscape of grandeur for all to appreciate. I chose to study how the colors change over the course of the seasons in the communities around the Kelly Campus.
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In the last week of August, it was with trepidation that I listened to our director, John Haskin, discuss our coming week. Students, fifth graders from Southridge Elementary of Casper, Wyoming, would be swarming onto campus like little excited insects and all of a sudden my lack of teaching experience hit me. Read the rest of this entry »

One thing amazing about the town of Jackson is the whole town events that bring out everyone, from every nook and cranny. With such a giving population it’s nice to see how excited people get about getting involved. I had a chance to be directly involved in this year’s Old Bill’s Fun Run, on September 8th. Read the rest of this entry »

Death Canyon, Teton Range, Wyoming
20:00 hours, August 30, 2007

Dinner consisted of curry cous-cous, sautéed peppers, onions, and garlic, marinara sauce, and candied raisins and pecans. Simple fare, elegantly prepared, and devoured without hesitation. This is how it was on our third day of backpacking with half of the 2008 graduate class strolling down this tranquil Teton canyon. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s early. We all stand ready, packs full of pasta and GORP, stuff sacks and puffies, and naturally water bottles and bladder bags bursting at the seams. Our well thought out menus are tucked in our bear bins, second skin is applied, and our packs (both brand new and ill fittingly old) sit awkwardly on our backs. We are half of the graduate class, ready to hike through the Teton Crest Trail to Idaho as the others will start in Idaho and head our way. Excitement permeates our group: Let’s go! Read the rest of this entry »

After completing a mandatory Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Training, I had a few days off before beginning my year as a graduate student at Teton Science Schools. Read the rest of this entry »

After fifty weeks, of living, learning and teaching in our quaint corner of Grand Teton National Park, the 13th class of Teton Science Schools’ Graduate Program graduated on August 1, 2007. This evening was truly a celebration of people, nature, place and education.

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Three of our graduate students are interning in Grand Teton National Park this summer. They are leading programs and working behind the desk in the visitor centers. I am fortunate enough to get to observe their programs and help them put the finer touches on their interpretive skills.

Today I watched Anne do a Menor’s Ferry program. It is a fascinating part of the park because it has an operating historic general store, a replica ferry that crosses the Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Bright, smiling faces glowing with anticipation on Monday, June 11 marked the first day of Teton Junior Science School (TJSS) for 1st through 4th graders. The programs are being lead by our very own graduate students with the support of four amazing interns. The programs offered last week included Wee Little Wonders (1-2 grade) and Colors in Nature (3-4 grade). I tagged along with both groups to see what incredible discoveries were taking place. On Tuesday, the first and second graders studied birds. They had the unique opportunity to hang out with the Teton Science Schools’ bird banders as they collected data on various birds of the area. Some of the students even released the birds after the information was recorded! It was quite a treat for everyone!

On Thursday, the third and fourth graders explored the Snake River Levy. They weresurrounded by thousands of rocks of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and had sweeping southern views of the Teton Range. They played games and creatively learned about the formation of the Tetons. Thank you everyone for allowing me to explore with you! Stay tuned for more updates from the TJSS world!

Every year the graduate students and the faculty go up to Lamar Valley in Yellowstone to watch wolves and bears.  This was my first year going.  I had an amazing time.  I got my first prolonged look at a grizzly bear.  Prior to this I’ve only seen fleeting hairy rear ends disappearing into willow thickets.  This time, I watched a group of 20 bison chase a grizzly across a hill.

The wolves were amazing too.  Four total.  The one we got a really good look at is known as Druid 302.  He was beautiful. 

The highlight for me was an interaction we watched between the wolf, grizzly, and a coyote.  At one time I could see all three through my binoculars at once.  There were no scuffles but it looked tense at times through the scope.

Josh Kleyman, Jaime Duval, and I have been out scouting sights for the botany portion of Advanced Elements of Field Natural History that starts next week. Sunny, warm days gave me my first sandal tan of the year and invited us to scour the sides of south facing hills and open plains for the first signs of spring. With temperatures still getting near freezing at night and an inch of snow forecasted for today there are some brave early bloomers that deserve a mention:

Buttercup
Western springbeauty
Yellowbell
Ball-headed waterleaf
Carpet phlox
Sugarbowls
Pasque flower
Woodland star
Shooting star
Prairie smoke
Violets
Rockcress
Biscuitroot
Dandelion
Bluebells
Stoneseed
Bistort
Phalecia

So- despite the inch of snow that may fall and putting my sandals away for the day. I’m convinced that spring is here.

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!

Five graduate students recently spent their winter exploring innovative education in indepenedent schools, culminating in two weeks of teaching at Journeys School, Teton Science Schools PreK-12th grade independent school.  During these weeks, innovative teaching was happing in and outside of the classroom. Read the rest of this entry »

How do we know if the values we want to impart as environmental educators are reaching our students? How do we want to live and manifest our values in our daily lives? What are we actually doing everyday that is in line with our values, and why or how do we justify if they don’t line up? Heck, what are our values and how do we clearly articulate them? These are a few of the questions I thought about as guest speaker, Teton County Commissioner, Benn Ellis, joined the graduate class in an evening discussion about “Action” last night. Benn shared some of his amazing Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t fancy myself a particularly coordinated person. In fact, walking on the snowy paths around campus I frequently find myself tripping and have even body planted in the snow a time or two. Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive about trying climbing at the new rock gym. But, how could I pass up the opportunity to learn from some of my knowledgeable classmates?

So, last Friday Kate and I headed to the climbing gym where she wowed me with her amazing patience and instructional skills. That girl is TALENTED and Read the rest of this entry »