We are thrilled to get moving with an exciting month ahead. The day started with warm sunshine on the Tetons while one of our more outgoing instructors greeted the students at the Jackson Hole airport dressed in a pika suit and a tie to formalize the occasion. Upon arrival at the Kelly Campus, the students were greeted with snacks and quickly moved in. Equipment was handed to those who needed it.

Before dinner, this unique group of students from all over the world got to know each other as they personalized journals for their field writing and then took a short hike to preview the surroundings. Impressively, the riddle of the day was an easy one for most of the young minds.
For dinner we consumed some soft tacos and had zero ort. ‘Ort’ is a term from late middle English, (1400-1450) borrowed from the German ‘ort’, and the Dutch ‘oorete’. It is a noun for scrap food or morsels leftover. We use this term to distinguish the concept of over-estimating hunger and wasted food. The students are asked to weigh the ort at the end of the meal and then graph the results. Over time it will become apparent how much food they are potentially wasting within a set period of time.

The highlight of the day came in the evening. Students formally introduced themselves with information about place, favorite subject and background. Together students shared hopes and fears of our time together at Teton Science Schools and ultimately created a “flag” or contract in which students committed to characteristics that will define our community such as honesty, creativity, support, positivity and openness.

It was an excellent day and a great start to High School Field Ecology 2011.

Stay tuned for more entries throughout the weeks ahead written by the students themselves.