Day 5: Reflections and Goodbyes (video)

Reflections and Favorite Memories From 

Keystone Science School

Closing Townhall Meeting & Final Night Campfire/Sing-along (video)

Town Hall Meeting and Reflections From Trip

Don't Forget the Campfire!!!

At camp we learned about Forest Ecology and Wolf Wildlife Management. Students had to apply the things they learned in a Town Hall meeting. Each student had a role to play in discussing the impacts wolves could have on the Summit County area. Some students were Hunting Guides, Recreation Specialists, Ranchers, Environmental Protection Groups, Animal Rights Activists, or even Local Residents. Everyone had a position and set of beliefs that they represented. The trip culminated in a Town Hall meeting where students had to meet and discuss their positions and beliefs.  

Students met outside to come to a consensus about what to do with the wolf population. 

Everyone had a great time exploring their stakeholder roles and working as a team to come to a decision that would benefit all parties involved. 

It was a great learning experience for all students!

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Last night: Campfire

What better way to end our amazing journey than to gather around the campfire to songs, celebrations, reflections, and, of course, SMORES! 

Students warmed up by the fire and prepared to make Smores at twilight. 

Later that night, students performed songs with their groups. Here, the 8th graders from HSA performed a special song for us.

The whole group joined in to perform Solider Boy as the final song and dance. 

The memories made from the trip with something students carry with them for the rest of their lives. Thank you to everyone who made the trip possible, especially Harmony Public Schools and Keystone Science School! 

I caught this delightful bunch singing their hearts out after a very tough Breckenridge hike.  What a sweet group of kids. I thoroughly enjoyed spending the last day together exploring the beauty and conquering all the challenges that the Rocky Mountains provide.     Love, Ms. Scott

Day 4: 6th Grade

6th grade: Challenge Hike

Last field day of the trip

The 6th grade group, Mr. Bozdogan, Ms. Scott, and our instructors Tyler and Tim had a great time on their final hike of the trip. As a special challenge, the team hiked up the foothills in Breckenridge to check out an abandoned mine. They had a great time exploring and playing in the snow for the last time! 

William found out how deep the snow can be as sank in! 

Angelina and Miracle had a great time burying their friend Elexus in the snow!

Here Mr. Gray Hawk took a moment to teach the students about tree sap and how it can be used as a defense mechanism for trees. 

After a fun hike up the foothills, the students made it the abandoned mine. Years ago this area was a booming gold town. 

The students shared some laughs with their instructors as they explored the abandoned mine area. 

Students learned a little bit about the history of the mine and the impact it had on the towns years ago.

Miracle had a great time on the challenge hike! 

The whole group felt a sense of accomplishment as they posed with their snow man at the top of the foothill with their awesome instructors Tyler and Tim!

Day 4: 8th Grade

8th Grade: Celebration Hike

Last field day of the trip

Team building before one of our field day hikes. 

Celebration hike! Last hike of the trip with our instructors Ally and Sarah. They taught us so much and we can't wait to come back! 

8th graders hike up a foothill to get better views of the surrounding peaks. 

8th graders Sydney, Nicholas, Esbeydi, and Marco spend some time reflecting on their favorite memories from the trip. It was hard to choose just one thing to talk about! 

During Nature Art, Dain created a subnivian tunnel (under the snow tunnel) for his project. Here is digging out the largest snowball we've ever seen! 

Day 3: 6th Grade KSS Campus and Breckenridge Field Exploration!

 Exploring around the campus during flex time.

 Angelina, Elexus, William, David, and Melisa: all smiles as they learned about Gray Wolves during the day hike!

 Mountain Man Ethan makes fire.

 Elexus, Vianey, Devanne, and Angelina enjoy grande snowcones! Yum! This one is for you LUZ! :)

 Breckenridge, CO provides stunning vistas, cool ski trails, and endless opportunities for learning.

 Miracle and Devanne giggling through life during an instruction break.

Back at Keystone Science School campus, we viewed Jupiter through the huge telescope on the left, and met for instruction in the yurt.  What a place!

Day 3: 8th Grade

Professor Nicholas teaching us about wolves.

 Leysha trailblazing the Arapahoe National Forest.

Extreme hide-and-go-seek!

 Lunch break by a frozen lake.

Learning conservation Dr. Seuss-style: The Lorax.

 Karla and Alyssa ask important questions regarding wolf ecology.

8th graders worked together as a wolf pack would.

Esbeydi dominating during the trait game, as the opposing team recesses to her glory.

Alyssa enjoying the mountain sun.

 Marco stumbled upon the remains of a porcupine feast, yikes!

Mock town hall meeting from our instructors regarding the upcoming wolf reintroduction in Colorado.

MTV Cabin Crib: Colorado Edition

MTV Cabin Cribs

Join us on a tour of our crib for the weekend. Brought to you by Nicholas and Esbeydi.

Sorry it's shaky!!!

Keystone Cabin Cribs Video

Day 2: Exploring Colorado Wildlife (Video)

Field Day 1: 8th Grade

Forest Ecology

(Check out the video at the end of this post!)
Today the students were split into two field groups. The 8th graders went with their two instructors out to the forest near Rainbow Lake. The 6th graders went with their two field instructors to the foothills of Buffalo Mountain. Here are some of the highlights from today:

Today we went into the mountains to look for wildlife and study forest ecology.

When we were in the field today, we did a special activity after we read "The Giving Tree." The instructors blindfolded us and lead us to a tree in the forest. We had to feel the tree and study all of its textures and special features. We were brought back to our starting point, took off the blindfold, and had to find our unique tree. Here is Sydney, waiting to be lead to her tree. Nicholas, Sydney, and some of the others found their tree on the first try. Others wandered around the forest till they found their unique tree.

Marco caught sleeping out in the field.

We found bear claw marks on one of the trees.

Our school is in area called Summit County between Copper Mountain and Brekenridge, Colorado. There are many popular ski resorts in the area.

Nicholas and Marco, part of the wolf pack. Let's hear you howl!!

Ms. Scott and Mr. Ohrt trying to run away!

Esbeydi and Sydney having fun in the snow!

Karla and Alyssa having a great time in the Great Outdoors!

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Field Day 1: 6th grade

Forest Ecology

We played lots of game where we learned about animal adaptations. Here Ethan is mimicing the talons of a bird of prey.

Even Mr. Bozdogan joined in the fun and games. Here he is pretending to be a Golden Eagle as part of the animal adaptations game. However, tonight we learned that "Bozdogan"means "Gray Hawk" Turkish. This is officially his new nickname of the rest of the trip :)

Melisa, William, and Elexus paid close attention to all the activities and things our field instructors were teaching us.

Later we hiked into the forest to learn about tree adaptations and practice identifying some of the native species using a dicotomus tree key.

Between lessons and games we took time to play in the snow and forest.

We even got to make our first snow angels!

Everyone had an AWESOME day out in the field! We can't wait to see what's in store for us tomorrow!

Check out Ethan and Dain's impressions from our first field day:
CLICK HERE to view video