Thursday.....

 After class meetings, all kids in camp headed to Music at the Redwood chapel.  They learned camp songs, played some instruments and enjoyed the beauty of the space they were in.

Later that morning, I got to hike with Eric's field group up to Grandpa Doug, an old Douglas fir tree at the peak of a challenging mountain.  The kids did a great job making their way up the hiking trail without complaints.  It was great seeing the kids master this hike.... it was a very new experience for some.

We hiked through the burn scar area from the CZU fire, which burned right up to the back of Camp Campbell.  The Boulder Creek Fire Department single handedly held the fire line for more than a month before Cal Fire stepped in to help.  The kids learned about the ecology of a fire and how new plants are able to grow due to fire.  We saw mini redwood saplings starting to grow from a burned stump of another huge redwood tree.  I will post photos later!  The internet is VERY spotty up here!

Here are just a few more pictures from Thursday! Hope you enjoy!

Wrapping Up

Mother Nature has a beautiful day on offer as we finish up our last day of Camp Campbell Outdoor Science School. Campers will have a last few lessons. There were lots of smiles at breakfast this morning. We had a few tears last night from campers who didn't want to leave. 

Our combined teacher stats for the the last three days are:

57 miles walked / 163 flights of stairs climbed. 

All that to say, your children have been very physically active. They need an early bedtime and a good night's sleep tonight (as do the teachers)

We will update our arrival time through Parent Square once we're on the road. Students may be picked up before the bell if there is an adult available in their family, BUT they must be signed out. We'll have clipboards to do that.

Thank you so much for entrusting your children into our care. We are honored and grateful for your confidence. We have enjoyed this special trip beyond measure, getting to know our young students more deeply as we forge ahead in their last year before middle school. 

Last Night's Campfire

As with every year, the last night ends with a time of singing, fun, and ongoing laughter around the campfire. The naturalists and cabin leaders prepare throughout the week various skits and songs to perform for the students, and it is always a joyous time. 

A-4 Class meeting

 We met right after breakfast this morning to check in.  Happily, everyone slept well and was happy to see me and see each other.  Here's a picture of the happy crew!

Music, learning, and hikes continue!

This morning, students were off to a great start as most had gotten even better sleep than their first night at camp. Breakfast was devoured, letters from family were distributed, and clean up was quick and efficient now with a few days of practice. 

After breakfast, students gathered at the chapel to sing songs before heading off to various activities with their field groups (if you're curious about what songs they sang, do not worry -- they WILL be singing these songs for days/weeks to come! They are already singing these songs enthusiastically with their cabin mates... even as early as 7:45 in the morning).

As each field group resumed their day, I was able to catch a glimpse of different activities taking place. In the garden, students were carefully examining and taking notes on all the different plants and vegetables growing on site; the garden at this time of year is quite lush which made exploring even more worthwhile. Students also got to see the camp's compost station and understand how decomposition works.

At the Habitat House, students engaged in hands-on learning with live snakes along with other reptiles and amphibians! With a mix of fear, intrigue, and skepticism, students each had an opportunity to touch the garden snake held by their naturalist. 

Finally, I joined for the first half of another field group's adventures on their Spider Mountain hike. The students were excited and growing their observation skills as they looked for signs of human impact on their surroundings; i.e., chopped down trees, fences, concrete paths, etc.