One of my favorite parts of our STEAM in the Park program is the "A" time- the ART. I find that having an artistic outlet, regardless of my skill level, is a great way to decompress, process what I've learned, and explore new art mediums. At Bryce Canyon National Park we were lucky to have the chance to learn some basic watercolor painting techniques. Sitting on the rim of the canyon gave us an incredible subject to paint- from the vanilla-smelling trees to the burnt sienna hoodoos and cliffs, and on to the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds, there was lots to look at and take in.
Art does so many great things - for kids and adults alike. It helps us tap into our creative side. That inclination we have to explore new ideas for representing what we know and do. It helps us express new learning, and it gives us an opportunity to not be perfect- something I always need to practice! When our original teacher ended up sick we were fortunate to have Ms. Bonnie step in as our facilitator & teacher. I was amazed at how she jumped right into the experience. She taught us some great tips and techniques to get started with watercolor. She encouraged us to give things a try, and if it didn't work out to try something different. Isn't that exactly what we'd want our students to do? What a joy and a gift to have some time to learn with her. How might you include art in your lessons? You'll be amazed (and maybe even surprised) at the good that comes from it!
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Today was our first full day of STEAM in the Park at Bryce Canyon National Park, and what a wonderful day it was! Weather was absolutely perfect, from the chilly start to the blue skies splotched with fluffy white clouds hanging on the horizon. We even felt a few drops of rain here and there. Two highlights of the day were our discussions with Park Rangers which focused on biodiversity and human impact at Bryce Canyon.
Our afternoon conversations with Ranger Andres began with a compelling question. He asked us, "How do we make sense of the land that we see here?" This lead to wonderful conversations about the many ways we innately consider land, and the much deeper and richer opportunities we have to dig a little deeper and see the interconnectedness between humans and the Earth. Ranger Andres encouraged us to think not just of past human history, but also to consider our current relationship with the land which will help inform our future abilities to live and thrive as people and communities. He spoke about indigenous peoples who have inhabited the Bryce Canyon area for at least 10,000 years. He shared stories of Spanish missionaries and explorers in the 1700's. He spoke about pioneers and settlers in the 1800's for whom the canyon is now named. And, he spoke about all those who currently visit and explore the hoodoos, canyons, mesas, and plateaus of this area. Ranger Andres followed up his initial question with several more that were designed to get us thinking, and lead to many conversations between us as we walked the rim of the canyon. Some of the things he asked include:
- Susan Bowdoin My name is Susan Bowdoin, and I'm the Program Director for STEAM in the Park. Bryce Canyon is the second of eight National Park visits for STEAM in the Park this summer, and I'm excited to be joining Dacia and Steve in welcoming our campers! Though our official start isn't for a couple of days, we've already had some great "firsts" that are worth sharing.
We have shared, laughed, paddled, cooked, swam, cried, sang, hiked, and marveled over the wonder of nature together. We met up as virtual acquaintances and are leaving as friends. We became "Firefly Friends". Fireflies symbolize communication and illumination – two necessary elements for connecting with new friends that we would never have noticed in our usual domestic habitats. Several things must be in place to generate that “firefly spark.” There needs to be vulnerability from being somewhere new. Plus a sense of proximity, similarity, and resonance between people. And the environment matters, too. When we’re somewhere unfamiliar or facing adventure, we bond more quickly with those around us. Once these factors are in place, the fire’s been laid for firefly friendships to ignite. These friendships spark a strong bond between relative strangers. Memories of these encounters may become highlights of your journey – even if you never see these friends again. Like a firefly’s glow, these intense friendships spring up without warning and burn brightly before their light fades away. Northern Public Radio | By. (2022, May 24). Perspective: Firefly friendships. Northern Public Radio: WNIJ and WNIU. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from https://www.northernpublicradio.org/wnij-perspectives/2019-08-01/perspective-firefly-friendships At 3:35 pm on May 28th- our 13 educators from around the country gathered together at the Trade Winds Hotel to connect, collaborate, and create! It's hard to explain 'love at first sight' with strangers- but I felt that way. These crunchy-granola educators came in with smiles, handshakes, hugs, and hearts for learning. We had our first meal together and then began our evening with introductions, games, and reflection on "why we were here'.
Day 2 we hit the river. This was the first time in canoes for many of us. Were we prepared to paddle over 13 miles? Maybe not- but we did it. The sights along the river caused us to pause and reflect on the beauty of nature and how it can truly heal the soul. Ranger Bobbie provided several opportunities for us to stop, think, and create poetry together. We did have one capsizing moment and it might have been me- but I wouldn't have traded this for anything. When we reached our camp, we packed up the boats, set up our tents, started a fire and continued our fellowship. We met Rosebud Lakota Tribal Elder, Phyllis Stone. She shared some stories about her people and how we as "humans' should love one another. We were thrilled and honored to have her in our presence. After our campfire conversations, we explored our musical side with some campfire singing and then attempted to create our glow stick art. We will let you tell us if we succeeded. We were excited to get ready for a well-deserved night of sleep in our tents. Unfortunately, mother nature had other ideas. After reviewing the weather reports and analyzing the radar, we decided the thunderstorms, rains, wind, and tornado watch were a little scary so we headed back to the motel. Still fun though. On Day 3, we pivoted once again and decided that we would write our content today because of the constant rain. These educators really understood the assignment. They dug deep to write meaning connections and immersions for their students and the Niobrara National Scenic River staff. We can't wait to share them with you. We finished up the evening with a windy hot dog roast and gave everyone the rest of the night off to warm up and get some rest. Tomorrow is all about waterfall photos and frolicking, phenology hikes, waterfall art class, horse fossil studies, bison tour, celebration cookout, and our NASA dark skies. We don't want to say goodbye yet but we know that this is truly just the beginning for all of us. We traveled over 1400 miles to get to Valentine, Nebraska yesterday. After that long trip- our only task was to eat dinner and sleep. On Day 2 we had a lovely final planning meeting with Superintendent Susan Cook and Rangers Bobbie Roshone and Solveig Perrett from the Niobrara National Scenic River. Everything is ready to begin tomorrow at 3 pm. We had a lovely lunch at the Old Mill Deli in Valentine and met up with a few new friends that we will introduce everyone to on Tuesday. I like to call them John, Teddy, Muir, Old Man, and Hank!
A few fun facts about bison: (Click on the links for more) 1. Bison are the largest mammal in North America. Male bison (called bulls) weigh up to 2,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, while females (called cows) weigh up to 1,000 pounds and reach a height of 4-5 feet. Bison calves weigh 30-70 pounds at birth. 2. A baby bison is called a red dog. Bison calves tend to be born from late March through May and are orange-red in color, earning them the nickname “red dogs.” After a few months, their hair starts to change to dark brown and their characteristic shoulder hump and horns begin to grow. 3. Bison may be big, but they’re also fast. They can run up to 35 miles per hour. Plus, they’re extremely agile. Bison can spin around quickly, jump high fences and are strong swimmers. (That's why we stayed in the car). Campers arrive tomorrow! 338 days of planning has led us to this moment... #STEAMinthePARK 2022!
John Muir said, “I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” Well we are taking his advice and starting out on a journey of over 15,000 miles where educators will connect, collaborate, and create together. May 26th-August 19th Let's do this! Recently we were asked about our #1 goal for STEAM in the PARK. It didn't take but a few seconds to form an answer. We want to build community among educators and give them an opportunity to reflect, refresh, and renew their spirits. That's it! The byproducts are content creation, extraordinary experiences, lifelong friendships, and opportunities to inspire students. One of my favorite songs is 'You've Got A Friend" by Carole King. I leave it here for you to sing in your head or if you feel so led, belt it out. We won't contrive JOY or friendship at STEAM in the PARK but we will strive to provide an opportunity for those things to be found if sought. See YOU in the PARK! You've Got A Friend When you're down and troubled And you need a helping hand And nothing, nothing is going right Close your eyes and think of me And soon I will be there To brighten up even your darkest night You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I'll come running, oh yeah baby, to see you again Winter, spring, summer or fall All you've got to do is call And I'll be there, ye, ye, ye You've got a friend If the sky above you Should turn dark and full of clouds And that old north wind should begin to blow Keep you head together And call my name out loud now Soon you'll hear me knocking at you door You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I'll come running, oh yes I will, to see you again Winter, spring, summer or fall, ye All you have to do is call And I'll be there, ye, ye, yeah Ain't it good to know that you've got a friend When people can be so cold They'll hurt you, and desert you And take your soul if you let them, oh yeah, don't you let 'em now You just call out my name And you know wherever I am I'll come running to see you again, oh baby, don't you know Winter, spring, summer or fall Hey now, all you have to do is call And I'll be there, yes I will You've got a friend You've got a friend, yeah Ain't it good to know you've got a friend Ain't it good to know you've got a friend Oh, ye, yeah, you've got a friend Songwriter: Carole King You've Got a Friend lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC Educators from 35 states.
On site Rangers from 8 National Parks. Additional Interpretive Educational Rangers from 10 National Parks. Joining together to make a huge impact on teaching and learning in the US. T-3 days! As we have shared, the idea of STEAM in the PARK has always been something that we have wanted to do. But just how did it start? Well it began on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC on January 16, 2020. We had been invited to come and film the MLK Jr. Celebration with students from the DC area by our dear friend, Jen Rudnick. She is an outstanding park ranger at the National Mall and Memorial Parks. After the event we were talking about things and somehow the subject came up about hosting an event in the summer where educators from around the country would come for professional development. We even came up with the name, STEAM in the PARK. That conversation lasted about 30 minutes and then we headed home. Next day, we phoned our friend, Susan Bowdoin and shared what had transpired. She was immediately intrigued and we began working on the details. Several ZOOM calls between Steve, Jen, Susan, and myself were scheduled and we were off to the races. We decided to intentionally invite educators from around the country to form this first STEAM in the PARK group. We created a FB page, got to know everyone, planned, dreamed, and more. Then Covid 19! Those two words scared us but we didn't stop planning and meeting with the team. On May 22, 2022, we finally pulled the plug on the event (which was scheduled for June 19-22, 2022.) We were all sad but more worried about what Covid was doing to our friends and families. We put STEAM in the PARK on the back burner, for a while. Fast forward to January 2021. We visited Acadia National Park to film one of our "National Parks Expedition Challenges". We met Ranger Kate and just like with Ranger Jen, we connected immediately. I started talking about STEAM in the PARK again with Steve and Susan. By the end of January, we had gotten permission from Acadia National Park to hold a summer retreat so we began planning again. This time- we were determined. We reached out on social media to form a new team of STEAM in the PARK campers who would travel to the Schoodic Institute, located at Acadia National Park, to solve the elusive and intrusive green crab problem. By March 1st- we had our team assembled, began ZOOMing every month and looking forward to STEAM in the PARK: Acadia. Well this time it worked and on July 16th, 32 educators from 15 states joined us for a magical 4 days. We learned so much and basically built the plane while we were flying it. After returning home, we knew that this was exactly how we should be spending our summers so we rested for a few days and began planning for STEAM in the PARK 2022. While we are on the road this summer, we will be sharing daily updates within the community and on social media. Please follow us at #STEAMinthePARK to learn more. |
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