10/4/13-A poem of chaos

A Poem of Chaos

Elizabeth Flesher

The government shut down, oh no what to do?

Should we pack up and leave to Kalamazoo?

Our plans that we make almost always go wrong,

But that is okay because we are all so strong.

The LOW’s made a plan by making a call,

To Ogden Nature Center this very cold fall.

We woke up at 7 to be there by 9

And discovered this place to be mighty fine.

Bird houses covered the path of our first walk,

And we met with Susan to have a great talk.

A “tee-tee” a “tee-tee” a kindergartener let out a yell

A tee pee he meant
which Susan did tell.

Edible and medicinal plants were taught on the walk,

As the centers ravens and hawks let out a squawk.

Chi-ca-go Chi-ca-go said the the California Quail,

As it sang its song and let out a wail.

An eagles nest which is 8 feet long,

Fit 26 children as they wallowed along.

As our education came to an end,

We all gathered around in a circular bend.

Mary the director told us how things are ran,

And then we began our way back to the van.

Tyler’s 24^th birthday is on this October 4^th day,

So let’s all shout out hip-hip-hooray!

A book was given by Jeff and Shane,

That may or may not have given him fame.

“On the day you were born” the book was called,

which Tyler read aloud and never stalled.

We packed in the vans and continued along,

On this journey of life that makes us strong.

A city called Cedar we are adventuring too,

And to our surprise Kevin never even let out a “moo”.

6 hours later we unpacked our tent,

and ate out until we all were spent.

Goodnight to all, goodnight we all say,

Until we meet tomorrow during the day.

10/3/13-In the midst of chaos

--> "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

Tyler Schrapf

                  Being the resident poli-sci major on the trip, I have been getting a lot of questions from my fellow expedition members about the recent government lockdown that is currently plaguing our trip. This morning I could not get my mind off the current political situation at hand and on to more important matters such as scheduling events as a leader of the week, or how to handle the days logistics for getting out of Jackson; so around 7 AM I caved and started the day off at chow circle with a quote from Benjamin Franklin – “Those willing to sacrifice a little freedom to gain a little security should deserve neither and will lose both.” I could not tell how well these words sank in, but I feel like a lot of freedoms have been given up recently. Our very own country is not free to roam, the most beautiful and moving places are locked away for the time being, putting our group at an impasse.

                  Alas, there is hope. As leaders of the week we buckled down and made phone calls to various outdoor education centers. I somehow managed to talk the Ogden Nature Center in Ogden, Utah into letting us do a two hour job shadow and a one hour administration question and answer session on one day’s notice. Tomorrow there is a concrete plan, and our education requirements are being met. As each day passes, we must condense an entire semesters worth of planning into one night as leaders of the week in order to insure that our groups educational standards are being met.

                  Utah is proving to have a lot to offer, as we move across the state, I see nothing but unscarred beauty. There is an extensive state park system and plenty of opportunity for private and non-profit administration/outdoor education programs. The most important and critical thing to keep in mind as we move into the upcoming weeks is to remain positive and to to create the best educational experience possible.

                  As a general statement for those who are wondering, today went well. We learned about running a private touring business for Yellowstone by a man simply named Jason. Driving through the Cache National Forest was beautiful beyond imagination, and . . . We had pizza for dinner. Today was a good day.

10/2/13-Fall Cleaning

  Fall Cleaning
Emily Chathas

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What did ECOEE 2013 do today, you might wonder? Well our day started off with some delicious breakfast burritos made by Kevin and the other cooks for the day. Soon after I saw all our belongings being piled tall outside the trailer by Jeff, and I could tell how his face had this stern look that today was not going to be a good one. So, everyone gathered around as Jeff told us that we are messy college students and we do not take care of things well, such as our own things, food, and the group’s items.  It was time to reorganize and clean everything from the back of the trailer, to the inside, and both of the vans. While doing this, I really saw the group work together and be effective while cleaning and organizing everything, which was nice to observe and do as well. But, the question is how long will this clean trailer and van last? We will have to see! Another part of our day was that we went to Teton Science School, the Jackson Hole campus, and got to talk to Josh who is on staff. He actually has talked to past ECOEE groups. During our visit I really enjoyed myself and took a lot of what he said and learned from it. I really liked that when he was giving us a tour of the campus he would stop and do some teaching of outdoor education. He talks about anything from quaking aspens to the topographical display of the Grand Tetons. I really enjoyed his teaching style and how he engaged the group by asking what we observed when looking at something. I feel that is such a great way to get an understanding of where the people you are teaching are at. You can gauge what to talk about first, how basic it needs to be, and so on. I plan and hope to use that method of teaching when I do my own teaching on plants, shrubs, flowers, and cacti. Our group headed back to camp with knowledge and tools to use from Josh. Lastly, if you wonder what the weather has been like here in Wyoming, it’s been raining -- and a lot of it.

“Sometimes you have to watch someone love something before you can love it yourself.“ Donald Miller