Officially this was the first full day of STEAM in the Park NERI but for me it was the third day of my adventure so apologies for any confusion that this will cause. The first night of bunk bed sleeping was not delightful but honestly I didn't expect to sleep easily in a new location. I was first to bed and first to wake in my cabin after a night of trains passing by. Camp Brookside is located right next to a still very active railway and once was the summer camp for many young people whose parents were part of the railroad. In fact, the camp had a tall fence built along the river so that campers would be safe from the current and temptation of the New River, which I completely understand. | |
Every chance that I could walk along the river, I did. The sheer beauty of both the mountains and rushing water filled my heart with peace. I found myself taking time to pause, see, listen, and wonder about the natural world around me. Early mornings gave me time to connect with the beauty around me while soothing my need to be alone while feeling part of a much bigger place than myself.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Macro Invertebrates and New River
Two of the park rangers and an apprentice led us through learning about the macro-invertebrates that live in the New River. With life jackets and nets, we worked as teams to dredged the lower shore line areas for macro-invertebrates. We then learned how to identify different macro-invertebrates that we found.
In the process of searching, we found all kinds of different life forms. I really enjoyed this activity because it allowed us to engage when and how we wanted to. For some, that meant jumping right in and getting their hands dirty in the quest to find stuff in the mud. For others, that meant watching and noticing. I really appreciated the way that the activity provided multiple entry points for all of the learners.
Leave No Trace
After lunch, we learned about the important tenets of Leave No Trace through several different activities that helped us understand the impact that we have on the environment around us and especially in our National Parks. Plan Ahead and Prepare Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces Dispose of Waste Properly Leave What You Find Minimize Campfire Impacts Respect Wildlife Be Considerate of Other Visitors |
Weir Fishing and Evening Activities
Later in the afternoon, we learned about weir fishing as well as how different tools were created by the Cherokee. I was fascinated by the woven weir basket. After dinner, we did an activity around the book Crossings which explores different structures that have been built to support wildlife safely crossing busy highways and more. | |
Using Keva planks, our team created an example of an animal crossing. I found both the book and the planks to be an excellent resource that I plan to use in my classroom this coming year.