Headwaters was excited to put together a series of Fall Field Days for students in middle and high school. Over the course of four days, 12 students came out to explore the ecosystems around them and engage in outdoor learning after a year spent on Zoom!
We offered four different themed programs in September and October: meadows and water, environmental field science (for girls in science), ecology, and environmental science (for AP students). Students were excited to get outside!
Students learned to problem solve in the field, increasing their analytical and critical thinking skills. Students also learned about interpreting the data they collected, like what individual measures of dissolved oxygen and aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity mean for water quality in a stream. Hosting these programs outside of the classroom allowed the students to connect with the land and learn more about the local environment. We also talked about the scientific process, what it takes to be a scientist, and what careers in science can look like.
Overall, students enjoyed their experiences with the Fall Field Days. Each student reported that they learned something during the field days that they would not have in a regular science classroom, and each also stated they like science more after attending the field days than before.
Thank you to our partners at the Truckee Donner Land Trust for allowing us to host these field days on their property – it provided a great opportunity for students to learn and explore the ecosystems around them. Also, thank you to our sponsors and donors, including Soroptimist International, the Truckee Tahoe Airport, Rotary Club of Truckee, and the Tahoe League for Charity. We were able to provide these programs to students in the greater Truckee/Tahoe/Reno area free of charge, allowing students who might face prohibitive costs of the program to attend.
