The GHS class poses at the Bear Center
Rose Byler, WW Staff
This summer, Wilderness Wind hosted eleven Goshen High School students (plus three educators) as they completed the experiential portion of their Boundary Waters science class. Goshen High School offers this unique opportunity combining an academic exploration of the Boundary Waters with an experiential exploration in the form of a canoe trip. In preparation for the trip, these students studied geology and mineralogy; biomes and land forms; topographic maps and orienteering; canoeing, camping, and other survival skills; human history of the area; and wilderness ethics. They came well prepared!
With such high interest in the program, the group was large enough to split into two groups. One was led by Zebulon Holsopple (former WW staff and GHS science teacher) and P.J. Wolfe (GHS science teacher) and the other was led by Elroy Holsopple (longtime WW supporter and GHS building trades teacher) as well as WW staff members Matthew and myself. The two groups followed different routes, but had many similar experiences with beautiful weather, swimming adventures, some wind, challenging portages, and amazing group bonding.
Two paddlers and two bailers – the capistrano flip could use some work
One memory that I will hold onto from this trip comes from an afternoon spent at our campsite. As I lay in my hammock, I could look around camp and see all the other members of the group: Elroy lounging in the lawn chair we had found and were packing out while chatting with Peter and Reid about college, knots, missionary work, and general life wisdom; Hannah and Katheryn sharing stories about family trips, stitches, family pets, after-school jobs, and more; Annika sunning herself on a rock and occasionally chipping in to Hannah and Katheryn’s conversation; and Matthew snoozing in the hammock above me. Most of these students didn’t know each other before the trip (or at least not well) and they don’t exactly run in the same social circles, but in the boundary waters that didn’t matter. In the midst of learning about and exploring the wilderness, they got together and that group bonding was a treat to see. Although I wish I could give a clear snapshot into the variety of experiences on each trip, this one memory of smooth and natural group bonding and the photos we brought back will have to suffice. (http://zebra-th.smugmug.com/School/GHS-Boundary-Waters-Field-1/23932930_mHFrKV and some more on at http://www.facebook.com/WildernessWind).
An afternoon at camp.
Wilderness Wind 