Hangin' with a puma.

I share my work space with a number of unique co-workers. There are some owls, a marmot, a black bear, and my friend Chuck the mountain lion.

Chuck the mountain lion.

Of course my favorite are the folks that come to visit us at the Foothills Learning Center. We get people of all types here. Last week we hosted a group of 3rd and 4th graders from White Pine elementary. We got to spend time helping them understand erosion and soil. We had several volunteers from the Sagebrush Steppe chapter of the Idaho Master Naturalists on hand to help out. Time flew by and before we knew it we were out on a hike showing them erosion in action. This was one of the best times I've had yet since starting as an AmeriCorps member. Helping people learn about their world and how the environment affect them is one of the main reasons I am working in environmental education.

Learning how wind and glaciers shape the landscape with Ron.

Bronwyn demonstrating how grass slows runoff and makes the water cleaner.

Investigating the different types of soil textures with Sue as their guide.

Sheralynn (AmeriCorps) helping kids understand how weathering breaks down rocks.

2015 Serve Idaho Conference

This last week featured the 2015 Serve Idaho conference. This was my first time attending a conference such as this. It was a great time to meet some of the other AmeriCorps members in Idaho (OK, a LOT of other AmeriCorps folks.) We also got to see a lot of presentation about being and managing volunteers. Some of the keynote speakers were inspiring such as Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray, two friends who traveled the 500-mile Camino de Santiago using a wheelchair and a lot of determination. They gave credit to those they met along the way who volunteered to lend a hand, stressing the impact that volunteerism can have.

Justin and Patrick on day 28. Photo from KTVB.com

 
The highlight of the conference was experiencing an organization called One Stone. This is a youth-run operation which encourages students to become thoughtful and active members of the community through service, The youths that I met with at the conference were phenomenal examples of bright, conscientious young adults learning to live life with a purpose.

As part of the conference, I have had some ideas that could benefit the Foothills Learning Center and I can't wait to discuss them with my co-workers and see what we can do to help the organization better serve the community.

First Classroom Visits!

This week I got to make my first trips out into the public as a member of the FLC/AmeriCorps team. It has been super fun! My first day out was teaching a lesson about composting and worms to 2nd graders at Ustick Elementary School. The kids were all energetic and willing to help and answer questions. I quizzed them on what they learned about worms and I think the overwhelming response was that worms poop dirt and cows don't grow on trees. It was great to quiz them on what can and cannot be composted and to see how quickly they picked it up.

Snow school leaders at Bogus Basin, 2012.

The second school I visited was Grace Jordan Elementary where we gave the Bogus Basin Snow School pre-lesson. We covered winter adaptations including hibernation, migration, and acclimation. We demonstrated how a bear fattens up for winter by layering a dozen coats on some of the kids. It was pretty fun and a good way to visualize what a bear goes through to get ready for winter. We quizzed the kids on adaptations by giving them pictures of animals and asking them to sort themselves into different adaptation schemes.

Second Saturday at FLC

Exploding trash can geyser!

Today was second Saturday at FLC. This occurs on the 2nd Saturday of every month and this was my first time being a part of it. Friday we set up and it was rewarding to see everything assembled and ready, knowing that Sharalynn  (my AmeriCorps cohort) and I had done the work ourselves.

Some of the displays ready for Second Saturday

When Saturday came I was blown away by how many people came out to enjoy the nice weather and see what we had to offer. 

I spent most of my time at a table demonstrating how geothermal energy works. We also had several types of volcanic rock on hand which was a very popular exhibit! I got to show kids how the rate at which molten rock cools affects the final appearance.

We capped the day off with a trash can "geyser" which got cheers all around.

I am so excited about the opportunity to work and the Jim Hall Foothills Learning Center as an AmeriCorps volunteer. I expect that this opportunity will improve my environmental education skills, group management skills, and my fitness! The hard part right now is that the weather has our trails in a mess so activities are limited. Thankfully I'm there until summer when we can get out with the snakes and cicadas and start getting dirty!

Photo credit: idahosojourn.wordpress.com