Come along with
the 4th grade class from New Emerson School on our 5.5 acre park.
Teacher has an available safety backpack
including a two-way radio giving communication back to New Emerson
School in case of emergency.
Take along one of our backpack kits with great binoculars, pocket
microscope, magnifying glass, soil thermometer, tape measure,
timer, measuring tape, pH paper, containers for samples, sketchpads,
colored pencils, and a notebook filled with valuable information
for observations.
We will start down through new trails
cut among the trees hidden away from the noise and view of town.
So what did this trail look like as
we were cutting it?
We end up at an amphitheater nestled next to the
Colorado River. A panoramic view extends from Mt. Garfield to
the northeast around to the Colorado National Monument jutting
upward in the western direction. The trees across the river in
the Watson Island trail area hides the visibility of town.
Students utilize the backpacks that
contain sketchpads and colored pencils to sketch the area, integrating
art with their science.
The class is eager to view an eagle
up river with binoculars provided in the backpack kits.
The amphitheater was carved out of
the side of the hill then steel frames and seats installed all
with volunteer labor.
The podium and decomposed granite
have now been installed in the amphitheater area.
Heading to the west, we can see how
some of the trail building is done when some mechanical help is
needed. Ted Howell of the Partners Conservation Corps is cutting
through a tough area.
A look at that new trail.
Kids coming out the other end of the
river trail area. They have been looking for ALIEN INVADERS!!
What are ALIEN INVADERS? They are trees and shrubs such as Russian
Olive and Tamarask.
We have reached the point where students
would like to go down to the river bottom for exploration. A new
set of steps were installed by the volunteers, a great addition
to safely allow the students to get on the river level.
What can you see looking at the Colorado
River upstream late in the evening?
Students enjoyed walking over river
rocks, looking for tracks, and getting a new perspective of nature.
It seems senseless acts of vandalism
occur, and over the Christmas 03 Holidays, it did. Vandals somehow
managed to destroy every step in our stairs.
But with that repaired, we are ready
to go up the hill with the class.
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