Thursday, April 29, 2010

Trevor's 2 week field trip

I recently got back from the traditional Travel Study feildtrip. Each year at REALMS (Rimrock Expaditionary Alternative Learning Middle School) the 8th graders embark on a two week, outdoor adventure. The main purposes of Travel study are to learn academically and get to know the fellow 8th graders better.
This year, my trip was to Humboldt County in Northern California; that's right, to the Redwood forest. We spent five days strait in the back country, eating nothing but dehydrated, pathetic imitations of real food. The black bears in that area don't hibernate so their out year-round. That meant we had to be extra carefull with "leave no trace" or else we'd get some uninvited visitors. There were some big trees there. Most of them 8-12 feet wide. When we got back to Oregon the trees looked like toothpicks to us.
We spent the rest of the trip in Arcata and Eureka. We travelled between the two towns several times, vititing wild life refudges, oyster farms, universaties, Duane Flatmo, local farms, Moonstone Beach detc. studying and researching the area. Each student was assigned a research prodject. Most students had to come up with a few "research questions" that related to our topics that we would ask to a person with some background on that topic who we would visit sometime on the trip. "Renewable Recources" was my research topic. I studied different types of "renewable" energy sources ex: wind farms, solar plants, hydroelectric plants etc. Here are my research questions:
1. What kinds of "renewable" recources does Humboltd use?
2. What do you think is the most effective source of "renewable" energy?
3. Why do you think it is importat that we use "renewable" recources?
4. What will the future look like if we do not use "renewable" energy instead of fossil fuels in terms of envirenmental health?
5. What will the future look like if we do not use "renewable" energy instead of fossil fuels in terms of our nations economy?
6. How do you think our nation is doing on reducing fossil fuel consumtion? Do you think we could be doing better?
Unfortunately, my interviewee (a colledge student named Jessie) only had time for two of my questions.
Oh, and did I mention, we went serfing on Moonstone Beach. It was so fun that the four ours we spent there seemed only like half an our. My teachers kept saying that it was going to be harder than we think and we might be lucky if we can stand up for five seconds on the board by the end of the day. But guess what, I stood up for five seconds on my first try! (by the way, I'm the same kid that mastered the unicycle in 24 hours of practice.) Serfing is the best sport ever. It's a lot like snow-boarding actually, just 10 times more fun! (In my opinion.)
Travel Study was full of exitement, good and bad. It was one of the most challenging trips I've ever bean on. (ONE of the most.) Part of me didn't want to go but ,overall, I'm glad I went.
P.s. I consumed 11 doughnuts in less that 48 hours.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

More Spring Break Photos

Jason trying to fly a kite
Trevor running from the waves
Curtis exploring the stream that flows into the ocean
Sheryl and Meryl
Majestic Redwoods
7 mile hike from highway, through woods (got lost), down to tidepools
Jonathan, Trevor, Jessica

Trevor and Jessica - this part of trail was the original 101 highway
wondering Jason

spring break photos

At the beginning of Spring Break, Mike and Brenda's family came to visit. We spent Saturday at the "dirt patch" riding motorcycles, hiking, and cooking over the camp fire. On Monday, Mike took the teenagers to Mt. Bachelor to ski and snow board. They had a great time.

On Thursday we drove to a beach front cabin at White Rock Resort, just south of Oregon border in Northern California. We spent three days and nights enjoying the beach, the hottub, and hiking through some redwood forests. We had great weather and lots of time to relax.

We hiked down to some tide pools at low tide and saw crabs and starfish

Jessica is a tree hugger

We started our 7 mile hike in the rain and ending up in sunshine! The trees are amazing.