Backpacks lined the entryway into the Lowenstine Academic Building (LAB) at Conserve School yesterday morning at 7:20 a.m. Not your typical school backpacks, though, that you would normally find in the LAB during the school day, but backpacks filled with trail mix, tents, and enough camping gear for a six-day wilderness exploration trip. 58 students, 12 graduate fellows, and three teachers headed out after breakfast yesterday to go explore the Northwoods.
Exploration Week is a unique part of the Conserve School Semester that allows the students to put all the skills that they learned during Field Instruction class into practice. There are eight to ten students along with two staff members in each group during Exploration Week. The small group size allows the students to play a big part in the planning process of their wilderness trip. Throughout the week, students will be backpacking or canoeing, practicing their back-country camping skills, exploring and enjoying the Northwoods of Wisconsin, relaxing by campfires, swimming (with personal flotation devices – or PFDs, as they’re often called – and with the careful oversight of group leaders, who are all certified in Wilderness Water Safety), and having fun during the last week of the semester.
This semester, the Exploration Week groups are backpacking in the Porcupine Mountain Wilderness in the Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan, backpacking the North Country Trail in Northern Wisconsin, and canoeing in the Sylvania Wilderness of the Ottowa National Forest, also in the U.P.
We will share some of the stories and adventures of Exploration Week when the students return to campus on June 6th!
~ Graduate Fellow Laura
Check out the following websites for more information about the places that Conserve School students are exploring this week!
Porcupine Mountain Wilderness:
http://porcupinemountains.com/
North Country Trail:
http://northcountrytrail.org/
Sylvania Wilderness:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/ottawa/recarea/?recid=12331
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- Graduate Fellows Heather and Dylan, Nicole, Xander, and Matthew all ready for Exploration Week
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- Rosemary, Jack K. and Adam K. practicing putting up a bear bag during Exploration Week
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- Everyone enjoying a hot breakfast on the morning of the first day of Exploration Week.
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- Students learning how to hang bear bags during Field Instruction in preparation for Exploration Week
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- Graduate Fellow Leanna excited about Exploration Week
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- Andrew, Deaken, and Juliet ready for Exploration Week
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- Graduate Fellow Heather excited for Exploration Week
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- Students testing out their rain gear during Field Instruction in preparation for Exploration Week
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- Packs ready for Exploration Week
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- Heading out for Exploration Week
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- Graduate Fellows Dylan and Eve demonstrating how to put up a bear bag in Field Instruction
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- CS4 students and English Teacher Jeff Rennicke ready to head out into Sylvania Wilderness for Exploration Week
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- Kit, Juliet, and Rachel E. ready to hike the North Country Trail for Exploration Week
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- Avery putting his backpack on and heading out for Exploration Week
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- Students learning how to put up a tarp during Field Instruction in preparation for Exploration Week.
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- Students testing out their rain gear during Field Instruction in preparation for Field Instruction
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- Adam R. ready to go on Exploration Week
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- Graduate Fellows Eve and Bill with their Sylvania Wilderness Exploration Week group
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- CS4 students ready to head out into Sylvania Wilderness for Exploration Week
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- Graduate Fellow Dylan and CS4 student Xander getting ready to head to the Porcupine Mountains for Exploration Week
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- All packed and ready to go
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- Graduate Fellows Rob and Maria ready for Exploration Week
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- Juliet and Kit showing off their stylish camping gear
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- Renee putting up a bear bag during Field Instruction
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