For our Fall Family Field Studies, a group of intrepid homeschooling families explored several ecosystems in the Mount Rainier region. Diligent high schoolers where able to earn .25 credit in Environmental Science by completing pre-trip readings and assignments and doing the onsite field studies. Younger students and their parents enjoyed the learning that comes with the great outdoors and our team of experts we met at each place along the way.
We started at the base of the mountain’s Nisqually River at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge. Students and parents first explored in a class the wetlands and riparian habit there, including looking for critters under microscopes to determine the health of the waters there. Some found critters that don’t tolerate pollution so we concluded that it was pretty healthy water there. Armed with binoculars for all, docents led us in small groups through the refuge to look for migratory and resident birds and ducks, as well as reptiles, amphibians (found LOTS of tree frogs on shrubs near the boardwalk and some turtles sunning themselves on logs) and our docents identified native flora and fauna.
From there we went on to Wolf Haven to see several wolves in the refuge and to learn about the wolf’s role in the ecosystem and recovery. We also saw the Prairie Mounds (mysterious scientist-confounding geological formations) and did a group picture of the incredible ancient Grandfather Tree. That evening we all met up at a church in Packwood for a potluck dinner and practiced our plant identification skills and did a wolf pack simulation game. We found out that it’s hard not to get killed off if you’re a wolf.
The next day, we went into the park at the Nisqually Entrance (free for our educational group) to Longmire. On the way there, we stopped at Kautz Creek to see evidence of a lahar and recent flooding. At Longmire, the group investigates the difference between and old growth and young growth forest through a forest floor plot study. We also looked closely at the glacier-fed Nisqually River. Throughout the day, students continued checking off on lists their sightings of specific flora and fauna in the Lowland Forest Zone, and then also as we traveled up to Paradise through the Pacific Silver Fir Zone, to the Subalpine and Alpine Zones. That evening, we solved the mystery of the linear tiptoe tree formation and pantomimed various scientists (geologists, zoologists, etc.).
The third day we went to the Grove of the Patriarchs, Ohanapecosh Hot Springs Nature Trails, and the short-cut path to Silver Falls. Our day concluded with an audio tour of the geology of the Osceola Lahar on the road up to Sunrise (northeast side). Rangers led us through additional geology and ecology of that subalpine region and a final debriefing of field studies.
We won’t we doing Mount Rainier again for a while, but look for information coming on our Spring Family Field Studies May 2019 to the Grand Coulee Regions and the Central WA Scablands where rhinos once roamed and there was a waterfall 10x bigger than Niagara Falls.
