The CAP crew from STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside enjoyed an escape to Cal-Wood Education Center above Jamestown this past weekend for a memorable overnight excursion amongst the trees and under the stars. The weather was less than stellar at times and the group endured gusty winds and snow flurries, but they refused to let the weather dampen their spirits and an awesome time was had by all.

While reflecting on their time together away from the Big City, the group highlighted time spent preparing meals together, sharing laughs and warm drinks around the wood burning stove, doing service work for Cal-Wood, and playing Camouflage as some of their favorite memories. For some, this was their first time camping and sleeping in a tent, and for most everyone this was their first experience hauling firewood down a hillside. Many students also commented that spending time in a place as beautiful and pristine as Cal-Wood inspired them to learn more about nature conservation and efforts others are making to protect and defend wildlife and wild spaces. The students have worked on several exercises in mindfulness together and are working towards completing a 30 minute “sit-spot” before the end of the semester. During this excursion they successfully completed two 10 minute sit spots and embraced the opportunities as time for quiet, still reflection detached from technology and away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

Here are some quotes from the students themselves!

“I learned a lot during this experience, and especially that keeping our environment clean and healthy is very important. This is something that is important to think about and do everyday, even in the city. This experience has also inspired me to learn more about endangered species and what they may be going through.” ~Aly Nevarez

“I think that LNT Principles are important principles that we can practice everywhere. Like at school, when you see a piece of trash you should pick it up… Something I love about being in the woods is being able to breathe fresh air – my lungs get used to breathing in the fresh air, my ears get used to hearing the rush of water from a creek, and my skin gets used to feeling the fresh mountain breeze… One thing I would love to learn more about is all of the different kinds of trees that grow in different places. We learned about Douglas fir trees and how they have different sized pine cones in different climates.” ~Essence Sweetwine

“It felt cool to practice LNT Principles and use them properly!” ~Grace Dollinger

“I was kinda nervous to go camping for the first time, but camping actually isn’t that bad and sleeping in the woods under the stars is actually awesome! Also, although it was cold we had a great time. I would definitely do this camping trip again!” ~Elisabeth Hernandez-Caballero

A big thank you to Cal-Wood for their continued partnership!

Written by CAP class students and instructor Zach Booz.

See more photos from our trip here!