By Allie Shiers of the University of Vermont
After many weeks of anticipation, our two days of environmental education were finally upon us. This opportunity, although different from our many mountainous adventures, was an excellent way to get more connected with the local Cochrane community. Two classes of 10-12 year old students from the local school in our base town of Cochrane would be taking a field trip to join us at Calluqueo Glacier. Over the past few weeks, we had designed a full school day of activities to teach throughout the day.
We reached the glacier about an hour early to set up activities and gather materials. A large noisy school bus arrived shortly after setup, packed to the brim. This moment finally hit us: the many days of brainstorming and planning had finally come to fruition. A brief wave of intimidation hit me but was quickly replaced by excitement. Although a language barrier was present, it was not difficult to overcome and proved to be an immersive learning experience for us and the students alike.
Rambunctious students poured out of the bus, eager to get started. We began with some basic ice breaker activities, such as where the great wind blows or ¿Dónde sopla el fuerte viento? Everyone formed a large circle with students, instructors, and chaperones alike, followed by a brief introduction and a few minutes of gameplay. Three groups were formed of about ten students, with 2-3 Round River students, at least one RR instructor fluent in Spanish, and any parent chaperones or teachers who wanted to join. Once in these groups, we played a food web activity using pictures and a ball of yearn. Every person in the group held up a card with a Chilean animal or plant depicted on it. A big, tactile, food web was formed between students as they passed the yarn between organisms that consume one another.
We then moved to a new station where we hiked to the glacial lake down below. Here, students interacted with new activities encompassing glacial geology, climate change, and incorporation of the English language. Students were first given cards with English words on them, all referring to something they could find in nature. Students had to figure out what the word meant in Spanish and collect or take a photo of each item. After walking a bit further, a brief glacial talk was given, where students had the opportunity to interact with and set up a camera trap. This camera was placed to record the change of the glacier over the following year. Students and adults alike were able to ask many questions about the glacier and learn things they might not have known before.
After a brief lunch of salami, cheese, and pepper sandwiches that we had made the night before, three new stations were set up for students to go to. One station consisted of learning how to use a GPS to find hidden treasures. Sophia, McQuillen, and Caroline ran this station. Each led a few students to one of three hidden treasures consisting of either chocolate, crackers, or marshmallows to be used later for s’mores. Another station, led by Lily and Hailey, involved a short walk to the river to draw nature. Here, students used binoculars and magnifying glasses to see their surroundings with a new perspective. The final group, led by Jack and me, introduced students to the start of Ruta de los Pioneros and taught them how to use a compass and a rangefinder. I was fascinated to learn that many older relatives of students had travelled this trail before, but they often knew very little about it.
After a long day of learning, we all came back together to enjoy a bonfire with s’mores and hot chocolate. S’mores are not a common snack in Chile, so finding the right materials was a bit tricky. We did our best with thick chocolate, sweet crackers, and marshmallows that tasted like candy corn. The students really enjoyed this activity, but it was difficult to tell which they enjoyed more: eating the s’mores, or burning the marshmallows to a flaming, blackened crisp. Our time concluded with a hectic game of tiña (tag), smiles all around, and some well-earned exhaustion beginning to creep in.
Overall, so much time and effort went into this rewarding project to make sure we fostered an exceptional experience. Yet after all we had done, I think we ended up having just as good as, if not a better experience than the students. One of the most incredible things we noticed during these activities was how engaged and interested the kids were about the natural world. They already knew so much, and were incredibly inquisitive, respectful, and outgoing. We found this remarkable and were inspired by their strong connection and relationship to nature.
