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Charter School hits the great outdoors
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Students at the Fountain Hills Charter School spent a weekend in October learning all about the wilderness and ecology of Northern Arizona.
On the weekend of Oct. 19 a group of students travelled north up the Beeline, northeast of Payson, for a STEM-focused field trip to Tonto Creek Camp.
Originally, the spot where the Sun Devils football team would hold pre-season practice, Camp Tonto Creek is now a non-profit with the goal “to remove barriers that restrict youth access to nature.”
The first thing that the students learned about the Northern Arizona nature when they arrived at the camp is how cold Arizona can be.
“It was in the high 50s and low 60s during the day,” Buddy Ballew said. “At night, it would be like 40s.”
“It was really cold,” Alma Lopez Silva added.
Once the students threw on some layers and adjusted to the cold they were ready for a weekend jam packed with activities.
The FHCS students hiked a total of 12 miles over the trip, split up between several different hikes.
“There was a wilderness survival hike,” Ballew explained. “We were learning which plants are okay to eat and which ones aren’t. What plants can be used as medicine.”
Along with learning about the wildlife on land, students also learned about the species that live in the water.
“We were testing water from the river for the pH levels,” Devon Ristuccai said. “Then we were learning about the crawdads and how they are an invasive species. They are very destructive; they eat literally anything.”
The trip was not just about learning, though. After all, it wouldn’t be a camp without some traditional camping activates.
Archery was a common favorite among the students but roasting marshmallows at a campfire was a standout moment.
“To the right of the dining hall there is a giant fire pit with a whole bunch of benches and seats around it,” Ballew said. “It was really fun, we got socialize and tell scary stories.”
“I hated that Rumpelstiltskin story,” Silva was quick to add. “The marshmallows were good though.”
The weekend camping trip turned out to be both an educational and team bonding trip, one where every student returned knowing something they didn’t before.
