I am most comfortable with active listening when managing conflict. I think addressing situations with the right tone, body language, and empathy is super important, especially for younger students. But I also think it's good to be well rounded with all of the tools, and I think if needed, I could use any one of these effectively!

I have experience many benefits while spending time outdoors! I makes me step back from my busy life and think about things on a deeper level, distress, and find more inspiration. I think the more time I spend outdoors, I also build confidence knowing that I know elements and activities involved with being outside.

One challenge I faced was trying to keep every one of the kids engaged in the lesson the whole time. I noticed often a few kids would take the "spotlight" and talk the whole time and others just pulled back and disengaged. I addressed this by trying to direct questions or roles to those students who were quieter or less engaged in order to pull them in.

Cafeteria: One counselor at each table, make sure they have moment of silence in order to calm themselves. Try to talk with and engage each student. Fraser: Make sure counselors are spaced out, split up students if possible, redirect them back to the story, lesson, etc. Animas: Have adults spread out and supervising the whole area. Bathrooms: Have a adult go and wait outside bathroom as kids get ready for morning/bed. Tents: set rules before hand so students know boundaries. Make it a calm, safe space with supervision at all times.

Take off- I learned how the canyon had a divide with the highest, level spot in the middle. Many of the people who live there have been there for generations and do ranching. Solar system- I realized how far and to what scale are planets really are! Plants- I saw a lot of prickly-pear cactus' and juniper trees throughout the canyon. Archery- I learned the important procedures and rules for safety. And the importance of keeping the shooting range calm and under control. Creek- I learned there are many macroinvertebrates within the creek, that have unique characteristics and details when studied.

Geology: The granite cliffs found throughout the canyon previously was the bedrock of earth’s crust 1.4 to 1.7 billions of years ago, but rose after a geological uplifting event. History: Settlers who came to Unaweep canyon came for a variety of reasons, but a large majority came for ranching and mining. Plantlife: Brown-Spined Prickly Pear are found in the canyon. Its scientific name is Opuntia polyacantha. It is more wide than tall, with red/yellow/ pink flowers, sharp “leaves” and a thick, waxy, oval-shape blue-green stem. Watershed: With a high point in the middle of the canyon forming a divide, water flows both east and west. Unaweep is the only canyon in the world where this is known to occur! Wildlife: The collared lizard uses their tail to balance like a T rex would. They eat spiders, insects, and sometimes their own young!