LES fifth-graders explore Glacier wilderness

Holiday Madich knows there is a big

difference between memorizing the cardinal directions and using an

actual compass to blaze a trail through the Montana wilderness.

That’s why Madich, a fifth-grade

teacher at Lakeside Elementary School, takes groups of students to

the Big Creek Outdoor Education Center each spring.

This year, students spent the week of

May 9 through May 13 exploring the geological and ecological

wonders of Glacier National Park while camping at Big Creek. The

entire fifth-grade class was divided into two groups, each of which

spent two-and-a-half days at the camp.

“We’ve been doing this for 16 years,”

Madich said. “It’s a great program.”

While at the center, which is run by

the Glacier Institute Discovery School, students explored several

outdoor science topics, including glacial formation, rock geology,

orienteering, water quality and river habitat.

“It gives the kids a greater

understanding of our area so they can appreciate it more,” Madich

said. “Plus, it’s really fun.”

During their stay at the camp, students

also plan their own menus and help prepare meals for the group.

Madich said the kids — some of whom

have never been camping before — really enjoy the camp atmosphere,

complete with bunkhouses and a nightly campfire.

“They understand it’s a privilege to

go, and they really appreciate it,” Madich said.

Since the park’s geology and climate

patterns are dynamic, the content of the learning segments changes

each year. Keeping the focus on current developments makes the

information more relevant to the students, Madich said.

“It is so valuable to them to have this

exposure,” she said. “Being outside and learning about what is

happening around them shows them that the curriculum they learn in

school is important.”

The program also tries to foster a

sense of environmental ownership among students.

“Kids are the stewards of the future,”

Madich said. “So it’s good to see them appreciating these areas

that need to be protected and learning how to sustain these

treasures.”

Many of the Glacier Institute

instructors are recent college graduates.

“They (the instructors) are very

passionate about the outdoors, and they are really healthy role

models for young kids,” Madich said.

Madich said the trip also helps build a

sense of kinship among students who might not normally interact

with each other.

“The kids make new friends as they work

cooperatively,” Madich said. “There’s kind of a hidden agenda of

friendship.”