Rancho Cielo Silver Star program students and teachers, Christian Lamonea and Luciano Rodriguez. joined Youth in Wilderness leaders Bryce Winter, Franco Guzman and Luna Miller on a 3 day backpack along the Little Sur River in mid-June. With warm weather abounding and cool water still flowing, students savored the opportunity to explore the late blooming flowers, ancient redwoods and clear running waters of the wild Little Sur. Students learned introductory backpacking techniques, outdoor ethics and local natural history. For many of the students, it was their first wilderness experience and left them hungry for more. As one student put it "the most memorable moments were every single moment, I got to enjoy the outdoors with my friends and had a wonderful time. This was the best experience I ever had!"
Returning students Manual, Allejandro and Kailey helped teach the newcomers the ways and set the tone for what would be a very positive and fun experience in the wilderness for everyone. The opportunity to commune with wild nature, bond as a group and get to know each other on a deeper level was an amazing experience evident on the smiles worn by all for the duration of time together. Students also helped conduct some stewardship, such as a thorough camp sweep lead by Manual that produced a bag full of trash upon arrival (left over from previous campers) as well as the identification and removal of an improper fire ring near the river. We were delighted to share our passion and knowledge of wilderness with these students and look forward to getting them out again this Fall. This trip was part 1 of a 5 day trip that included programming with the Ventana Wildlife Society at Andrew Molera State Park.
pacific starflower, Lysimachia latifolia
scarlett monkeyflower, mimulus cardinalis
red clintonia, Clintonia andrewsiana
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