Honors Biology Students Explore Northern California
 Imagine yourself surrounded by 1,000-year-old giant sequoias, your eyes steadily scaling 100, 200, then 300 feet to find the tops of these ancient wonders. Words fill your ears: “Raise your hand if you hugged a tree today.” Now imagine a sea of hands shooting skyward and 41 voices resounding in unison. “That’s good, because if you didn’t hug one today, your children might not be able to.” The voice you hear is that of Bob Blanton, WHS Honors Biology teacher and advocate of conserving Earth’s precious resources.
On March 30, thanks to the remarkable support of local businesses, private donors and parents, Mr. Blanton led 41 awe-inspired 10th graders on the school’s 6th Annual Honors Biology Expedition to Northern California. Many, like Liam Daniels, were simply amazed. “These trees are enormous!” he said. “I really love this place, and before I die I’m going to come back.”
Many Opportunities to Learn
 These students enjoyed the adventure of a lifetime in Sequoia and Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks. They took part in biological and geological activities throughout the trip: From estimating water levels with snow pack measurements in Kings Canyon to identifying the glacial formation of Yosemite’s Valley. Students also completed over 50 pages on the ecology of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. “I learned more here in one day than I would in a whole week at school,” said Taylor Cullifer. Classmate Evan Waggamon agreed. “I learned plenty about the ecosystem and how it was affected if just one of the elements was removed.”
Much like Wakulla County, California’s economy depends on the health of its natural ecosystems, so taking snow depth measurements has been a California practice since the 1930s. The information gathered from these and other measurements gives authorities an idea of how much water they can expect for agriculture. Land use managers use the data to study long term affects of snow pack and water on California’s natural communities.
A month ago, these students trekked through the muddy Apalachicola National Forest to study bald and pond cypress trees. They compared the cypress found in rural Wakulla County to the giant sequoias and redwoods, which grow only in California’s Mediterranean climate of sunny summers and snowy winters. The sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of the Sierra Nevadas, most often between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. After millions of years, only 75 groves of what naturalist John Muir called “the Big Trees” still exist. “These trees are huge!” said Austin Lentz. “It is like being in a giant land. I can’t believe these trees were here before Jesus was born.”
And a Few to Play
 The students’ hard work in the mountains paid off, and finally they were able to enjoy an afternoon of skiing, snowboarding and snowball fighting. In Yosemite, all 45 students and chaperones made the 3-mile hike to Vernal Fall, where a series of stone steps leads through misty rainbows to the waterfall’s edge. From there, two-thirds of the group braved snow and ice in a hike to the top of 1,900 ft. Nevada Fall!
While the students’ first look at San Francisco was on foot over the 2-mile Golden Gate Bridge, once back in the city, the group enjoyed a motor coach tour of historic areas, including Chinatown, the Presidio, the Haight Ashbury district and, of course, Lombard Street and the Full House house. They also visited the science Exploratorium, the renowned de Young Art Museum, Monterey’s world-famous aquarium, Santa Cruz’s beaches and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, home to a centuries-old Redwood Grove. The trip culminated – for golfer Spencer Smith especially – in a quick tour of the Pebble Beach Lodge and Golf Course.
And the best part of the whole trip? Well, it depends on whom you ask. For some, it was Mr. Blanton and Mr. Mike Deerman’s defense of the Mark Twain stump against an onslaught of 41 teenage snowball hurlers. (The stump is a 1,350-year-old sequoia, felled in 1891 after two men spent 13 days sawing it.) For others, it was the chance to experience California’s diverse ecology and culture firsthand. For the rest, it was the opportunity to plant the seeds of conservation and preservation for Earth’s most magnificent resources.
Coming Home
After 10 days together – and as Chris Eichler said, “the chance of a lifetime” – parting was bittersweet. While happy to see their families, many students, including Kelsea McCown, proclaimed their feelings about the Pacific coast. “Thanks for bringing us here Mr. B. This trip was better than my trip to Germany.”
WHS and its Honors Biology students sincerely thank every donor and the school board for the chance to explore California’s biological, ecological and cultural diversity. This expedition became incorporated into class curriculum after Mr. Blanton and his family vacationed among these great wonders of nature. Although Mr. Blanton will retire this year, we fervently hope he will lead this expedition for years to come.
Photo Captions:
With the Nation’s Living Memorial
The 2008 Expedition members share a moment with the General Grant sequoia. At 268 feet and 2 million pounds, it is the world’s 3rd largest living thing and the nation’s only living memorial to Americans who died in war.
Measuring Snow Pack
Gage Martin takes depth level measurements of snow in Kings Canyon National Park.
On the Mark Twain
The 2008 Expedition members pause for a group photo atop the famous Mark Twain Stump, a 1,350-year-old sequoia felled in 1891.
- Submitted by Missy Rudd, WHS Teacher
This article originally published on April 22, 2008.
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