Last month, I traveled with a group of my classmates to Yellowstone National Park for a week-long educational trip with instructors from Ecology Project International (EPI), which is a non-profit educational organization based in Missoula, Montana. Once there, we watched wolves, studied bison, and explored the majesty of the Lamar Valley in winter with professional instructors at our side. Through it all, we were also taught the importance of being educated about ecology. 

And I agree. I'm not the only one. In findings by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) based on studies conducted by Stanford University, they found that “There is a mountain of evidence that suggests [environmental education] is a powerful way to teach students. Over 100 studies found that it provides transformative learning opportunities that bring tremendous results and engage young people in the world around them in meaningful, collaborative ways.” 

Additionally, I would even argue that having knowledge of ecology is an absolute necessity to correctly managing our wild spaces and interacting with them. After all, if you don’t understand a place, how can you take care of it? How can you make informed decisions if you are not informed? 

When I interviewed fellow students who also took part in the EPI trip, they were of the same opinion. First, I spoke to Kaylie Monforton, a senior who stated that, “I think it's super important to get hands-on experience in the world around us. We are so incredibly lucky to live in such a beautiful area and everyone should know about its complexities.” When I asked if she thought trips, like the one we recently took were important, she confidently said that, “Ecology education is incredibly important for teens. As teens are the next generation, it is important for us to learn how the world works in all its complexities.”

Next, I spoke to Nora Ferguson-Marquette, who is also a senior. I asked her if she would recommend the EPI course to other students at GHS. Her response: “Oh, one hundred percent! I believe everyone should have to go on one!” 

Why? I asked. Ferguson-Marquette then explained (using a paraphrased quote from Mr. Nichols, the much beloved Wildlife Biology and AP Environmental Science teacher at GHS) that, “Ecology is incredibly important because the world that we live in is faced with so many challenges, and you have to be informed about what is happening around you because you can’t just trust that the government or people around you are going to think for your best interest.” 

Lastly, I spoke to Corinne Taylor, a junior at GHS. When asked what she liked best about the EPI trip, she declared that, “I loved being able to do the research and actually seeing how that process was done,” referring to how our group contributed to a Yellowstone National Park study titled “Home on the Range” by tracking Bison and collecting their fecal matter, which helps create data on how Bison migrate around and feed in the park. 

So, all in all, I would say that the EPI trip that my classmates and I took was worth every penny we spent on it. We gained a once-in-a-lifetime experience that was filled with a hands-on education about the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. While also gaining a new realization of how important it is to be well versed in the wild and interesting world we live in.