California is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. From the Redwood forests featuring some of Earth’s biggest trees to the sunny beaches of the coastline, there’s always something new to explore. Luckily, students in A.P. Environmental Science finally head off to Yosemite National Park to explore the region’s beautiful wonders and to learn more about the importance of preserving our national parks.

    For those who are completely unaware of the course or the 5-day excursion to Yosemite, the class focuses on obtaining a better understanding of the environment and often discusses important topics related to nature such as climate change and deforestation. This trip especially serves as an experience to gain even more knowledge hands on with classmates.

   To prepare for this trip, the class had begun extensively to plan this trip since late August. Around September, fundraising had begun through the sale of chocolates. Senior Daniela Martinez remembers selling the boxes, each containing 60 assorted chocolate bars individually costing $1. 

   “We each got to choose the amount of chocolate boxes we wanted to sell based off of the profit we wanted to make,” reported Martinez “My friend sold I think about 15 boxes and his whole trip was paid off for with the money he made from those boxes.”

   The time has finally come to head upstate and discover the wonders of Yosemite. Senior Emily Salinas talked about the struggle they faced and the overall excitement of going on the annual field trip. 

   “We’ve been planning this trip for months and have experienced cancellations due to COVID. I’m looking forward to finally going!” said Salinas. “I can’t wait to be surrounded by the woods and breathe clean air as we hike. I also can’t wait to see the stars!”

   Junior Erik Damadian also talks about the expectations for the excursion and activities he’s looking forward to. 

“Our class has been preparing for this trip all year and it’s something all of us are looking forward to,” stated Damadian. “Some activities I’m looking forward to on this trip are hiking with my friends through the trails of Yosemite in addition to learning more about the national park and our environment. What I’ve heard from past alumni is that this trip can be a great bonding experience amongst classmates and a great way to reconnect with nature.”

   Also looking forward to the trip, Daniela Martinez, 12, had heard of the fun adventures from the previous alumni and the experience of playing in the NorCal snow. 

   “Living in Southern California, we don’t get to experience snow that often so I’m really excited to hike in the snow and for all the other activities that will be associated with the snow. I’m also excited to see the animals and different kinds of plants there would be. It’ll be interesting seeing an animal in its natural habitat rather than on a computer screen,” said Martinez. “Mr. Kim told us this one story about a previous trip where a group of kids started a snowball fight and everyone ended up joining in. Mr. Kim said that it was a lot of fun and made the story sound like something you want to be a part of. This story just stood out to me because it sounds really fun to play in a snowball fight with all your friends so I hope I can experience this on my trip.”

  From the eagerness seen in all of the interviewees, it is safe to assume that the trip to come will be full of awesome memories and surrounded by beautiful landmarks. It further proves that nature can be enjoyed by all ages, but especially by our youths, who are at the forefront of saving our planet.