View fullsize Our journey southward ended in Patagonia, Arizona where we met with the Borderlands Restoration Network to talk watershed restoration, community gardens, milkweed, agave, and bats. We drove up to Tucson to speak with author Mike Wilson, a Tohono O&rs
View fullsize Hi Albuquerque! Even though we’ve returned to Walla Walla, we have tons more photos to share with you. In Albu-“quirky” (as Lyman calls it), Westies learned about organic growing practices, water usage, and the history of the city
View fullsize Here are some shots from our time in the Huerfano River Valley in Colorado, a place near and dear to Lyman’s geology roots. While we were there, we learned about what it takes to revitalize small towns like Walsenburg, visiting the newly open
View fullsize Hey you can’t eat those cookies! Those are seed cookies! (Swipe to see Westies eating things they shouldn’t be eating.) We spent an amazing day with Jewell from Mountain Studies Institute learning about fire ecology when we were in Duran
View fullsize It is an honor and a privilege to walk in the presence of Joe Pachak, artist and archaeologist in Bluff, Utah. Joe has worked with Semester in the West for over 20 years now, bringing his wisdom, thoughtfulness, and enthusiasm to many generations o
View fullsize We’re dancing for joy because Professor Lyman Persico is with us! In our first week with Lyman, we toured the planned Thacker Pass Lithium mine, speaking with head geologist Randal Burns and then with the People of Red Mountain (Atsa Koodakuh
View fullsize Wherever we go, water is both a source of conflict and community. At Mono and Walker Lake, two saline lakes on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, we explored how the long history of human water usage has changed and often threatened desert ecos
View fullsize Oh Klamath we will miss you! More photos from our time in the Klamath watershed. From our tour of the drained reservoirs in California to our time at Ambodat Fish Hatchery and the National Wildlife Refuge, we learned so much from the land and from o
View fullsize White Clouds To-Do List: -Find salmon redds in the shadows of the Sawtooth Mountains -Practice writing narrative nonfiction with the amazing Aaron Strain -Pet some good dogs -Learn the histories of White Clouds Preserve from our hosts Amanda, Choice
View fullsize We had a wonderful time with Gwen Trice and her team at Maxville, a historic segregated logging community in Eastern Oregon. With care, vulnerability, and trust, Gwen brought us into her process of restoring and envisioning new futures for Maxville.
View fullsize The amazing “cool cat” ethnogeologist Roger Amerman welcomed us to the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) longhouse in Stites, Idaho where he and students set up tipis in the smoky evening air. He shared the stories of the Clearwater River, the valley,
View fullsize In our last several weeks we visited the largest dams in Washington State. It’s hard to capture the scale and impact of these structures on the landscape and its people in a few photographs. Westies visited the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dam
View fullsize Happy 17th day of school! While classes are just starting at Whitman, we’ve been working hard in the Methow Valley honing our media skills with podcast expert Ashley Ahearn, and visiting speakers across the valley. In our week in the Methow,
View fullsize It’s a good thing Westies float! We took an educational whitewater trip down the White Salmon River through Husum Falls and the former site of the Condit dam and reservoir. Many thanks to Wildwater River Guides for an amazing experience.
View fullsize Aaaand we’re on the road! We packed the trailer this morning after a lovely breakfast with Whitman College President @sarahrbolton and Dean Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak and are now outside of Lyle learning about the Condit dam removal. Students
View fullsize Lots of smiles, dancing, and some beatboxing up here at Johnston Wilderness Center as the new Westies learn audio/visual techniques from the wonderful Sarah Koenigsberg and get familiarized with the kitchen before we hit the road on Saturday.
View fullsize Abigael and Rachel have been hard at work getting ready for the start of the 2024 program today. Happy first day of Semester in the West! πŸ”οΈ
View fullsize POV: Getting the audio/visual gear ready for @semesterinthewest 2024’s semester of storytelling and learning around the west!
View fullsize After our time in El Paso, we moved camp to the Joshua Tree area of southern California. Our camp was surrounded by dancing Joshua Trees and huge boulders sitting on sand. A full moon lit the landscape after the sun went down, making it feel like an
View fullsize We spent several days camping just outside of El Paso, Texas for a unit with Victoria Blanco about writing the border. Every day was full and powerful as we met with locals from both sides of the border. One day, we walked across the pedestrian bri