Overview of Intersession: Intersession is a week of 'school' at High Tech High in which students sign up to learn or do something different/untraditional instead of taking regular classes. This year, I signed up for Service Session, which is a week of helping organizations in the area and completing community service. I am going to help out the Elfin Forest Reserve, Casa de Amparo, Border Angels, and Coastkeeper among other organizations. As part of this Intersession, I created a blog on my DP and will be posting reflections of the week up here.
Day 1: Elfin Forest Reserve
After spending the day with the volunteers, employees, and founders of the Elfin Forest Reserve, I am exhausted. First, we started out with a hike over to where we would be working for the day. It was about a mile and a quarter through public and private property. There was so much poison oak, but I was lucky and avoided all of it. At the end of the hike, we were led to a grove of eucalyptus trees. We split into teams, got clippers, gloves, saws, and protective glasses, and got to work. With a team of two other girls, I cut down an entire tree. Then, we cut it into manageable chunks that two people could lift and carried them into a giant pile. Then, the group of us students went on another hike, although it was more of walk this time (most of us were tired).
Although the work that I completed today was tiring, it was very fun. I spent the day helping other peoples' work, the native trees that the eucalyptus was taking over, and animals that need the native trees for habitat. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I not only helped out the organization, but I got to learn how to saw a tree down and how to get it to fall the way I want. Between the hike, sawing and carrying trees, and more walking, I spent almost no time looking at screens, electronics, or being in a car. It was an amazing feeling.
Day 1: Elfin Forest Reserve
After spending the day with the volunteers, employees, and founders of the Elfin Forest Reserve, I am exhausted. First, we started out with a hike over to where we would be working for the day. It was about a mile and a quarter through public and private property. There was so much poison oak, but I was lucky and avoided all of it. At the end of the hike, we were led to a grove of eucalyptus trees. We split into teams, got clippers, gloves, saws, and protective glasses, and got to work. With a team of two other girls, I cut down an entire tree. Then, we cut it into manageable chunks that two people could lift and carried them into a giant pile. Then, the group of us students went on another hike, although it was more of walk this time (most of us were tired).
Although the work that I completed today was tiring, it was very fun. I spent the day helping other peoples' work, the native trees that the eucalyptus was taking over, and animals that need the native trees for habitat. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I not only helped out the organization, but I got to learn how to saw a tree down and how to get it to fall the way I want. Between the hike, sawing and carrying trees, and more walking, I spent almost no time looking at screens, electronics, or being in a car. It was an amazing feeling.