Deschutes River 8A

Opening Circle 
We all gathered in Drake Park along the banks of the Deschutes River and Mirror Pond and split up into groups of 3-4 to practice interviewing skills before setting boundaries for the day.

Survey 1
We interviewed passers by on their opinion of  prepared statements that related to our topics for our upcoming PSA, including their opinion on riparian vegetation, water recreation, and riverside construction.

Walk
We walked up Riverside Blvd. to the Haul bike trail, which we followed until we reached the Old Mill. We used their trail systems to walk to Parks and Rec’s new headquarters, at Riverbend Park.

Lunch
We ate lunch on the lawn in front of the headquarters, gathering behind trees to avoid the wind. We ate quickly, eager to survey the few people passing through the park.

Survey 2
After lunch, we continued our surveying at the area, going to the dog park, around the sidewalks, and even going into the Parks and Rec green building to survey a professional recreator about his opinions on river health. After an interesting video and discussion, we circled up, shared a few surveying stories, and started Solitude and Reflection!

Solitude and Reflection
We rushed to the most sheltered positions, happy to be out of the wind. Everyone found unique shelters, be they in a rock... or on a metal walrus.

Closing Circle
During the Closing Circle, we shared one line from each of our reflections and then had a quick discussion about the end of our Tumalo fieldwork, and then we waited for the bus to pull around the statue windmill of kayaks. We loaded up, and left the river behind.

                                                                           To the pics!

The final circle

A student doing solitude and reflection

The old mill district sign

Awesome reflections explaining 
the roles of Tumalo!

Tumalo Creek is a place of truth, which can be wavered by opinion…

---Brogan

A lot of people like to recreate on the Deschutes, and that is important to humans, so that’s a major role the Deschutes plays. Tumalo gives us water, and that’s a huge need, so that’s extremely important. I love Bend rivers because they are beautiful and enjoyable to hike near. I think that young students should learn about this so then are more equipped at their age, and are thus more knowledgeable, so they can help these resource producers if they wish to. I believe Tumalo has helped me connect more to our own Bend ecosystem.

---Logan

These rivers do so much in our community. They quench our thirst and feed us through imagination. We play in and by the river, a much more ideal choice than recreating by a filthy highway. Our watershed fieldwork has helped me learn and grow because I have seen and heard what these rivers do, as a result, I now have a deeper understanding. So when we get older, we can understand what is going on in our community with water resources, and make a difference.

---Hannah

These rivers are a beautiful example of life. These rivers not only provide us with irrigation, but also with recreation and scenery. They are important to me because they are constantly supporting life, and are naturally part of a growing community…

---Zoe

Final Study Site Science 8A

Final Day

Sunlight is scattered throughout the spruces These large trees black out in the wind so the only way you know its there is from the love whispers that echo between the trees.

---Maddie

Whoosh the wind gusts as we inter the forbidden palace stirring the hardened firs, OK named Doug.

---Ian

Briefing

We gathered in the Science room to receive assignments, recording forms and equipment for testing water quality, macroinvertebrate counts, or riparian vegetation coverage.

Opening Circle
We circled up to review the schedule, then broke into smaller groups and prepared to cross the creek to test the water quality of side pools, enter the creek to test bug count or vegetation figures, or cross the road to test the water quality of natural springs.

Work Period
We worked on our individual investigations by testing water quality parameters, identifying species and numbers of macroinvertebrates, or species and coverage of riparian vegetation. Our group tested the Conductivity, Turbidity, and pH of a side pool on the left bank using a Vernier LabQuest with appropriate probes.

Solitude and Reflection 
We wrote about the day, our investigations, and our feelings about the project as a whole.

The Intake - Convergence Tumalo & Bridge Creek 8A

 

Watercolor by Zoe

 
Opening Circle

At the opening circle, we went over Learning Targets and acceptable behavior. We listened to a reading from a previous Intake trip a few years past.

Recording Activity

We completed a recording form about the proposed upgrade to the Intake and water pipeline, based on articles from The Source.

Lunch

We hiked up to Tumalo Falls Lookout of the waterfall for a beautiful view... and lunch.

Bridge Creek Trail Hike

After lunch, we hiked up the little-known Bridge Creek Trail to Bridge Creek Falls.

Solitude and Reflection

Our prompt was to write about the area around us, which was more rarely visited than the Tumalo Falls trail, with the Social Scientist filter, describing the Human Modifications and Impacts about the area. We described how the Human Modifications have affected and changed this area, and also what understanding we could take away from this place based on the Human Impacts.

Closing Circle 
Still up on the hill, we shared reflections and then headed down the trail to leave.
 

   It’s human nature to want to perfect our environment and the world around us. In 1926 the city of Bend installed a gray metallic building that would separate and filter through the convergence of two rivers. Bridge Creek and Tumalo. These two rivers come together to provide the main source of drinking water for the city of Bend. If a fire were to come through Bridge Creek it would destroy it.

By: Ibby Selman

Math Day 8A & B

Opening Circle

Talked about basic purpose and shared a Fibonacci sequence poem made a few years earlier.

River Crossing

Used wooden poles, leaning upstream, slowly crossed river 3 at a time with Dante spotting us.

Setting Up

Worked in small groups to lay out a square using the Pythagorean Theorem around most of the spruce grove.

Data Gathering

Recorded Data on different kinds of objects in the forest like tree DBH, and coarse woody debris.

Lunch Time
Ate lunch in the spruce grove, spread out widely.

Solitude and Reflection
Spread out across the grove, wrote about how this learning can help us grow and what we would do if Pythagoras came up and asked what we were doing.

Closing Circle
Shared a few solitude and reflections about talking to Pythagoras. Then loaded onto the bus.

Science at Shevlin 8A

Opening Circle
Starting off the day as usual with an opening circle. We had a reading from Kyle, then set off!

Stations
Bugs and Water Quality: During these stations, which we would trade with each other after 45 minutes, we either took data from the river for water quality using the Vernier Probes or drew and categorized macroinvertebrates that we found on the river floor.

Solitude and Reflection:
The writing invitation for this week’s Solitude and Reflection was asking us how this location of Tumalo Creek (Shevlin Park) compared to the other locations we had visited. As usual, we separated in the wide expanse of Shevlin so that we couldn’t see one another.

Closing Circle:
During the closing circle, we shared highlights, discoveries, and appreciations. After that, we got our gear and drove back to the school.

 

Student observations 

of Shevlins health

This area seems healthy. The water quality is great; some areas are a bit low. The varied shapes of lumps and bumps in the current of the river remind me of life. The mood rollercoaster, the different perspectives, the rising and falling of success.  The success that is seemingly too hard to reach, eternally trying, fighting! To get where? The never ending destination, success in and of itself we all realize eventually.

By Zoe

Students in action

The first step to observing the microinvertabrates

The second step to observing the microinvertabrates

8a observing  microinvertabrates

 

Shevlin Humanities & Art 8A

Opening Circle

Our class got off the bus and Karen, our art teacher, went over our day and did a reading from a past 8^th grader from their writings The Mosaic of Tumalo Creek.

Human Interaction Scavenger Hunt

Our class got into small groups and identified human impacts. My group had one person watching over us as we took our human impact hunt, his name was Matt. He helped our group to identify the human impacts as good or bad and how or if they indicate watershed health. 

Tour of the Irrigation Diversion

On our Scavenger Hunt we walked down stream past Aspen Hall and eventually got to the Irrigation Diversion Dam.  They were working on a water monitoring station.  We were lucky to get a tour of the facility and learn about the new fish ladder and the work the District is doing to improve the ability to keep more water in Tumalo Creek, ultimately good for fish.

Art

That day we did not have time to write. Instead we did paintings in our group of 3. In my group, I had Max and Alex N, then Phoebe, our humanities teacher, joined our group. We were supposed to paint with watercolor what was around us. I painted the river.

Closing Circle

When all the class came in for the closing circle we had a chance to share our artwork. I did not show my painting of the river, but Max did.  After closing circle we got back on the bus and went back to REALMS.

Science Water Quality 8A

Opening Circle 
We circled up for a reading, then carried our probes to the bank of the stream in preparation for the crossing. We split into our two groups from the week earlier. The group that had collected data about riparian vegetation the week prior put on waders and gathered support sticks to prepare to cross the creek, while the group that crossed one week earlier unloaded dry boxes containing Vernier probes and prepared to collect measurements.
Crossing
After crossing the stream, we walked to the spruce grove, a remnant of the grandeur of the pre-fire forest. We discussed the positives and negatives of the fire, how it had affected the forest, and scouted for the upcoming Math Day activities.
Collection
While the other group crossed, we spread our probe stations out along the bank, eliminating bad readings by collecting as many as four measurements for each data point.
Reflection
In the spruce grove, we spread out over its full area, sitting on its many downed logs, exposed roots, and moss-covered banks. We reflected on the crossing, the difference between the two types of forest, as well as the experience of crossing the creek.  At the study site, we reflected on the day, our experience with the Vernier probes, and the learning experience about the quality of the water of Tumalo Creek.
Closing circle

We shared several reflections, discussed the water quality of the stream, and prepared to leave for REALMS.

 

    All you hear is the rustling of the pine needles and breaths overheard from the seemingly heavy wind. But the wind cannot be felt under all the trees and surroundings, unlike the banks, where there isn’t much cover. This area overwhelms you with so little noise replicated loudly throughout the area, but it’s overwhelming in a good way.
    I think it needs variety, because if you only had these spruce groves everywhere, there wouldn’t be room for small growth and it would collapse on itself, so it wouldn’t have stayed healthy for long, before the fire. I think it’s more healthy now, but the grove could have more area to create variety.

--Logan Danek

Study Site Humanities and Art 8A

Opening Circle: 

Drawing in the riperian zone

At the beginning of the day in our circle we talked about art and important concepts relating to art.

Sketching Activity: 
   In order to practice the theories of telephoto, wide-angle, and macro images, we spent ten minutes on each, drawing surroundings.

Sensory Activity: 
   We spent several minutes experiencing each of the five senses because what we hear, smell, feel, see, and even taste helps us understand what we are here for and to help us see the creek in different ways.

Solitude and reflection: 
   By connecting to our surroundings through writing about them in solitude, we really get to know where we are and who we are.

Closing circle: 
   We review the learning targets, as well as share our drawings and writings about the river from today.

Sensory Imagery

Reflections

     In my mind, the most important aspect of being connected to a physical area is knowledge. The ability to use every sense, emotional or biological, to point out details in a place is amazing to posses. But the ability to understand how each detail and point relates to each other, not just ecologically, is an even greater sensation

     Being emotionally “connected” to a place makes one compare natural features and the outdoors in general, to major technological advances and the uses they have in society. By comparing these two, one can determine which should, and which one wants to play a larger part in one’s life and lifestyle. It does, however, matter if the discussed place is one in which a human has a history in, or if has only visited recently.

"What do I see, feel, hear, and smell?"

---Martin G.

Green leaves on the Manzanita. Sandy dirt on the ground. Dead pine needles and leaves mixed in.  Logs falling apart into little pieces are all-around; with the rushing sound of  the river.

---Sophia Nelson

Science Riparian Zone 8A

Opening Circle

We discussed the importance of Riparian Vegetation to the health of a stream. The students shared their learning from previous homework.

Stream Crossing / Plant Tag Reading

Half of the class went across the stream to the spruce grove to have a discussion about the spruce growth’s health and how it could affect the river. The other half stayed on the left bank, searching out tagged plants and bushes and recording their height so we could use them for our Tumalo Creek Individual Investigations.

Solitude and Reflection

For solitude and reflection, we wrote about what we had seen relating to Riparian Vegetation and what we learned or discovered that day.

Closing Circle

Shared our Reflections and what we learned, then headed off!

            If this all was still a grove, I imagine it would be greater in health. While in this forest I see no instantly recognizable invading species, unlike those banks, (which are more prone to erosion) which are scattered with mullen. More trees means more shade, and a less open space keeps the riparian zone sections, leading to upland vegetation, where they need to be. I guess more of these trees would leave more organic/woody debris, all leading to my previously mentioned conclusion, that is Tumalo Creek was more populated with spruce groves, it would be healthier in many ways.

---Martin Girardi

Tumalo Valley Ridge Hike 8A

Hiking down off the Ridge at the end of the day.

Opening Circle

We went over the learning targets for the day, expectations, hiking protocols, and our first activity.

Hiking
Our first activity was to hike to the top of a ridge overlooking our study site, near the end of paving on Skyliners Road. While we hiked, we were to observe the changes in flora and fauna, and record these in our fieldwork journal for further study in science.

Hiking up for the overview of the valley.

Map activity
Using various map reading techniques including use of contour lines and landmarks we pinpointed our location on a map.

Lunch
We had lunch at the ridge summit, observing ground landmarks for our study site such as the dry creek bed, springs, and spruce grove.




Solitude
We spread out and reflected on the day and worked on word choice by describing our solitude and reflection area in great detail.

Hike Down
On the way down, we decided to test which of the two routes was faster. Students separated into two groups, with one teacher in each, and hiked backed to the bus. 

Here are a few of our exceptional reflections and some blurbs:

At this moment I'm sitting on a ridge, the peak of a hiking trail switchback. It’s hot, the sun is bright, and one direction sprouting from every natural object is accompanied by a dark streak of shadow, and because of varied texture, differ in length. My upper limb is over my knee, most of the sun’s rays bearing into my forearm while  my hand is cool in my body masse’s shade. The wind wells up from gaping valleys between ridges, and does its best to cool me. But alas, it only adds to the fine dust that encrusts my face.

The air is quiet, except for the flow of air pressure and the occasional car motor. On the drop off of the ridge where I’m currently crouching, there are scores of snowbrush, crowning the summit. I glance across the valley, and I see nothing but trees rise from a visually absent, almost mysterious bottom. From the plant free, thoroughly trampled trail I notice how the bushes are so dense, hiding their base, making me wonder if the covered ground is as rocky as the trail. There is almost no scent in the air, concluding my list of affected scents. 
---Martin Girardi

Leaves scattered around on the ground; Manzanita bushes packed densely together; gray rocks half-buried into the ground: these are the things I am seeing in this area. Logs from fallen trees and dirt are also on the ground. I can faintly hear the gentle rush of the creek, Although there are loud bugs I hear every so often, this area is pretty peaceful. I taste dirt in my mouth whenever the ground is interrupted.

Picking up a dead leaf that has fallen off a bush, I feel the dryness and rough texture of the it. The leaves on the bushes are green; the ones on the ground, yellow. The pones stand taller than the bushes. The bottom of the trees’ branches have fallen and died, but the tops are green and silently rustling. 
---Sophia Nelson

 

Immersion Day 8A

Ah, the Immersion day at Tumalo Creek. Both classes of new 8th graders were immersed in the past, present, and future of Tumalo on this first day of the 2011-12 8th grade Tumalo adventure. As will happen for many weeks to come, the day kicks off with the opening circle.  

Opening Circle

The day kicks off with a quick welcome from the teachers and an explanation of the boundaries, followed by a former student’s writing piece about Tumalo, “A Home Away From Home”. After that, the basic purpose of the day is explained, and then everyone sets off! 

Map Activity

The Map Activity is where you figure out where you are using multiple maps, including Google Earth Maps and basic maps of Central Oregon. 

Exploration Activity

The Exploration of the Study Site, which is where we write our Notice and Wonder about the Study Site. This also includes sharing of powerful words, and signs of Health and Human Activity. Then afterward everyone just meanders around exploring and having fun. 

Solitude and Reflection

Students recording data

Solitude and Reflection was about writing Sensory Imagery, so writing about each of the senses in detail relating to what we “sense” from Tumalo, describing what we see, feel, smell, hear, and yes, taste. Everyone is very concentrated with their “senses”.

Closing Circle
The day finished with the closing circle, where the day’s learning targets were reviewed and many eager students shared their reflections. 

These are a few of the more powerful quotes from our immersion day— 

"The spring has changed, the fragile vegetation that was once here has bloomed into large grasses and plants with new deciduous trees."

— Jessica Lester 

"As I sit in the willows I can faintly see the massive hulks of fir trees in the distance."

— Keyan Lee 

"The crisp sweet smell they produce in observational peace."

— Martin Girardi 

“The spring has changed, the fragile vegetation that was once here has bloomed into large grasses and plants with new conifer trees."

— Maddie Collins 

"The sound of the water flowing smoothly down the creek."

— Jessica Lester 

"The bare trunks of trees past, defiant even in death."

— Ian Churchill

Examples of our 8^th grade students literary and poetic genius. Content created in 20 minutes or less.

      Tumalo Creek has no juniper, no juniper, and no pieces of home. Well, this is where I am. I have decided to make it feel like home. In my attempts to try and relate the two location not one single thing matched up, this place is peaceful to birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and more, because this is all they have ever known. I thought all I had ever known was peace. I stand corrected by Tumalo Creek. I know it’s loud and all, but it’s the most inconsistent yet so similar group of sounds…

Students identifying where they are on a topographic map

     
     We are sitting in a bowl with hills of countless trees on each side. Aside from the sun, the sky and a gravel road, you’d say, you were on a different planet.

     
     From where I lay, I can see the river, a glorious flow of liquid obsidian, black as the unluckiest cat. If I crept closer I would see, white like cotton, or green like the rings in my brother’s eyes. I see birds splashing in the water, like small children. I’m surrounded by bushes out of a painting done with talent. The leaves are green. But doused with a yellow to be found on Patty Labelles dress. The stems of the bushes on red with a layer of white, if you took your thumb and cleaned off the white, you would see a beautiful red. It smells so breathable. Breathable as in the clean air without the smog an average city contains. It smells like freshly cut grass, and the few moments after rainfall. It smells like Tumalo  Creek. Tumalo Creek maims your ears with its roar. The trees of Tumalo Creek dance and sing with the wind healing your ears like a doctors finest works. Tumalo Creek feels like a safe place. A place to let go. To forget, to forgive. And of all and everything Tumalo Creek is, I love the way it feels the most. It feels beautiful.