Outdoor Education in Arizona – River & Canyon Ecology

How do we balance economics against the environment?

Gain insight into Glen Canyon Dam's function to generate hydroelectricity from the Colorado River with a guided tour. The controversy surrounding the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and the creation of Lake Powell contributed to the birth of the modern-day environmental movement. Today, there are many that are opposed to the dam's presence. Environmentalists say they have seen evident changes in the vegetation and wildlife surrounding the canyon. However, the positive economic impact of the dam is undeniable.

Take a Boat Tour of Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Glen Canyon Dam was completed in the 1960s, creating the massive Lake Powell. The lake offers sandy beaches, cool blue water, and exceptional scenery. Lake Powell took 17 years to fill, and has a storage capacity of 24.32 million acre-ft, making it the second-largest man-made reservoir in the United States.

This evening we will enjoy dinner in a local restaurant.

Today we will travel from Page to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Our base for the next two nights will be in the Grand Canyon, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided while tent camping.

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the first national parks in the United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of over a mile.

Hike along the rim of this massive geologic wonder and learn about the cultures past and present that call it home.

In the evenings, students will participate in the full camp experience – everything from campfire activities, sharing meals, and sleeping in bunks on platformed canvas tents.

While in the park, we will be led by a blended team of rangers from the National Park Service and trained science educators.

Engage in a variety of field activities in Grand Canyon National Park. Activities are designed around nature appreciation, exploration of ancient fossils, histories of Native people and the fundamental resources that led to the preservation of this world wonder.

Enjoy the final morning at the Grand Canyon camp before a noon departure. We will travel to Flagstaff for the final two nights of our program.

As a Gateway to the Grand Canyon and the alpine home to Northern Arizona University, Lowell Observatory and Route 66, Flagstaff is one of Arizona's most visited towns. Situated at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, surrounded by pine forests and less than an hour from the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is an ideal base to visit a wealth of attractions in the surrounding area.

Sunset Crater volcano’s cinder cone rim is the dusky red of sunset, but the crater is only part of the story. Around 1085 the ground began to shake, and lava spewed high into the air. When the eruption finished, it had changed both the landscape and the people who lived here. Today, it teaches how nature and humankind affect each other - and how rebirth and renewal happen in the wake of disaster.

Explore the rich cultural and biological landscape on a guided hike at nearby Wupatki National Monument.

After dinner together in a local restaurant, we will visit the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff established in 1894 and one of the oldest in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The Observatory hosts 70,000 visitors per year at their Steele Visitors Center, who take guided daytime tours and view various wonders of the night sky through the Clark Telescope and other telescopes.

This evening we make the final entries in our Reflection Journal and share some of the most significant observations and perspectives that have taken shape in the course of our travel experience and how these may be most relevant for us all as we return home.

Depart from Flagstaff as our rewarding and enjoyable Canyon and River Ecology outdoor education program comes to an end.