Finale

Yesterday, a trip was paid to the Blacktail Ponds as we marched to our final mission here at our home away from home. We trudged through the swampy grassland thick with mud and some rich aroma in our quest to discover the final few nests of our adventure. After a few hours of searching and bush-whacking, our heroine Sall-ayyyyyyy stealthily spotted a song sparrow flying away from a nearby shrub, leading her to find a nest full of two-day-old nestlings. After lunch and a quick game of camouflage, ominous thunder crashed in the background as we realized that Jacky's camera was missing. With time running out, we raced across the meadows and willows to find the lost treasure before lightning struck. Worry not, dear readers; we found the camera nestled amongst thick vegetation. No harm had come to Jacky's beloved.

That night, we retreated to the lab to prepare for the next day's challenge - a presentation encompassing all the research we had done in the last week. After heated debate overshadowed by an insufficiency of data, we finally came to a reasonable hypothesis that incorporated our shared beliefs with the gathered vegetation data.

Today, we ventured to Gros Ventre Slide to research pika behavior. We worked in groups of three to observe all the behaviors of the tiny balls of fur, from foraging to running. Unlike the nervous birds, the pikas weren't afraid to approach us; we were actually able to observe them most of the time without the aid of our handy-dandy binoculars.

Final group ninja shots

The day closed after our last supper with the fruits of our labors finally revealed with our research presentation. After tireless work in the lab, we compiled the data from our veg surveys to model possible correlations between nesting shrubs and nest success. We were delighted to find that the presentation had exceeded our expectations. Overall, our ending seems bittersweet - while homesick, we feel reluctance to say goodbye to our new-found friends and leave parts of ourselves behind at Tetons Science School.

 -Written by Suna, Eleanore, Jacky, Sally, Kenney, Charlie, with goodbyes from the entire Earthwatch team


I hope I can come back next year. Good-bye Wyoming!
- Romario

Inexorably I believed I would utterly fail at scientific research, making new friends, and expressing my dispositon. But I triumphed-valiantly!! Goodbye Earthwatch, you are all family to me now!
Love- Kirsten

Thank you to Wyoming, Teton Science School, all my teammates, and all the instructors for introducing me to a new world that I never expected to come across. I feel truly blessed to have been a part of this expedition, and will never forget this experience.
-Sally

Bird tracking

There is never going to be anything like Wyoming again. I loved my time here and I will never forget the friends that I have made along this incredible journey.
-Joshua "Black Bear" Houston

I could never have captured the beauty and true essence of Wyoming without the wonderful people I spent the last 11days with. Thank you so much Benj, David, Kelli, Jenny, and Donna Rose for showing me how fortunate we are to experience and share a connection with nature.
-Adrienne Hino

Two day old hatchlings

Few things compare to the great gifts nature is able to impart, ever so passively.
Walk through life with a humble heart and open ears.
-Charles "Jackie Chan" Miin

I want to thank everyone from Teton Science School, and all the instructors who helped us on the way through this journey. I'm going to miss everyone on this expedition, but as for my peers, I'm expecting a reunion in Los Angeles soon!
- Suna Zekioglu

Pika researching!

I could never articulate how grateful I am for this life-changing experience. My greatest thanks to the Teton Science School and our leaders who let us escape from our busy, Facebook-filled lives and dive into the nature to acknowledge its presence, admire its beauty, and protect its formation. I loved this expedition and will terribly miss each of my team members. Hopefully this isn't the last Goodbye to my teammates or the Grand Tetons. HOORAH!
-Jacky

As my predecessors said before me, I want to thank everyone that I've met in the past twelve days. It was truly memorable. Seriously guys-- there's no words to describe how thankful I am to have met everyone and I really do believe that we've made friendships that will last lifetimes.PS. @ Josh -- make a facebook! ...and SCOOP @ Charles "Charazard" *WOOSH YOU JUST GOT ASSASSINATED* @Romario..you need help with that jollyrancher addiction @ Suna, THANK YOU FOR THE TUTORING LESSONS, @Sally, SALL-AY, @Jacky, I'll get you back for that ice cream scoop, @Kenn-aaay, welcome to the ice cream scoop club, @Adrienne T^T (In the words of Adrienne "sooo sad"), and @Kirsten/Emma one word...CHICKFLICKS! @David Shwaagger, thank you for putting up with me and always checking up on me.
- Eleanore

Josh and Kirsten enjoying Jackson Hole

This was a really great experience and I made many bonds with the wonderful people on my team and the staff here at the Teton Science School.  I will never forget the memories we all shared here and hopefully we will all keep in contact through Facebook.  I learned a lot about birds and nature while on this trip and I am really going to miss Wyoming.  It is a really beautiful place and pictures will not even begin to express how amazingly beautiful it truly is.
-Kenney Teeples

GO TEAM INTENSE! HOORAH!

Drawing of a varied thrush by Kirsten