LYMAN — The annual Lyman Intermediate School fifth grade Bridger Lake field trip on Sept. 27, was another beautiful fall day for the annual trip, which is organized by UCCD at the request of the teachers.

UCCD organizes this outdoor field trip each year as an opportunity for students to get hands on learning experiences in Mother Nature’s classroom.

Fifty-seven fifth graders were more than excited to engage in learning around the Bridger Lake Campground in the Uinta Mountains, south of Mountain View, as they rotated through these four educational stations:

• Coniferous Forests & Tie Hacking – Two U.S. Forest Service employees discussed the history of tie hacking in the area as well as the characteristics of coniferous trees/forests. Students took an educational bike ride around the campground to observe the forest and enjoy the fresh mountain air.
• Mountain Pine Beetle – Barry Tye, District Forester for the Wyoming State Forestry Division, taught the students about the lifecycle of the mountain pine beetle and the natural succession of a forest. The students got an up-close look at beetle killed trees and discussed forest management practices.
• Predator/Prey – Students learned about predator/prey interactions between Wyoming wildlife species as they played a game of ‘Quick Frozen Critters’ and examined fur specimens of Wyoming mammals with Wyoming Game and Fish Education Specialist, Regina Dickson.
• Macroinvertebrates – LIS teacher Cody Eardley discussed the importance of benthic species as an indicator of water-quality. The students collected visible and microscopic macroinvertebrate specimens among the rocks and moss on the edge of Bridger Lake. At the lake, the students used magnifying glasses and field guides to identify their specimens. Specimens were taken back to their classrooms for further study with microscopes.

This field trip is possible because of the interest and support of the Lyman Intermediate School teachers, principal and bus drivers, as well as the help of experts from the U.S. Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish and Wyoming State Forestry Division, according to the UCCD. Uinta County Conservation District hopes to continue providing this great outdoor experience to the students at LIS for many years to come, according to UCCD officials

For more information about educational opportunities through the Uinta County Conservation District, please visit www.uintacountycd.com or go to Facebook @UintaCountyCD.