On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Archie Williams Social and Environmental Academy Dedicated to Improving School and Community (SEA-DISC) held its annual camping trip at the Madrone campsite in Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Students camped for one night, with the goal of building bonds between the junior and senior SEA-DISC students. The trip gave students the opportunity to step away from the classroom and connect with one another in nature.
SEA-DISC is one of two Archie Williams academies for upperclassmen. Focusing on environmental science, the program allows students to participate in activities such as camping trips and outdoor fieldwork and encourages them to act on local and global environmental issues.
After school Wednesday, Oct. 15, students arrived at the campsite and placed their sleeping bags on tarps rather than setting up tents. Junior Hazel Hovey appreciates how the trip allows SEA-DISC students to connect with nature.
“Being in nature helped us to reconnect with ourselves and with each other in a way that’s hard to describe. I think the trip was such a unique and special experience that I couldn’t have been replaced with anything else,” Hazel said.
To begin the evening, SEA-DISC students enjoyed a potluck dinner, which parents provided, and a 45-minute nighttime walk; afterward, the group built a campfire. SEA-DISC sang songs and shared stories, including the “bay leaf tradition,” where students share one thing they want to leave behind and one they want to bring to the future. Bart Hernandez, a SEA-DISC junior, believes this tradition greatly impacts the SEA-DISC community.
“The leaf activity was really meaningful because I really got to know the people around me. I learned about their personal lives, their dreams, and what they hope to become. It made me feel more connected to my classmates and gave me a deeper appreciation for the people I spend time with every day,” Bart said.
The following morning began with an hour-long sunrise hike to the top of Barnaby Hill. 45 students and five adults participated in the trip, with 40 SEA-DISC students joining the hike, making it their biggest turnout yet.
SEA-DISC and AP Environmental Science teacher Clarke Bugbee highlighted how he and the other SEA-DISC teachers incorporated the academy’s environmental focus into this camping trip.
“[The SEA-DISC students] made fire by friction and learned how to make cordage using plant materials. We talked about ecological disturbances… what’s considered a good disturbance versus a bad one. Is fire always bad, or can it actually be beneficial in certain ecosystems? We used those ideas to connect back to environmental science and some Native American traditional [practices],” Bugbee said.
Attendees returned to campus Thursday, Oct. 16, at around 2:45 p.m., missing one school day. Next year, current juniors are looking forward to the camping trip and similar experiences with opportunities to create memories in the outdoors together.
