SARSEF Summer STEM Camps is spending a glorious two weeks at Tohono Chul Park. The beautiful desert landscape is a wonderful backdrop for learning about nature and wildlife. One camper described Tohono Chul as being “the nicest plus biggest park in all the land. Home to all animals and plants.” Campers were instructed to go into the park and find “special spots” from which to observe wildlife. When they returned to the classroom, they were asked to report back on their findings. Students reported that “if everyone was quiet and you listened hard enough, you could hear the creek babbling,” and that they “liked how peaceful it was.” One aspiring scientist even reported seeing “a hundred billion snails in the water.”
A favorite activity was making lizard keychains out of beads, and one girl went around patiently showing others how to bead their lizards correctly. Many campers also discussed learning the basket weaving techniques traditionally belonging to the Tohono O’odham nation using yarn and paper, combining the hard sciences with anthropology. After all, you can’t truly understand the ecology of an environment without learning about the humans who live there.
After learning about water buoyancy, meeting a rattlesnake, discovering the lifecycle of the saguaro cactus, and creating model animal crossings, campers got to show their skills off at the end of week talent show. Many students chose to present on their animal crossings, designed to help animals from various habitats safely cross highways and avoid habitat fragmentation. Additionally, students showed creations such as their beaded lizards, a mummy stick, a paper monster named Henry, and even a cardboard model of a crossing with a working sign using rubber bands.
When asked what they like about STEM, one future scientist stated, “there’s always something new to learn about,” while another reported that they “really like discovering new things and making new things.” We can’t think of a better place to do this than at SARSEF Summer STEM Camp.