21 Jun Fieldwork Coordinator Update – Spring 2021, Part 2
Title:
Spring 2021, Part 2
Date of Activity / Lesson:
June 2021
Location:
Audubon Sanctuary
Description:
Location:
Audubon Sanctuary
Description:
Description:
We are so grateful that our 6th and 7th grade students experienced a full week of in-person outdoor school this spring. Below are overviews from the two teachers who accompanied students’ daily adventures at Audubon’s wildlife sanctuary in NW Portland.
From 7th grade homeroom teacher, McLean:
7th graders took part in Outdoor School this week at the Audubon Sanctuary and it was pretty awesome! I am so grateful that we got this opportunity to participate in outdoor school in person this year, after they missed out on the experience last year, and just to spend five days with the students, in person, out in the woods, under the forest canopy with the sounds of the birds and away from a computer (with no signs of Zoom, Google Classroom, or email) was pretty special for me too!
Each day of the week had a different outdoor education theme, led by our dynamic instructors, Abby and Tim.
Monday was “Soil Day,” where the students became acclimated to their “classroom” for the week and learned about the three main types of rocks, the different layers of soil, and soil and geology of the Columbia gorge.
Tuesday was “Water Day,” in which we tested the PH level, temperature, and oxygen levels of the creek, created our own watersheds with paper, markers, and tiny spray bottles, and searched for macroinvertebrates in the water to help inform us about the health of the creek.
Wednesday was “Plant Day,” where we took a plant walk through the woods, learned to identify various native plants, tried some edible ones, and did some leaf rubbings and investigations, focusing on the different parts and characteristics of a leaf.
Thursday was “Animal Day.” We got to handle and identify different mammal skulls and pelts and talked about bird adaptations, studying different wings, feet, beaks, and feathers of a range of different birds.
And Friday was a mixture of Wilderness Survival Priorities, where we learned about the “Ten Essentials” of what to bring camping and hiking and the “Rule of 3” of human wilderness survival, and did a couple of blindfolded walk activities through the woods, focusing on using our other senses, and learning to “fox walk.” We also played a Wolf Survival dice rolling simulation game that compared a wolfpack’s chance of survival with and without human interference. All in all, the week was filled with a great mixture of fun activities and educational lessons on the outdoors.
Other highlights from the week Included:
- Meeting Aristophanes, the raven, and Ruby the turkey vulture who live at the Audubon Sanctuary. (And Bybee the turtle!)
- Catching a salamander and a crawdad in the creek on water day
- Hearing an owl hoot in the forest
- Wood cookies & end of day bead ceremonies.
- Lunchtime in general
- Working on our stealth skills, while hiding from the other group in the woods
- Handling the different animal pelts and skulls
- Building a wood structure out of sticks
- A rousing game of “Animal Motions”
- “Meet a Tree” Blindfolded walk
- Some really challenging riddles from Abby in the mornings
- Create your own watershed activity
- Soil scavenger hunt
- Tasting Miner’s Lettuce and Osoberry plants
- RPS Evolution game — with crabs as the most evolved species
- Some improv games and storytime with McLean
- AND A group of students worked on creating a play at lunchtime and performed the first few scenes on Friday. The play is 100% student-led (Finn S seems to be the main creative force behind it), features a crew of 10+ actors, and is frankly action packed! I can’t wait to see where it goes and love the creativity and collaboration involved in it!
Huge THANK YOU to our parent chaperones throughout the week and for all of you for transporting out to the Audubon Sanctuary each day, and of course, our instructors, Abby and Tim, for an informative, fun-filled, and memorable week of Outdoor Education that we will no doubt think fondly upon for a long time! Again, I am so grateful that we were able to do this in person this year!
From 6th grade teacher Lisa:
Outdoor school with Audubon was magical. Not only were Tim and Abby phenomenal instructors who really got middle schoolers and really really knew their stuff, they were so organized and chill and set a wonderful tone for our whole week. They were truly moved by all the really sincere thank you cards the kids made.
Each day began with a greeting and a game, followed by a theme day. The first day was all about soil and we went on a scavenger hunt after learning about what makes soil healthy.
Day 2 was the plant day- we went on a hike to find edible plants and learned a ton about the structure of plants and how to id them. It was also our downpour day and honestly, it made me so happy to see the entire class enjoy the rain. I mean really enjoy it! We were all soaked in the best way and Abby was really impressed by all the positive attitudes. No one- I did not hear a single complaint or sour face about the rain. I really do think it illustrates the power of Cottonwood- weather does not faze us.
Day 3 was our water day, ironically! It was also a beautiful dry day that allowed us to search for macroinvertebrates in the creek and do some testing of Balch creek to see how healthy it is. The pH was neutral, it had great dissolved oxygen levels, the temp was perfectly cool, and there were many types of macroinvertebrates.
Day 4 was our animal day and we were thrilled to investigate actual skulls and pelts, learning about adaptations and learning about types of birds. The students even invented their own birds! So many cannibals! LOL!
The last day was about ecosystems and we learned all about wolves in Oregon and how they are a keystone species. We also went on a blindfolded walk through the foliage and met a tree with partners. We played so many fun games including the flock of a feather, the rock/paper/scissors/evolution game, and our favorite, the animal greeting game.
Each day ended with a bead ceremony where students nominated others to receive certain color beads symbolizing traits. Blue for kindness, purple for courage, red for teamwork, green for nature awareness, yellow for curiosity, orange for respect, and only on the last day did we all receive a black bead for completeness. One of the last things we did was to share an appreciation for nature and we held a rope after sharing, and at the end, we all leaned back supported by the rope, symbolizing how we all are interconnected and can rely on each other.
I was so moved by being able to see everyone face to face and to laugh and play and I was so impressed with their caring and honest appreciation of everyone in the group. And an extra extra special shout out and deep thanks to Jered Spencer for volunteering for the entire week. We really would not have been the same smooth experience without you.
By: The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science Teachers and Sarah K. Anderson, Fieldwork Coordinator, The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science
Stay tuned for more updates of Place-Based Education (PBE) adventures at The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science.
My name is Sam Lloyd. I grew up in California and studied at UC Berkeley for my undergraduate degree, I majored in Economics at Berkeley then earned my Master’s in Education at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. I began my teaching career in Oakland, working with 4th and 5th graders for five school years, and about eight years ago, I moved to Portland with my wife and two daughters. Since then, I’ve been teaching middle school math in local private schools.
Growing up in an organic farming intentional community in upstate New York meant spending most of my childhood exploring and learning from the environment around me. After my family moved here to Portland when I was in middle school, my love for learning from the land continued, and while at Cleveland High School I was a regular Outdoor School volunteer. This was a formative experience, and propelled me to pursue teaching science in middle school.
My name is Matthew Gaffney, call me Gaff! I have spent my IT career up to this point doing EdTech and it has been such a rewarding experience. Blending the worlds of technology and education has been a joy to do so far. I strive to make our student’s learning experience the best it can be, and alway try to leave a situation better than I found it. In my free time, I love to go to concerts, explore the wonderful nature of the PNW, and play with my Goldendoodle, Simon. I think every single day is an opportunity to learn something new, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds at Cottonwood. Have the best day 🙂
Stephen Pham (he/him) is an educator, equity strategist, and nonprofit management consultant who works with social impact organizations to refine their strategy, strengthen their DEI lens, and build organizational capacity to achieve equity-driven impact. He partners with organizations across a wide range of stages and issue areas, including research organizations, housing innovation hubs, community foundations, and education nonprofits. Before starting his consulting practice, Stephen was a DEI and nonprofit management leader, supporting sector-wide efforts to scale equity-centered instructional and organizational practices. Stephen’s 12+ years of experience include heading nonprofit operations, talent, and culture at The Learning Accelerator, leading the national innovation strategy for Rocketship Public Schools, serving as a Blended Learning Master Teacher for BetterLesson, and teaching 5th-grade STEM in East San José.
Chris (he/him) has been interested in birds and wildlife since he was a child. Chris grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he first started to make observations of the natural world. He received a BS in Zoology from The Evergreen State College where he was able to get hands-on experience in ornithology, marine mammalogy, and tropical ecology. Upon graduating Chris worked for Audubon South Carolina where he participated in ongoing prothonotary warbler studies and led kayak and canoe tours through a swamp. Realizing the importance of science communication and education, he would go on to receive his Masters in Environmental Education from Western Washington University. After graduating, he spent three years as an Interpretive Park Ranger with the National Park Service, working at North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, and Saguaro National Park.
As an artist and educator, I believe the foundational tools for learning and engaging in creativity are play and humor. I look forward to putting this into practice as the art teacher at Cottonwood School.
Contact Paola: 
e is Krystle. I found my love of working with children in 2012 when I was hired for a temporary position in a preschool classroom. Since then, I have worked with children of all ages within the daycare setting until 2017 when I was hired for my first job as a behavior coach. I spent a little over 3 years working with school-age students, mostly within the school setting. I moved on in 2021 when I moved to Oregon and prior to joining Cottonwood, I worked as a Behavior Specialist for City View Charter School in Hillsboro. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Teaching from Western Governor’s University. I am also currently in the process of re-enrolling at WGU to go back for my Master’s degree.
Hello! I am Daniel McArthur– I joined Cottonwood community in 2024 as Middle School Humanities teacher. I’m a passionate educator with a love for history and writing. I’ve been lucky enough to work with students in a wide range of settings, from an all-girls Catholic school to a homeless youth resource center to public high schools in Detroit, Michigan. In my roles, I’ve seen my students do amazing things when compassionate teaching meets high-expectations. I am originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, where I developed a deep love for mountains and lakes. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading, running, and hanging out with my cats. I am always looking for a new book or park recommendation. Let me know if you have any suggestions!
Cayla first joined our school community in 2023 as the before and after school Site Director. Then in 2024 as the 2/3 Teacher Assistant and is thrilled to step into her new role as a Co-Teacher in the 2/3 classroom. During her time at Cottonwood, she has deeply valued building meaningful connections with the students and Cottonwood community. Cayla is passionate about place-based education and creating an environment where all children can thrive and be supported.
I’m Abby Manzano, and I’ve loved getting to know our wonderful 2nd and 3rd graders as a co-teacher and I’m thrilled to be back at Cottonwood as a 2/3 classroom teacher!
For over 25 years Laura has been serving youth and their families as a transformational leader, curriculum writer, trainer, educator, and advocate. She brings diverse experience working across sectors in schools, non-profits, athletics, mental health, and community based organizations. Lovingly committed to a growth mindset and educating the whole child and loves working with a team of creative teachers, committed families, and inspiring students at Cottonwood.
Born in Japan, Yuri came to the U.S. to study recreation and play, inspired by a deep passion for community, place-making, and experiential learning. She brings a rich background in organizing hands-on 
My introduction to this wonderful school was as a parent back in 2009. My child grew up and now is a college student. The mission of CSCS has always been dear to my heart, and I returned in January 2022 to work in the school office.
Kristin is Cottonwood’s School Counselor where she supports student social emotional learning, academic engagement and access, and mental health and well-being at school. She is invested in integrating social emotional learning and wellness across our curriculum at Cottonwood. By teaching students to connect with themselves, each other, the wider community and the earth, we can build a more equitable world.
Sara was born and raised in Montana where she grew and nurtured her love and curiosity of learning from and about the natural world with the guidance of her parents and her community. She moved to Oregon in 2007 and attended Pacific University where she earned a BA in Environmental Studies. She left undergrad feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, and sought out education as a way to foster empathy, critical thinking and creativity in the next generation. Post college, she worked on a ranch in Montana, rode her bicycle across the country and traveled to far away places just like her childhood story hero, Miss Rumphius. She spent some years working in various educational settings such as the Bird Alliance of Oregon, and then decided to pursue her graduate degree in Education at Portland State.
Liza joined the Cottonwood staff in 2018 as the full-time special education teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and a dual Master’s degree in Reading & Special Education from the University of Michigan. Liza grew up in a large family in the Northeast that included a special needs sibling. Before getting her masters, she worked in administrative positions at schools in Boston and Southeastern Michigan. After grad school, she and her husband relocated to the Northwest for access to all of the outdoor activities in the Cascades and Oregon coast. In Portland, she has taught special education at Beaverton High School, Peninsula Elementary and Portland Village School. She is thrilled to be at Cottonwood where she appreciates the close knit community of staff & students along with the school’s place based education mission. In her free time, Liza enjoys spending time with her family in the mountains or at the coast, buzzing around in her EV, and enjoying the many great coffee houses in the Northwest.
McLean is thrilled to return to Cottonwood this year in a new role, as the P.E. Teacher/Specials and Middle School Teacher Assistant, after spending the past year traveling through New Zealand and Indonesia. He began his journey at Cottonwood in the fall of 2019 as a student teacher in one of the 4/5 classrooms, later stepping into the role of Middle School Humanities teacher, where he taught for four years. McLean brings a passion for integrating music, storytelling, theater, play, and outdoor learning into his teaching, and he’s excited to weave these elements into his new position! Outside the classroom, you’ll find him camping, playing music, gardening, watching and playing sports, and exploring the world.
Kimberley spent ten years teaching preschool through third grade at Trillium Charter School and has spent the years since teaching grades K through 2nd. 
Amanda, a longtime educator and leader in Oregon’s public charter school community, returns to The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science. She believes passionately in teaching youth to care about their community through hands-on learning, so they have the tools and enthusiasm to become active and informed citizens.