Discovery and the Next Generation of Stewards
By Audra Labert, CDTC Director of Communications
Volunteers and local natural resources staff stood by as two busloads of seventh graders unloaded at a trailhead outside of Helena, Montana. Snow and ice crunched under their feet as the group assembled to spend the day outside in the snow. There were a few kids in sneakers, a few without hats or coats, and some without snow pants, but spirits were high and they were ready to spend a day outside the classroom for snow school.
SnowSchool is a program spearheaded by Winter Wildlands Alliance, and every year they work with sites across the country to host students in their winter playgrounds.
Students crowded around several bins of snowshoes and Mary Lin Carroll of the Montana Discovery Foundation (MDF) laid out a plan for the day. MDF is a nonprofit, outdoor education organization established in 1999, and they are a long-time host site for the SnowSchool program. Their role was initially to assist the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest in the preservation of the historical, cultural, and aesthetic integrity of the forest—and to involve citizens in the conservation of natural resources.
Each year that MDF offers SnowSchool, they teach upwards of 1,000 students from local schools, and provide public programs for students of all ages. SnowSchool teaches students different winter skills from atop snow shoes from early December through early March.
“It’s clear that every staff member and volunteer at Snow School carries a genuine passion for the natural world, and they’re eager to pass that enthusiasm along to the next generation.”
Snow School volunteer Mary Vandenbosch.
Snow School nature art.
In addition to the dedicated MDF staff, volunteers spend time assisting and implementing lessons. Volunteers like Mary Vandenbosch show up and give their time to teach SnowSchool modules to students of all ages.
“There’s something about the snow,” said Vandenbosch when the group gathered for lunch.
The kids were active and playful in the snow-covered forest, and each found their own way of connecting with the environment—whether it was by burrowing themselves into the snow, eating it, throwing it, or making a snow sculpture in the nature art module led by Vandenbosch.
The nature art station may have just looked like play, but each group added a touch of creativity to their experience by dragging, shaping, and collecting what they could find into a nature art display. After twenty minutes of hard work, it might seem unlikely that everyone would be eager to tear down their unique creations in a leave-no-trace fashion. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, one student said they enjoyed deconstructing their art even more than building it.
Each student group is exposed to a unique SnowSchool, either through the programming or the location. Carroll said that they try to tailor the lessons to the age group. Often educators make specific requests, and topics range from animal tracking to orienteering and survival. That day, Carroll led the group learning to make a fire. The task might sound easy, but when all of the materials must be gathered from the snowy surroundings, building a fire in winter can be a challenge.
“I do love it,” Carroll said about teaching Snow School, and she added that working outside is a bonus.
Liz Burke, Conservation Educator for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, was also instructing and led the orienteering groups. Four student groups rotated through her station throughout the day to learn map and compass skills. Burke has worked with MDF on the SnowSchool program since the mid-2000s and was excited for another day out with students in the snow.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to reach every single seventh grader [in Helena]” Burke said. She also enjoys the opportunity to talk to the youth about public lands.
Helena Middle School faculty showed just as much joy at being outside for the day, and one teacher thought she had been coming to the annual event for over a decade. Thirteen years ago, her child was one of the ones learning to make a fire, practicing using a map and compass, and getting into snowball fights.
Years later, students still remember their day at SnowSchool—proof of the lasting impact of outdoor experiential learning. Nonprofit organizations like Montana Discovery Foundation, Winter Wildlands Alliance, and others help foster meaningful connections to nature for people of all ages, even in the heart of winter. It’s clear that every staff member and volunteer at SnowSchool carries a genuine passion for the natural world, and they’re eager to pass that enthusiasm along to the next generation.
Liz Burke, Conservation Educator for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
