Ten spring intensives were offered this year, as well as seniors having the option of proposing and organizing their own spring intensives. Below is a summary of some of the key experiences students participated in their last week of school!

Itasca State Park
written by rising 10th grader Lillian Adams

The Itasca group spent three days at Itasca State Park. The trip was through Wilderness Inquiry, and we had five W.I. guides with us. During our day there we canoed during the morning, and after lunch we visited the Mississippi headwaters. We spent a few hours swimming and fishing there. Later, we went to an old fire tower a few minutes away from camp, which was converted into a lookout. The main group stayed at the foot of the tower, while smaller groups went up to the top one at a time. When we were at camp, we spent time chatting, playing games, and relaxing while one of the tent groups worked with some of the guides to prepare dinner.

State Parks
written by State Parks lead guide, Melanie Peterson-Nafziger

At Interstate State Park we explored epic potholes, igneous basalt cliffs, learned about lava flows and hiked along sandstone bluffs that were the bottom of an ancient sea. We enjoyed sweeping vistas of the St. Croix River, hauled buckets of basalt gravel to fill in the eroded trail after the snowy winter, and realized how fortunate we are to live in a state with such beautiful state parks!

Seed Savers
written by Seed Savers guide, Charlie Zieke

Students did incredible work at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa. We spent two full days volunteering, planting cover crops and straw-mulching in 80-degree weather. We camped right on the Iowa River at the beautiful Pulpit Rock Campground and spent a full day exploring Luther College and downtown Decorah in our passenger vans, Bluebell and Black Beauty. There might be some future SSE interns among us!

Hammock-Making: a summary in haiku