Happy Holidays from the WildLink Crew!

A determined chill is setting in here in Yosemite, but a taste of fall still lingers in the form of pale, bright sunshine in the afternoons and canopies of golden oak leaves that drop a gentle and continuous blessing on all us Valley dwellers. It's truly a great time to visit Yosemite, as there are few visitors and the weather's fine! So if you find yourself with some vacation time and nowhere to be, make it Yosemite! You'll be glad you did.

We at WildLink want to take this chance to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. May it bring you peace, blessings and inspiration you can carry into the year to come.

Joint Ventures Conference

Last week I had the privilige of attending the Joint Ventures in Stewardship conference in Los Angeles, California. It drew over 1500 attendees, from USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and a variety of corporate and nonprofit organizations, all of whom are working together for the benefit of wild places! It was so inspiring to see so many people united in a single cause; I attended many workshops and events, from which I gained many ideas and lots of energy, so look foward to an exciting new year for WildLink!

While I was there, I was able to stop in for a visit with members from last year's Expedition 7 from Harbor City. We had a chance to share a meal, stories, pictures, and upcoming opportunities to return to Yosemite. If you haven't hung out with expedition friends in a while, think about organizing a reunion night...and if you do, let me know; I always enjoy seeing my old wilderness friends whenever I can!

Expedition II

What an amazing way to kick off the holiday season! Our second expedition was comprised entirely of students from Sunnyside High School, and we had a lot to be thankful for during our adventures in Hites Cove.

We spent our first day hiking six miles in to the beautiful spot that would serve as our base camp for the next 3 nights and four days. We worked on some GLOBE water quality testing studies on the Merced River, helped out with a photographic archaelogical survey of the area, and even found time for an amazing challenge hike up to the top of the ridge, which gave us tremendous Sierra View.

We also explored our field science journalling curriculum, discovering that despite the cold, Hites Cove was teeming with plant, insect and animal life!

Keep an eye out for our upcoming January expedtion with LeGrande High School next month! Also, sketches from Expedition II will be posted by the holidays.

To view journals and stories from Expedition II, click here.

WildLink Program Assistant Opportunities

Are you a WildLink alumnus somewhere between being a WildLink expedition student and WildLink intern? Are you ready to take on more responsibility, journey back to the wilderness, and learn even more about leadership and backcountry survival?

If so, ask your WildLink teacher about a WildLink Assistant opportunity that's available to you, allowing you to return to Yosemite with your school's next WildLink expedition. You'll enjoy a leadership role in the trip, and can share your outdoor and science skills with the rest of your expedition crew!