WildLink Alumnus Selected as National Park Service Intern

Katie, WildLink alumnus from Expedition I, 2004-2005, has been selected for one of six special summer internships in Yosemite national Park. These internships are funded by the Yosemite Association, and are made possible by partnerships between them, the National Park Service and UC Merced. Congratulations, Katie, for being selected for this honor!

These internships are available next year as well, so if there are any WildLink alumni out there who are interested, keep an eye on this newspage for position announcements!

First Lisa Patton Student Scholar Announced

We met Melinda during a recent Harbor City community water quality testing event at Machado Lake in inner city Los Angeles. She impressed us so much with here spirit of excitement and participation, that we decided to award her the first annual Lisa Patton Student Scholar Award.

This honor was established in memory of Lisa Patton, a young woman who left us far too soon. This award was created by Judi Iglehart, of the Iglehart Wilderness Foundation and the WildLink Richard Iglehart Memorial Expedition. She seeks to honor Lisa and her love of wild places by providing an annual WildLink scholarship, in her memory, for special young women. This award will enable individuals like Melinda, who have never had the opportunity to experience wilderness firsthand, to spend a week in Yosemite with eleven other students, studying, playing, exploring, and discovering the freedom and experience that wild places have to offer. it is with a great sense of honor and gratitude that we accept this gift in Lisa's memory. And congratulations to Melinda, our first Lisa Patton Student Scholar! She will join us for an expedition with Harbor City Boys and Girls Club in June.

WildLink Spring Newsletter Online

The Spring edition of Voices from the Wilderness, WildLink's e-newsletter, is available on the Activity Zone page. It's full of the latest developments at WildLink and some very special Voices from the Wilderness!

Click here to view the Spring newsletter.

Hetch Hetchy Shines for WildLink Expedition VI

After a year of stormy expeditions, WildLink Expedition VI caught a lucky wave of beautiful springtime weather (with the exception of a very random and surprising snow/hailstorm on Tuesday). Hetch Hetchy showed us the best of her waterfalls and wildflowers, and after our stormy Tuesday, the sun warmed and welcomed us for the remainder of our stay in the Wilderness.

Ten students from Vista High School in San Pablo, California joined us for their first expedition with WildLink ever. With a start this promising, Vista can look foward to a long and fruiful relationship with WildLink. Welcome to the Wilderness family, Vista!

The long sunny days were filled with a variety of exciting activities, including aquatic biomonitoring on Rancheria Creek, water quality testing, journaling, wilderness and map study sessions, and group challenges. We also enjoyed a stellar hike up to Tilltill Valley, where we challenged both our physical and mental selves, with a long uphill journey and a look at why so many cultures believe the mountains are sacred.

We learned so much from each other. We learned the difference between "wilderness" and "Wilderness"- also known as the "Big W". We learned how much stronger we are than we sometimes think. We learned to pull together as a team when the going got tough, and we learned that we could rely on each other, no matter what happened. We learned that there's alot more to quiet people than meets the eye, once you get to know them. We learned to treasure each other, too. Thanks, Expedition VI, for making this a WildLink expedition never to be forgotten. Many happy returns to the Big W!