Outdoor education held at Saratoga Lake

Students from Rawlins received outdoor lessons on nature, wildlife and historical artifacts during Saratoga Lake Environmental Education Day, held May 16 near Saratoga Lake.

Fifth-graders from Rawlins Elementary traveled to the lake’s surrounding land area, where they were taught by representatives from Carbon County Weed and Pest, Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Game and Fish, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and Saratoga Museum, and the Carbon County Fire Department.

The school’s fifth-grade teachers, Stephanie Davis, Margaret Lopez, Adrienne Johnston, Jim Johnston, Bill Finkle and Patty Schofield, helped organize the educational field day.

“Most of us have been doing this for about three years, and it has always been done at Saratoga Lake,” Davis said. “In the past there have been other schools there too.”

In groups and while visiting different stations, students learned about amphibian and reptile habitats; natural weeds and plants; fish catching and habitats; crawfish catching and habitats; animal furs, antlers, tusks, shells, skins, skulls and skeletons; fire equipment, startup and safety; and historic natural or man-made artifacts.

The artifacts, presented by the Saratoga Museum, included old arrows, tools and weapons, arrowheads, atlatls and unique rocks or rock formations. Guided by Jeff Streeter of Trout Unlimited, students also engaged in a hike near the lake to learn how to better observe birds and other surrounding nature.