Here's your opportunity to reflect on the day trip to the Platte River State Park. Please write THREE paragraphs (5-6 sentences each) about your experience at the Park. Remember that the trip was possible due to a grant from the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District. Also, special thanks to the Nebraska Game and Parks Boating Law Administrator Herb Angell.
Mr. Bittle
The trip to Platte River State Park was a wonderful experience for me. I normally don't have a lot of time to go outside and enjoy nature, and it is something that I really love to do. This field trip gave me the opportunity to experience parts of our environment that I've never encountered before, and ultimately provided me with a very fun and relaxing day.
ReplyDeleteThe kayaking was definitely my favorite activity of the day. I have only been kayaking once before, and I really loved it. It was so relaxing to just be able to sit on the water and enjoy nature. Kayaking is an activity that I wish I could do more often but never can get around to it. I loved having the opportunity to enjoy it during this trip.
I also really enjoyed the hiking. It was a very beautiful and scenic trail, and my favorite part was the waterfall and climbing over the rocks in the stream. It was also really great to climb to the top of the tower, and to have a wonderful view of the Platte River. Overall, the field trip was definitely one of the best I've ever participated in, and it really has inspired me to go out and enjoy nature more.
The Platte River State Park fair was really fun! I really enjoyed getting out of class and enjoying nature. It is not often that I am able to get out and hike or kayak. The bus ride was pretty long, so the isolation of the park helped contribute to the feel of the experience. In the future, I think I'll try to go hiking more often.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I was able to go onto the trip was all thanks to the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District. I think encouraging people to visit and re immerse themselves with the outdoors is a great idea. Once people are put outside, they'll enjoy the exercise. Thanks to a changing society, more and more people are distancing themselves from the outdoors.
This trip had the effect of changing my expectations of the outdoors. Before, i found hiking to be dull, but yesterday, i found it quite pleasurable. Hopefully, there will be more grants so more people can visit the park and enjoy its beauty. Being outdoors, kayaking, is a pretty fun thing to do in the summer. I think grants like this will spur a trend of more people getting outdoors.
The trip to Platte River State Park was super fun. Although the weather did start raining on us a little it wasn't too bad where it made the trip miserable. I don't usually go outside often nor do I really have time to go outside so it was nice to be out there for the day. The day was fun and relaxing at the same time. It showed us different ways to enjoy the environment.
ReplyDeleteKayaking was super fun. Although Herb said that it was safe I still felt a little wobbly going out. I almost fell in but thank goodness I didn't. It was super relaxing to just go around the pond. I finally got the hang of it at the end once it was time to go. I would most likely do this again in my spare time.
Hiking was awesome. Seeing that shell fungi and all the different things in nature was pretty cool. It was fun to get a little muddy. Seeing the stream was pretty cool and to be able to walk through it was beautiful. I really enjoyed being able go out on a trail for a decent amount of time.
The Platte River State Park Field Trip was very fun. It was a good chance to get outside and have fun. I don't get to go outside as much as i want to so this was very fun. Thank you to the NRD for sponsoring such a trip. Mr. Bittle you should try to get this trip for other environmental studies. Also thanks to the game warden there he was very knowledgeable. I liked the hiking and kyaking. Next time you should try to do something different like fishing, archery, etc. I now see the importance of the nature night for the little kids. Getting them exposed to the fun of the outdoors is important so that when they are older they are more willing to take action and protect the environment. Everything about the trip was great and it should be done again. It was also a good learning experience for me because i got to talk to a game warden, and that is what im possibly thinking of doing as a carrer. So i learned a lot from him. The trail was very fun, and the tower was really cool, so you could see the platte river. All and all everything was fun.
ReplyDeleteYesterday's trip was extremely fun. To get outside and run around in the trails barefoot was completely worth the exhaustion and soreness in my right arm. I didn't know we had such huge snails just crawling around in Nebraska. I new we had slugs and small snails but not snails as big as acorns. I also learned just how horrible it is to walk up asphalt barefoot but how comfortable it is to walk in damp dirt barefoot.
ReplyDeleteThe Lower Platte South Natural Resource District must be LOADED with money. Honestly I can't believe they'd pay for us to go + our food AND kayaks. It's a good thing since it might have helped some of the other students in this class to actually ENJOY nature and not be glued to their computers. Plus getting to kayak again at a different pond/lake was nice. I'm used to the lake at camp which is bigger but a change of scenery is really nice.
The only thing I didn't like about the trip was that we just kinda had to go-go-go. I prefer to relax and just chill on trails every once in a while. The camping trip is going to really push me. I was sore from biking 10mi Sunday and then hiking+kayaking yesterday kinda killed me. My right arm is not happy right now. When we go camping I'm going to be sure to get actual shoes with TRACTION. So then I'll have less chance of falling face-first into the mud. (Still a fun experience in my book despite the aches.) I should probably get into a little bit better shape before the camping trip...I don't want to die from exhaustion.
PS: Thank you NRD and Game Warden for helping us out!
ReplyDeleteReflection on Platte River State Park
ReplyDeleteFirst off I would like to thank the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District for allowing us to have the opportunity to experience nature at the Platte River State Park. I learned a lot during the trip and thought it was a very rewarding experience. Between hiking and kayaking we became one with nature. I was in the group that started with hiking first and we hiked through the mud and water. I never thought I would be able to do that, but a few close calls later I was a hiking pro. It took us about 40 minutes to hike to the tower then we cut our time in almost half and made it back in about 20 minutes. The only major problem was the hike up the muddy hill.
One major thing I learned was that my shoes were not hiking quality shoes. I struggled getting up that muddy hill because I had absolutely no traction and couldn’t walk two steps with out sliding and almost face planting into the mud. So I will need to invest in better quality shoes for the next time I adventure through the forest. Another valuable thing I learned besides all the fun facts about animals was that laughing and screaming don’t help you at all, in fact I would say they cause more problems for you. Once you start to scream or laugh you loose focus and it takes a lot of energy from you.
Kayaking might have been my favorite part. Herb was an awesome games warden, he mad the normal boring facts about life jackets fun and interesting. He gave us lots of safety tips and taught us how to be wonderful kayakers. Stopping the kayak was probably the hardest thing, due to the fact I was so bad at that, my kayak took on water and I almost fell out of it. But no worries Mr. Schrad was standing on the dock laughing at me and pointing out the fact that I was so close to tipping my kayak. We also we blessed with the opportunity to see Davy Crockett and have him chat with us for a bit!
This was a great way to get involved with nature in a fun way and it makes you want to go back and do it again! Thank you! :)
~Haley
I really enjoyed the Platte River state park trip! I have not been hiking in a really long time so i was really glad i was able to do it again. Also i have never been kayaking before and would not of ever gone if if wasn't for this trip. I thought i would hate the kayaking but after i did it i really enjoyed it! I am really glad the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District gave us the option of this trip.
ReplyDeleteI went in the group that went hiking first. I admit that i wasn't expecting what we did. Even though the rain made the paths slippery i am glad it rained because it helped keep us cool. The paths we took were all beautiful and interesting. My favorite part of the hike would be walking down by the water fall, it was really pretty and i like walking on the rocks.
The second part of the trip we went kayaking. I was really scared at first because i thought i would tip over and fall in. Once i got out there and in the water i loved it. It was very relaxing to just sit out there on the water by yourself. Even though i was really wet by the end i still had a lot of fun out on the water. I would definitely go back and do this again!
Our field trip to the Platte River state park was really fun. I am so glad that we were able to get out of school and see all the wonderful things in nature. It was really good to be able to just take a day off to remind ourselves what all there is to do in nature. We got there around 930 and got started right away. Herb was very helpful and nice and I'm glad he was there to help us.
ReplyDeleteKayaking was my favorite part. It was the first thing we did and it was actually kind of cool to do it in the rain. It was super relaxing and just very cool. Herb was awesome and helped out so much by teaching us how to do everything. The river was very pretty and kayaking was just great overall. It was also pretty funny that Brynn didn't know how to paddle the whole time.
I really enjoyed hiking too. I really don't get to see nature like that because it gets so busy and easy to just stay in my own little world. It was good to see nature in a way I haven't for awhile. I really have never hiked so it was a really fun new experience. It was kind of slippery but we definitely had it easier than the first group who had to go in the rain.
Jami
Well i just posted a comment, but it did not post so i am going to post another one.
ReplyDeleteThe bus ride there was good, I got to sleep a little bit more. As soon as i got off i was really excited to do the activities for the day. I wanted to kayak first because I had never done it before. When we split into groups I was assigned to kayaking and was thrilled, even though it was pouring. As the rain was coming down Mr. Angel took the time to tell us a few stories and explain life jackets and their importance to us.
Learning about life jackets was surprising to me. I did not know that there was an average of five deaths a year due to boating accidents. I did know that you are supposed to use life jackets but a lot of people do not take the time nor put the thought into putting one on. After hearing him talk I will put one on every time I go. It was really disturbing that this man had to go and pick up dead bodies out of the water. :(
The hiking part of the trip was very educational, and a lot of exercise. I dont hike that often but I had a lot of fun. I learned a lot about the environment that we were in. A lot of stuff I did not know about, but learning about it was fun. :) Hiking was sure a lot of work to do, but I really did enjoy it. Going to the top of the tower, was beautiful I love looking over the platte river it is really pretty. I love going up and looking out but I hate going down, especially with no shoes, I will definitely being wearing shoes to go up and down those towers now. I really did enjoy the whole trip.
When you first told us about this trip i wasn't really sure that I wanted to go, it didn't really seem like something that i would want to do or that would be fun. But i definitely had a lot of fun and i think it helped bring the class together and bond more than we usually would in class, or at school. But it also helped to get us into nature more and see the things were learning about.
ReplyDeleteThis trip was one of the funnest trips that i have been on for school, and i would definitely go on it again, at first i was scared to go kayaking because i thought that i was going to tip the kayak over, but it turned out to be a lot easier and a lot more fun then i thought it was going to be. I don't think that i would have ever been kayaking in my life if it wasn't for this trip so i'm glad that i got to go.
My favorite part of the trip was the hiking because i enjoy hiking and its fun to have a group of people to go with you. We got to see some different wildlife and fungus and plants that i never would have even noticed before this trip. I wish that more classes could go out and do things like this because i think it would help to learn more about what your studying because you can actually experience it first hand.
Reflections on Platte River State Park Trip:
ReplyDeleteThe Park overall was a great experience. Before I start I would like to thank the LPSNRD for their generous donation. Hiking was the best, between Bittle and his knowledge of plants and animals to people falling all over the place it was very interesting time. The wildlife was astounding and breath-taking. The waterfall was cool because we got to get under it and learn how it was formed. The tower was very tall and a long way up! But the view from the top was well worth it. The way back to the main spot was fun because we were so rushed we had to power hike. Then there was the final hill for the short cut. The hill was steep, slippery, and dangerous. People we falling everywhere including me. But once that was over we all were dead and muddy beyond belief.
After lunch we went kayaking, while learning about the proper techniques, we were visited by Davy Crockett. He was very interesting teaching us about his attire and how they lived way back in the day. We started kayaking and it was easier than it looked. I thought it would be hard to balance but it was easy when you got the hang of it.
Kayaking was a adventure in its own. The people I was with made the day. They were fun by playing frisbee while kayaking. Racing and also just relaxing in nature on the water was the best. Several people almost tipped because of complications in stopping and getting out of the way of others. Besides the smell of lake and sweat, yesterday was awesome and I can't wait for the CAMPING TRIP!
Tony
The Platte River State Park field trip was an exciting and interesting place. It was a great experience for me and I got to try out new things that I have never did before. For the first time I got the chance to ride a kayak. At first I was worried that I would fall into the lake or something would go terribly wrong because they are not stable and one big move can cause you to fall off the kayak or possibly flip over. But once I got pushed into the lake I got the hang of things and it was easy to control. As long as I did not move much I would have be okay. I also got too learn about the different types of life jackets that are available to all people. It is important when riding a boat to always wear a life jacket because if something goes wrong and you fall over you would be okay if you had a life jacket because you would float straight up and face up if you were unconscious. There are at least five deaths per year that involve a boat or just because they did not have a life jacket. It was a great experience on riding a kayak and I hope to do it soon again because it is very relaxing. On the hiking trip that we took was tiring but fun. It was the first time I went hiking and it was a good way to learn about the different kinds of plants and animals that live in the forest. Going through the river was tough and tricky. It was really muddy and slippery and I know next time to wear other types of shoes. It was a long walk but it was very fun. I liked the big view from the water tower.
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ReplyDeleteKayla says...
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of fun on this field trip. I think it was a great experience for me. I did the hike first and I am glad that I did. It was actually tiring for me; I guess I'm really out of shape. But at the same time I really enjoyed it. I always like seeing all of the different things out on the trail. I also thought that the fire tower was pretty neat. I loved how we got to see the Platte River and forest looking over the top of it.
On the hike I really wished I would have done barefoot hiking because I am doing that for nature night. I guess I was just scared of the mud but in reality it isn't all that bad. I'm sure I would have done it if it wasn't rainy and muddy. Also I didn't want to have to carry my shoes around on the hike. But overall the hike was a good way to get exercise and to explore nature.
As we were learning about kayaking, Davy Crockett showed up. I didn't realize that people would still dress the way they did in the past. I thought it was pretty cool. When he was talking about the life jackets, I did not know that there are many types of them. I thought it was neat that they have different styles of them. Some of them I have never seen before. Right before I got on the kayak, I was kind of nervous. It looked like it was easy to tip over, but once I got the hang of it, it wasn't bad at all. I thought it was pretty cool that there were swans in the lake. I have never really seen one before. While kayaking, I didn't realize that your arms get pretty tired after awhile doing it. The only bad part about kayaking was when Jenna soaked me right at the end. I thought I was going to make it out of there without getting wet. But overall this field trip was a lot of fun and a great learning experience.
Our field trip to the Platte River State Park was a great day. It was so much better then being at school and it was fun to get out and see nature. It was great of the Low Platte South Natural Resource District to give us a grant to go on this trip and supply us food, a bag and a compass. Its cool because we got to learn about nature and the environment, and experience it first hand.
ReplyDeleteThe hiking part of the trip was awesome also. I enjoyed it because I was actually having fun, being outside and hiking in the forest which is definitely something new for me and I love trying new things. It was cool to see all the different plants, and the fungus on that dead tree. I liked walking through the little streams and all that. Even though it was a struggle, standing at the top of the tower when we got done hiking was a high point, literally, the Platte River was really gorgeous from up there.
My favorite part of the trip was kayaking because it was really fun! We saw a lot of duckweed and some swans which were interesting. I liked kayaking because it was a relaxing way to experience nature.
It's good to see Herb and other park rangers like him and how dedicated they are to keeping the State Parks beautiful and fun. Herb Angel was a really fun guy and I'm glad he taught us about life jackets, kayaking and the different departments. Herb definitely taught me a lot, I think his job would be really fun. The trip was just an overall great day!
The hike was fun! When we first left it was slow and slippery because when we first left it was still raining out. After a while though the rain stopped and we left our path and started walking on the steam bed. It was sorta like an obstacle course jumping over all the rocks and chilling under the waterfall.
ReplyDeleteThe walk back from the fire tower was a little treacherous. We had to run back or else we were going to be last for lunch and kayaking. Some people fell but for the most part we got out safe. Then when we got back it was lunch time.
After lunch Bittle busted a Frisbee and we played a pretty competitive game. Needless to say it was a... tie and we then went off to the kayaks. Basically everyone got soaked form being splashed by people. It could have been avoided is SOMEONE didn't splash people. I'm sure that person got what they deserved and got soaked. All and all it was a fun trip.
Alex W
My reflection towards the trip was that it was very educating. I learned a lot of information about kayaking. One of the most common deaths is drowning so ranger made it very clear to wear a life jacket at all times. I also learned that they kayak hasn't changed its form ever since it was created. While in the kayak it was cool to just paddle and relax, it was my first time going kayaking it i really enjoyed it. I also really liked going close to the geese, they were so calm.
ReplyDeleteDuring the hike it was quite difficult going through all the mud. Some points i was very close to falling but luckily i didn't. It was a really cool experience to cross the stream and kinda climb rocks. I felt pretty accomplished when i crossed the stream on the tree then climbed the fallen tree. It was difficult to balance my self out when gliding in the mud. my favorite part of the hike was on the tower, it was so beautiful looking at the whole Platte River State Park. It was worth it walking up the 12 flights of stairs to see the scenery.
The whole trip was a great experience i learned a a lot about the information. i wish we could do this like every week. another thing During the hike i was thinking about barefoot hiking and what would it be like to be barefoot. Like where would you step and not step. And what place is best for your feet when you step down.
Yesterday’s trip to Platte River State Park was a quality experience. I love being outdoors and missing school at the same time is just a win-win situation. The trip was a new and exciting experience as I can honestly say that I’ve never gone kayaking before and minus three or so near capsizing incidents it was a blast! Hiking was also a refreshing experience as I rarely get to take in nature like what is present on the hiking trails.
ReplyDeleteI used to think of hiking as a boring activity that required a bunch of effort with little reward, but the trip really made me change my perspective. Hiking was awesome as you get to experience nature first hand and some of the sites we saw were very cool. The little waterfall was definitely a sight to see.
I would like to thank the Lower Platte South Natural Resource District for making this happen, and also Herb was a great help teaching us about water safety and things that I was not aware of. It was a great class bonding experience also, I enjoyed lunch and couldn’t go wrong with a game of ultimate Frisbee after. Overall this trip got me really excited for camping and I would be rather disappointed if we are not given that opportunity due to administration and costs.