Written by Katherine Wang and Cherry Ngo (Class of 2024)
Photos by Ms. Kravitz, Ms. Heffel, Isabella Akin-Paz (Class of 2026), Katherine Wang, and Amy Liu (Class of 2023)

A majestic condor, flying over the high mountains and lush grass. An abandoned farmhouse from the 20th century, filled with rosebud wallpaper and mementos from a time long past. Sizzling marshmallows and caramelized sugar, backlit by the glowing fire. All these sights belonged to Pinnacles National Park, a condor conservation site located in central California boasting its own Pinnacles Condor Recovery Program focused on taking care of the endangered California condor population.

With DVGS as a recipient of the James E. Cooke Nature’s Classroom Grant, Ms. Rianne Kravitz and Ms. Cheri Heffel, leading a group of four students, Amy Liu, Katherine Wang, Cherry Ngo, and Isabella Akin-Paz, traveled to Pinnacles National Park on an educational field trip to learn more about and participate in on-going conservation efforts designed to protect the diversity of California’s wildlife. Departing from IGDVS on the morning of April 14th, the students arrived at Pinnacles National Park after lunching at the Contra Costa Reservoir, where they admired tree swallows nesting in the trees.

Arriving at the park, the group was separated into two cabins, each with its own campfire and picnic table. Ms. Kravitz, with careful consideration, had prepared a set of meal plans and ingredients suitable for camping that the group would follow for the remainder of the trip. Comfortably settled, the campers fell into a deep sleep surrounded by the mountain breeze, under the glistening dome of the starry night sky.

The following morning, the group set out early to start the long hike up Bear Gulch Reservoir and High Peaks. Led by Joseph Belli, an experienced biologist specializing in condor conservation, they crawled through a cave lit by their headlamps, observed flowers and other wildlife, and climbed up narrow stairs carved out of rock.

Eventually arriving at the top of High Peaks, Joseph taught the group how to use radio telemetry to scan the skies for California  condors, each of which had tracking tags attached to their wings. By using a metal antenna connected to a receiver, each member of the group had the opportunity to track a portion of the Pinnacles flock.

The most special moment of the hike arrived soon after, when a juvenile condor labeled 1042 started flying close over the mountains, allowing everyone to catch a glimpse of the majestic bird, later found to be named Rachel after the conservationist Rachel Carson. As student Katherine Wang noted, “It was exciting being so close to the condors, and we really gained an appreciation for everything the conservation team has done to ensure the survival of the California condors.”

The hike, which ended up being eight hours long, was filled with new and fun learning experiences, whether it was observing different species of flowers, differentiating between California condors and turkey vultures, or making friends with a ground squirrel. Ultimately, the arduous hike was an integral part of the Pinnacles experience that the students were honored to be part of.

The group also had the opportunity to volunteer with the National Park Service and contribute to the Pinnacles environment by pulling horehound weeds, an invasive species that negatively affects the wildlife around it. Although it was hard work pulling plants under the searing sun, the group was rewarded with the sight of a field free of horehound, after removing exactly one thousand weeds from the park grounds.

The trip to Pinnacles opened the students’ eyes to the world and allowed them to be more appreciative of the ecosystem surrounding them. As participant Amy Liu remarked, “The experience was educational, meditative, and therapeutic all at once, and this feeling of connectivity…persisted throughout the trip.”

Inspired by the efforts of the conservationists and moved by the effects of anthropogenic actions on wildlife, the Pinnacles group decided to share their experiences with the rest of their school, organizing a Pinnacles trip recap and fundraiser to raise awareness about ecological and habitat conservation. Following a short photo recap and presentation, the Pinnacles group sold handmade strawberry whipped cream sandwiches and soursop drinks to the rest of the DVGS school community, then organized a condor flock activity according to house groups. They are also looking into establishing a monarch butterfly garden next year to help inspire their peers to be more mindful of the beautiful ecosystem that is hosting us and contribute to the efforts to reconnect and better understand the environment surrounding them. 

Special thanks to Ms. Kravitz for organizing the trip, Mrs. Heffel for chaperoning, Mr. Richard Neidhardt and Mr. Joseph Belli for helping with the hike and teaching the students how to use radio telemetry, and Ms. Beatriz Jacobo for leading the volunteering efforts. A final cheer for Western National Parks Association!