Hi!
We have recently returned from our 2019 Oregon coast field study! The trip lasted five nights and it was packed to the brim. The trip grasped so many amazing opportunities and created memories that I know I will not ever forget. When I first learned about the field study I thought that it really called to me. There’s nothing more that I love than being near the ocean and, hearing that the trip mostly took place on the coast I could hardly wait. During the length of the trip we learned about the Columbia river, advertising, intertidal life and the significance of the places we visited. Throughout the trip I experienced and learned so many new things, but the one thing that stood out the most in our week long adventure was the style in which we learned. After this field study, I realized that I personally retain the most knowledge if I am physically interacting with the task at hand.
Over the duration of the trip we were continually working on an Oregon Coast book. The book almost mimicked a travel journal due to the fact that each page was filled with pictures and explanations. For each day there was a brand new section about the adventures that lay ahead, with new opportunities and memories to be had. Overall, I thought that there is no better way of remembering the learning opportunities from this trip than having the book to look back on. Below, I will go through each day and the incredible experiences that they brung.
Day 1
We set off on our adventure with an early start at 6:30 in the morning. Our first stop was not for another four or so hours, so the minute we left, I went right back to sleep. After a smooth bus ride it was time to have our first learning experience at the mouth of the great Columbia. We stoped at the Dismal Nitch rest stop to learn the history of the area. It was our first introduction of the havoc that the Columbia river caused and it was presented to us through the Lewis and Clark expedition from 1804 to1806. Dismal Nitch was the last campsite of their expedition before sighting the Pacific Ocean. I thought that being immersed in the environment and exposed to the weather that the explorers went through helped a lot when trying to obtain the history of the area. After a great first stop, it was already time to travel to our next location. Luckily it was not as far as a trek to our next stop. It was now time to head to the great state of Oregon. To get there we only had to cross the Columbia River on a 376 meter bridge that crossed the Washington Oregon boarder about half way across. Below is a time lapse of us crossing the bridge. I think that it gives a great perspective on how long the bridge is.
Astoria Column
Our next destination was the mighty Astoria column in the small town Astoria. The Astoria Column is 125 feet tall and is covered on the outside by a mural that depicts the history of America from 1792-1392. The column rested on the top of a large grassy hill that obviously had no protection from the monstrous winds. We were then told that it was a common tradition to launch balsa wood airplanes from the top of the building, and to search for crashed planes in the bushes below. The entire group ended up working together to search for the planes which was incredibly helpful. Most of the planes ended up getting stranded in a nearby tree although a few caught a strong wind draft and seemed to glide for miles. The day was somehow coming to an end and our tired brains were craving sleep. We finally arrived at our temporary homes for the next few nights. What a day.
Competencies:
I started the trip on the mend from the flu and the early morning departure did not work to my advantage. I was scared of spreading my sickness or not having enough energy to use my brain. The beginning of the bus ride was quite uncomfortable due to a headache that had slowly worsened as the bus ride commenced. Although, as I fell back to sleep and my headache started to ease, I decided that I was not going to let this get in my way of enjoying myself.
I found hard to leave the Astoria Column. Throwing the airplanes of the Column was very enjoyable and I wished that I could be there for hours. Although, I knew that we had to go and that there was going to be many other adventures throughout the trip.
Crossing the bridge Timelapse
Day 2
Our second day started off with an early wake-up at 7:00 AM. The first stop was Fort Stevens Historic Park. We received a guided tour from a park ranger who gave us an exclusive tour of an underground bunker. The tour was packed with history about war machines and the story of the base. We learned that Fort Stevens was a military fort since 1805 from the American civil war. It is also the only place besides Hawaii that was attacked during the war. It was then time for our very first quest. We were split up into groups of four to complete a scavenger hunt around the park. My group named ourselves the Fiery Gun Powders, and ended up being the only group to complete the task. I really enjoyed this quest and found it to be a great way to bring our group closer. Our next big adventure, which was a highly anticipated stop, was Highlife Adventures. This zip line park was surrounded by wilderness and consisted of eight zip lines. It was incredibly fun and a great bonding experience for the class. We ended our day at Nisa’s Thai Restaurant where our advertising group, made up of Simon, Annie, Randy, and myself interviewed Nisa for our Oregon advertisement. The interview went well and I learned a lot about what would make an successful ad for Nisa’s restaurant. The authentic Thai food was beyond delicious and ended our night perfectly.
Competencies:
Zip lining at high-life adventures was one of our first stops for day 2 on the Oregon coast field study. For this adventure I had to persist
Today my advertising group was challenged with the task of interviewing our assigned company to find out what their ideal ad would look like. For this exercise I thought that we worked very well as a group and all contributed significantly. Although, we found it very difficult to come up with personalized questions for Nisa who is the interviewee and restaurant owner. As a group, we collaborated and sought out 6 questions that were personal to her.
Day 3
I knew that this day was going to be full of learning. We started off with a trip to the Columbia River Maritime Museum where we learned about The First Nations and how they had a huge impact on the colonists in this area. One example of this is the Chinook people. The Chinook people had inhabited the lower Columbia’s region for thousands of years before the settlers came. They had a very strong culture that included their use of red cedar. We also learned about the struggles that explorers had “crossing the bar,” and had to decide if it was something we would attempt to do. We then trekked out to Cannon Beach which ended up being really fun even though we had to deal with extreme rainy and windy conditions. We finally ended up at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. We took a self-guided tour on how the cheese was processed and made and was lucky enough to taste a variety of their fresh cheese. We then travelled to our new yurt homes at South Beach State Park where we would stay for the next three nights. Even though I knew it was going to be hard to get up the next morning, I had to compromise with my other yurt mates and not get upset when it was getting late.
Competencies:
I was really challenged when we were asked if we would “cross the bar”. Making that decision was difficult for me to problem solve since I wasn’t clear on this topic. Although, after searching for more information about how modern day ship captains cross the bar I felt more comfortable doing so my self.
our next stop was the Tillamook cheese factory where we learned all about how cheese is made. After the learning was over we were allowed to go try out some fresh cheeses from the factory. Not know what the cheeses were or what their taste would be, I decided to try some new cheeses and to be flexible no matter how good they were. I learned that being adventurous can lead to some great experiences. 
Day 4
This day started off with an early morning quest right after breakfast. Our group consisted of Cameron, Randy, Jakub, Kate, and Nya. For this quest we didn’t do quite as well as our last one. We ended up struggling to get the second clue, but as a group we stuck together and didn’t give up. I found it disappointing to return with a uncompleted task, but I knew there would be another chance and challenge ahead. Once we all returned from our quests, we went to the Hatfield Marine Science Centre. We were taught in a class about adaptation and how the animals in the water over time have adapted. We learned that there are countless ways of adaption in the natural environment. From changing colour to strengthening bodily functions, animals have adapted since the beginning of time. I found it interesting that all animals had adapted to their environment through struggles they may of had. We then did an experiment to test the scientific method. Our experiment was racing two crabs that differed in some way. We chose to race male vs female crabs in our experiment and see which gender was faster and determined to win. We then assembled the skelton of a whale as a class. It took a lot of teamwork and a lot of failed attempts, but we persevered and ended up completing the challenge. After a long day of using our brains, we ended our day with a well deserved buffet dinner at Chalet.
Competencies:
We started day 4 with some more questing. Unfortunately, unlike our last quest, this one didn’t turn out quite as planned. We started off pretty good but by the end we only had completed one of the clues. Although we struggled to succed, our teamwork was incredible. After we returned empty handed, I started to question out techniques that we used for this quest. I came to the conclusion that
Day 5
For day five we returned back to the the Science Center to do one more activity. The challenge was to construct an R.O.V only using pvc pipes and motors. Once again we were put into groups. This time my group consisted of Logan, Erin and, Sophia. Our first challenge that we faced was the structure. After almost assembling the the craft, we figured out that our body of the vehicle was too narrow to fit in the two motors. That was just the first of many challenges, but in the end we curated a very satisfactory R.O.V. Our group ended up to be one of the last to finish, but I stayed patient and persistent, and in the end, our project was a big success. We were then able to access the Visitors Center where we had the opportunity to take part in one of my favourite challenges called the Tsunami Challenge. We finished our day with another quest at Yaquina Head. This final quest took place in the trails behind the State Park. It was a beautiful hike, and our team worked together, and this time completed the challenge. I was very excited that we were so successful is this quest especially after the difficulty of the last one. Yaquina Head is a wild life preserve that is known for the lighthouse. It was fortunately made a protected area in 1980 due to the volcanic history and since its surreal landscape is stunning.
Competencies:
Day five brought the most brain melting activity of the trip. We started off the morning with an early trip back to the Hatfield Marine Science Centre. The R.O.V. Challenge was one of the biggest moments of growth for me in our week of learning. As a group we ran into many setbacks before succeeding on or final product. Some of the challenges we faced included finding a space for the motor and finding the correct amount of flotation for it to balance in the water. As a class-team, we all shared and traded pieces with everyone if the pieces were needed.
Day 6
Unfortunately, this was our final full day of learning. After a long bus ride we arrived at Depoe Bay which is the smallest navigation harbour in the world. My favourite part was our sock store finding. I ended up purchasing some great Bob Ross socks and had a lot of fun as a group. Our next stop was a total surprise to me and for most of the class. We found ourselves at John’s Incredible Pizza Company which ended up being tons of fun. With a buffet of pizza and an arcade, what could be better! Although I did misjudge my stomach and went on a fast spinning ride after eating a tremendous amounts of pizza…not a great idea. We ended the night creating a memory that I will definitely never forget. Our group gathered around a small campfire, laughing and talking and roasting marshmallows. It definitely felt like we were very connected. What a perfect way to end an amazing trip.
Competencies:
Johns pizza company brought many opportunities to test my flexibility and resiliency. At this stop I had to cope with losing my card that held my prize tickets and ride. I mended this situation by speaking to an employee about this issue. Fortunately, he said that it was fine to take part in the rides.
Although I thought that the ride was a blast, my stomach clearly didn’t agree. After the rides came to an end I was extremely dizzy and not able to walk.
Day 7
Our last day consisted of a long bus ride home with a stop at the Northwest Trek. I think that Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is important because it provides a safe haven for animals that would be hunted otherwise. I also believe it is a great way to spread awareness of endangered species and to learn a bit about them in the process. On the tour around the area we encountered many amazing animals. My personal favourites were the bison and the snowy owl. I was also very exited to sea a beaver due to the fact that I only seen them on TV. Our final stop for the trip was at the Golden Coral buffet. I experienced my first chocolate fountain and a lot of food. I left there feeling a bit queasy, but the fun we had made up for it. Then it was our final bus ride, it was time to return home from this unforgettable trip.
Going on this trip I didn’t know what to expect. It was the longest time that I would be away from home without my family. In the end, the trip seemed to blow by in the blink of an eye, but the memories made will stay with me forever. I would definitely say that the Oregon Field Trip Study 2019 was a huge success. Overall, if I were to give advice for future classes, having a growth mindset will make all of the difference. Let it be with sleeping arrangements, learning challenges, or trying new foods, being able to be flexible and staying positive is the most important.
That concludes the 2019 Oregon coast field study. I know this was a lot to read but what can I say? There was a lot to write about. Make sure to comment your thoughts on this post and any questions you have. Lastly, I would like to thank our teachers for volunteering their time to spend a week dealing with a bunch of energetic teenagers. Once again, this trip would not have been possible without them.
Bye!
