This week-long adventure has been a cornerstone of the course since its inception in the fall of 2000. During the week, students from the GNP class are broken into small trail groups and paired up with a Justin-Siena teacher and a Nature Bridge field instructor. Nature Bridge is an educational organization that operates campuses in six national parks.

Mr. Landry has tailored this trip to focus on geology, ecology, cultural history, and stewardship. Students hike to epic locations to explore the geologic history of the Yosemite Valley, look into the past human history, observe human interactions with the environment, and complete a service project. Cross-curricular topics can be reinforced in the field with hands-on activities, and students take more ownership of their education and what they take away from the experience.

In addition to learning, students give back while they are in the park. Service projects including conifer and/or invasive species removal, water quality testing, phenology surveys, and litter cleanup are performed throughout the stay in Yosemite. These projects help instill a sense of ownership of the park and an understanding that the park (and the other national parks) needs constant support from not just the government, but the public as well.

This year, geology students had the opportunity to attend an evening performance by John Muir scholar Lee Stetson and hear tales of Yosemite from the late 1800s. Stetson holds performances twice a week through November for the general public, and this was a real treat for the Justin-Siena students to be able to attend.

In addition to cultural history, students also benefited from more cross-curricular instruction as art instructor Monica Jacobson provided a lesson on plein air (a French expression which means "in the open air”) painting. Each year the geology basis of the trip is the same, but the cross-curricular aspects vary. Students may find themselves in conversation with “John Muir,” Shelton Johnson (NPS ranger from the Ken Burns series), park rangers from around the world, artists, poets, and scientists.

Through these experiences, students find the importance of preserving these national park lands not only for themselves, but also for future generations.