On May 12th, 13th and 14th Lassen County’s fifth graders gathered at the Bureau of Land Management’s Antelope-Shaffer-Bald Mountain Management Area near Willow Creek to learn about the unique aspects of our high-desert region, specifically, the Native American perspective, archaeology, invasive plants, native wildlife and plants on the site, as well as the “Tread Lightly” and “Leave no Trace” outdoor principles.
The students and teachers, along with parent volunteers, trekked to the site over a three-day period to visit the five stations staffed with Lassen County Office of Education, BLM and Lassen County Environmental Education Collaborative professionals: Bob Nielsen (LCOE), Sharynn-Marie Blood (BLM), Marilla Martin (BLM), Jack Scott (BLM), Lowell Thomas (BLM), Missi Nelson (BLM), Valda Lockie (BLM), Josh Huffman (BLM) and Jessie Diermier (LCEEC).
Altogether, the group served over 230 5th graders from 10 different schools.
The event, which emphasized the natural sciences, also included a distinctive perspective on the Belfast area as a Native American sacred area and special locale that has been utilized for hunting, fishing, gathering food and medicine. The students discussed the historical importance of the site and then were guided through a viewing of the petroglyphs by BLM archaeologists Marilla Martin, Jack Scott and Lowell Thomas.
