Can you believe it? This was our last morning waking up to a sky covered in stars, looking out the car windows eagerly looking for wildlife, and losing feeling in our fingers and toes. We spent our last morning as students of Ranger Mike at the Mammoth Terraces. Just like our students, we got distracted easily when Melissa spotted a Northern pygmy-owl. It was hard to focus with the excitement of the owl sighting, but we were able to record the temperature and pH of the hot spring under Ranger Mike’s guidance. It was a great educational experience to end our journey.

We waved goodbye to Yellowstone as we made our way back to the hostel to pack up and head to the airport. The drive to the airport gave us a nice send off surprise: we finally had falling snow!  It sparkled and shined as it landed on the evergreens and rock outcrops. Our wonderful leaders, Emma and Sam, got us safely to the airport in plenty of time to make our journey back to North Carolina.

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Our last dinner together provided an opportunity for us to reflect on our experience. We spent time revisiting the goals we set for the week:

• To learn about the winter adaptations of Yellowstone’s wildlife.
• To practice our wildlife observation skills.
• To learn about the geology that shapes this park.
• To develop or deepen our appreciation of Yellowstone and its leading role in conservation.
• To be inspired by the severity and serenity of winter.

Although we did not see every animal on our checklist, we gained so much more knowledge, community, and beauty than we ever could have expected.

We all left behind a piece of our hearts in Yellowstone, yet we plan to bring back many things—a sense of wonder and curiosity, time for silence and serenity, an understanding of the importance of conservation and history, and the lifelong bond that links us together and also with Yellowstone.

We are so full of the many moments that built these bonds whether it was the laughter that connected us over silly moments or the intrigue we shared as we huddled to look through scopes to spot wildlife. Yellowstone is truly a magical place. Each and every one of us are excited to bring this connection back to our classrooms and communities. See you all soon!