On Friday, August 12, we held our very first STORM Team Appreciation Night. I had been searching for the perfect event to say “Thank You” to all of the students in our Leadership Program and I found it! After dinner at the school we drove down to Wolf Haven in Tenino, WA. Wolf Haven is a nonprofit organization that I belong to whose mission is “working for wolf conservation” by: protecting our wild wolves; providing sanctuary for captive-born wolves; promoting wolf restoration in historic ranges; and educating the public on the value of all wildlife.
They were offering an unique experience – their first-ever Star Gazers Night Out!
We started off with a tour of the sancturary at dusk, when the wolves were up and more active than during the day. We learned a lot about wolves and their behavior on the tour and also got answers to a lot of questions. We also got to see and hear a wolf howl approximately 50 feet away from us and then heard a chorus of howls from her neighbors. Very Cool!
We then headed out to the Mima mounds where it was almost completely dark to view the Perseids meteor shower. Friday was the peak day of the showers and the planet Mars was the closest it’s ever been to Earth. I don’t think anyone saw Mars, but we did see lots of stars and a bunch of meteors before packing up at 11pm.
The drive back to Seattle was pretty quiet, as one by one the leadership team passed out. All in all, a great night and I am looking forward to making S.T.O.R.M. Team Appreciation Night an annual event. Thank you to Ian H. for the suggestion and to Miss Kathy, Miss Nikki and Mr. Danileson for driving to Wolf Haven and to all the parents who picked thier kids up at 1am!
Sincerely,
Mr. Herrman
PS: There were many funny moments during the meteor shower but the one that stands out for me is:
“What should we do if a meteor is going to land on us?” (Unkown Student)
“Get in your best horse stance.” (Me)
“Why?” (Unkown Student)
“So you can do the Star Block Set!” (Tim)
