After a years delay, Montana History students get their extended field trip

Lincoln students who completed the Montana History class in the 2019-2020 school year were unable to go on the class field trip to Yellowstone, which was canceled due to the pandemic.

This year, those students were able to make the trip, and to explore other aspects of regional history.

The three day trip took the six students who completed the class and hadn't yet graduated throughout Montana and into Wyoming.

"It was busy, but we crammed a lot in," said Lincoln science teacher Nancy Schwalm, who co-taught the Montana History class with Lincoln history teacher Gary Roberson.

On May 11, students Hayden Jennings, Justin Fry, Owen Wittenberg, Andrea LaManna, Jenna Templeton, and Scott Butterfield traveled to the Lewis and Clark Caverns where they took a cave tour. They moved on to Virginia City and Nevada City, where they toured and panned for gold.From there, the class went to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone for a tour.

"Then our second day we toured the park, so we hit all the major things like Old Faithful and the geysers and the mud pots and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. We were basically just little tourists. We did a picnic in the park. That evening we went into Cody, Wyoming and spent the night there," said Schwalm.

During the Buffalo Bill Museum tour, the class received a surprise raptor presentation.

"That was unexpected," said Schwalm, noting, "When I had called, everything was canceled, any kind of extra activities. That was an extra treat we weren't expecting."

The class returned on the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, which follows the path the Nez Perce took as they fled the U.S. Cavalry in 1877.

"It's just a significant sight. These people had been on the move for 60 days without provisions and they had the wounded with them and they're trying to get over this extremely high mountain pass," said Schwalm.

On the trip home, students spent more time touring Yellowstone and watching wildlife.

"The kids honestly are still talking about how they'll remember that forever, and it was just the highlight of their high school career. It was really needed, especially after the COVID; it brought them closer," said Schwalm, adding, "The other real significant part of the trip is Mr. R is retiring at the end of this year, and this was his last field trip."

She added that one of the most surprising and rewarding parts of the trip was watching the students bond during "downtime.

"I recorded them singing in the car. They played cards and bought a little golf set and played miniature golf in the hotel room. They bonded and mingled, maybe people who wouldn't normally hang out together," Schwalm said.

Students in the class worked with local sponsors to raise the funds necessary for the trip.

"Scott Butterfield was the one that attended all the fundraising with me," said Schwalm. "He was the spokesperson for going to the PTSO and Arts Council meeting."

In addition to financial donations from those groups, the students also received donations from Ernie and Renee Lundberg, Jerry Densel and Jane Pillola, Mirra Porter, and John and Nina Baucus. The class applied for and received a scholarship from the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyo., which covered their overnight stay. Lithia Chevrolet in Helena donated free use of a car for the students.

"Over half the students, that was their first time going to Yellowstone, and that was a cool opportunity," Schwalm said.

Schwalm said she would like to see all Lincoln's high school students get to participate in a national park trip like this.

"There's only two years required of science in Montana," said Schwalm, noting that during freshman year, when students take Earth Science, they could tie in the Yellowstone trip to explore Montana's unique geothermal features as part of the standard science curriculum.

"I plan to fundraise and figure that out. There's just so much to see, if you could have a focus for science and for history. Those places are so inspiring. They could be the difference between pursuing further education or a career, and not," said Schwalm.