I find myself thinking about it almost every day I am so incredibly lucky to
every day I am so incredibly lucky to
every day I am so incredibly lucky to have experienced this has definitely
have experienced this has definitely
have experienced this has definitely changed a lot of how I think and how I
changed a lot of how I think and how I
changed a lot of how I think and how I act I’m 17 and I’m in high school so you
act I’m 17 and I’m in high school so you
act I’m 17 and I’m in high school so you know the obvious questions that are on
know the obvious questions that are on
know the obvious questions that are on my mind is you know what school do I
my mind is you know what school do I
my mind is you know what school do I want to go to what do I want to study
want to go to what do I want to study
want to go to what do I want to study what am I gonna be doing for the rest of
what am I gonna be doing for the rest of
what am I gonna be doing for the rest of my life it’s a little bit daunting you
my life it’s a little bit daunting you
my life it’s a little bit daunting you don’t exactly know what you want to do
don’t exactly know what you want to do
don’t exactly know what you want to do or how you want to do it and you know
or how you want to do it and you know
or how you want to do it and you know exactly what life holds in the cards for
exactly what life holds in the cards for
exactly what life holds in the cards for you
you
you I mean sure it’d be cool if you knew
I mean sure it’d be cool if you knew
I mean sure it’d be cool if you knew exactly what you’re gonna do but you
exactly what you’re gonna do but you
exactly what you’re gonna do but you know then where’s the adventure in that
know then where’s the adventure in that
know then where’s the adventure in that and I’m just kind of waiting to see
and I’m just kind of waiting to see
and I’m just kind of waiting to see what’s going to happen and then how
what’s going to happen and then how
what’s going to happen and then how you’re gonna react to it because that’s
you’re gonna react to it because that’s
you’re gonna react to it because that’s really all you can control is how you’re
really all you can control is how you’re
really all you can control is how you’re going to navigate things
going down a river is kind of like an
going down a river is kind of like an allegory for life like you don’t you
allegory for life like you don’t you
allegory for life like you don’t you don’t know what’s around that next bend
don’t know what’s around that next bend
don’t know what’s around that next bend you don’t know what’s going to happen
you don’t know what’s going to happen
you don’t know what’s going to happen all you can control is how you’re
all you can control is how you’re
all you can control is how you’re reacting with everything
when you first start in the Grand Canyon
when you first start in the Grand Canyon you’re kind of overwhelmed by just the
you’re kind of overwhelmed by just the
you’re kind of overwhelmed by just the natural beauty and just being completely
natural beauty and just being completely
natural beauty and just being completely emerged in this immense thing it’s just
emerged in this immense thing it’s just
emerged in this immense thing it’s just getting kids out of their comfort zone
getting kids out of their comfort zone
getting kids out of their comfort zone and exposing them to new experiences and
and exposing them to new experiences and
and exposing them to new experiences and new people and it’s that magic that
new people and it’s that magic that
new people and it’s that magic that happens on a trip where you become a
happens on a trip where you become a
happens on a trip where you become a family it’s not for at-risk youth it’s
family it’s not for at-risk youth it’s
family it’s not for at-risk youth it’s not for wealthy youth it’s for any youth
not for wealthy youth it’s for any youth
not for wealthy youth it’s for any youth because any youth can benefit from a
because any youth can benefit from a
because any youth can benefit from a river trip that’s the goal is how do we
river trip that’s the goal is how do we
river trip that’s the goal is how do we inspire curiosity about the place and
inspire curiosity about the place and
inspire curiosity about the place and about each other I’m scraping the sand
about each other I’m scraping the sand
about each other I’m scraping the sand and algae off
the question was asked when we first
the question was asked when we first started doing this about ten years ago
started doing this about ten years ago
started doing this about ten years ago you know can kids do quality data
you know can kids do quality data
you know can kids do quality data collection that is useful to scientists
they’ve got the special opportunity to
they’ve got the special opportunity to take part in science in this new place
take part in science in this new place
take part in science in this new place that they’re discovering this kind of
that they’re discovering this kind of
that they’re discovering this kind of made me realize that everything depends
made me realize that everything depends
made me realize that everything depends on really little things like tiny little
on really little things like tiny little
on really little things like tiny little bugs and control of the whole fish
bugs and control of the whole fish
bugs and control of the whole fish population of a river you start to ask
population of a river you start to ask
population of a river you start to ask questions about one thing how is that
questions about one thing how is that
questions about one thing how is that connected to another insect how is that
connected to another insect how is that
connected to another insect how is that connected to the birds or the fish or
connected to the birds or the fish or
connected to the birds or the fish or the bats
the bats
the bats it’s an exposure to science in a
it’s an exposure to science in a
it’s an exposure to science in a positive way and those opportunities are
positive way and those opportunities are
positive way and those opportunities are more and more rare for our youth and not
more and more rare for our youth and not
more and more rare for our youth and not that every kid on this trip is gonna go
that every kid on this trip is gonna go
that every kid on this trip is gonna go out there and be a scientist but every
out there and be a scientist but every
out there and be a scientist but every kid on one of these trips is going to
kid on one of these trips is going to
kid on one of these trips is going to have a sense of awareness of the place
have a sense of awareness of the place
have a sense of awareness of the place and what’s here and what goes on here
and what’s here and what goes on here
and what’s here and what goes on here and they’re gonna take that with them
gcy is really helping kids truly
gcy is really helping kids truly understand how exactly all of this works
understand how exactly all of this works
understand how exactly all of this works and what we can do to help it it kind of
and what we can do to help it it kind of
and what we can do to help it it kind of boosts your confidence to go around in
boosts your confidence to go around in
boosts your confidence to go around in your own community and kind of figure
your own community and kind of figure
your own community and kind of figure out what you can do to help things
out what you can do to help things
out what you can do to help things they’re being on the gcy trip just kind
they’re being on the gcy trip just kind
they’re being on the gcy trip just kind of created this awareness for me from
of created this awareness for me from
of created this awareness for me from like where our water comes from the
like where our water comes from the
like where our water comes from the Colorado River the water gets pumped you
Colorado River the water gets pumped you
Colorado River the water gets pumped you know all over the country to feed a lot
know all over the country to feed a lot
know all over the country to feed a lot of different communities and I have this
of different communities and I have this
of different communities and I have this giant reservoir in my backyard so where
giant reservoir in my backyard so where
giant reservoir in my backyard so where does that water go then how am I using
does that water go then how am I using
does that water go then how am I using it
it
it so I think that sort of sense of
so I think that sort of sense of
so I think that sort of sense of adventure kind of made me want to
adventure kind of made me want to
adventure kind of made me want to discover it made me want to learn more
discover it made me want to learn more
discover it made me want to learn more about the world that I live in
and I think I’m a lot more conscious now
and I think I’m a lot more conscious now because of it when I see a river I don’t
because of it when I see a river I don’t
because of it when I see a river I don’t just see water I see an entire ecosystem
just see water I see an entire ecosystem
just see water I see an entire ecosystem once you kind of gain that knowledge
once you kind of gain that knowledge
once you kind of gain that knowledge that whatever water you’re using you
that whatever water you’re using you
that whatever water you’re using you know in your community is water that’s
know in your community is water that’s
know in your community is water that’s not going into that ecosystem you become
not going into that ecosystem you become
not going into that ecosystem you become I become a lot more conscious of how I’m
I become a lot more conscious of how I’m
I become a lot more conscious of how I’m using butter but just how amazing it was
using butter but just how amazing it was
using butter but just how amazing it was in those moments that I had where I was
in those moments that I had where I was
in those moments that I had where I was really able to reflect and kind of find
really able to reflect and kind of find
really able to reflect and kind of find pieces of myself in the canyon those
pieces of myself in the canyon those
pieces of myself in the canyon those moments are so important to me and I
moments are so important to me and I
moments are so important to me and I never want to lose those kind of moments
never want to lose those kind of moments
never want to lose those kind of moments so I know that no matter where I am in
so I know that no matter where I am in
so I know that no matter where I am in my life what I’m doing how I’m doing it
my life what I’m doing how I’m doing it
my life what I’m doing how I’m doing it I will be seeking out those
I will be seeking out those
I will be seeking out those opportunities to experience those
opportunities to experience those
opportunities to experience those moments
”
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