Today was our first day of camp! After signing everyone in, Miss Sherry gave the kids a brief lesson on tepee etiquette, and then gave a tour of all things library: the tepee, of course, the fire pit, the chickens, the garden, and the 3D printer, while explaining the rules and safety guidelines along the way.
Next, the kids played a game of Sharks and Prey, while Miss Sherry, Miss Vicki, and Miss Abbie got ready for a short hike to the Boulder Creek Trail to see examples of the local watershed. 
Before and during the hike we took several water samples and tested them for pH level, lead, several minerals, nitrates, and nitrites. We first tested the water from the library tap, as well as the hydroponic water, and then on our hike we tested water draining from a hanging basket in town, the creek, and a couple of spots along the trail.
During our hike the students had a chance to take photos and collect samples of things we saw on the trail.
On our way back through town, Miss Sherry treated everyone to an ice cream of their choice!
When we arrived back at the library, the students were able to use microscopes to view slides, as well as the samples we took on the hike.
After this, the kids enjoyed a lunch of salmon and chicken, and then had some independent reading time before our afternoon lesson.
During the afternoon session, students learned that salmon use their sense of smell to navigate home. They then played a game in which they were blindfolded and had to try and follow a particular smell. Once they were able to follow that smell, a different smell was introduced to see if they could still follow the first scent successfully.
The students also started their life cycle of a salmon storyboards today, and will continue to work on them through the week.
We read Salmon Stream and the kids tried Caviar for an afternoon snack.
Before wrapping up the salmon lesson for the day, the kids learned what nutrients the salmon bring back to Idaho.
Emery and Cason created an obstacle course to remind us of the difficulty Salmon face when trying to navigate a path home. They had barrier representing dams and so much more. Hoses of water were involved and the kids got soaked. Only one minor injury. Great fun by all!
We also started discussing the tribal traditions of the Nez Perce today. The students were told the legend of the snowshoe and cottontail rabbit.
What a great first day of camp! We had so much fun and learned a lot. We can’t wait to join the students for the rest of the week!
Here are some of the student’s pictures from their hike. How blessed are we that this is within walking distance of our little library?
The students all memorized the 5 types of Pacific Salmon.
