This winter, Eastern Sierra fifth graders once again traded their desks for snowshoes as they headed outside to explore science in the snow.

Since launching the program in 2017, Eastern Sierra SnowSchool has introduced more than 1000 fifth graders from Inyo and Mono counties to the snowy side of their backyard. For many students, it’s their first time using snowshoes and exploring winter environments up close, turning the mountains into an exciting outdoor classroom.

At the heart of the program is a shared belief between Sierra Forever and Friends of the Inyo that kids learn best when they can experience the outdoors firsthand. Our local program is made possible through the SnowSchool curriculum developed by Winter Wildlands Alliance, a national nonprofit dedicated to protecting and celebrating human-powered winter recreation. Their program provides a framework that communities like ours can adapt to give students meaningful winter learning experiences.

The program begins with a classroom presentation, where students learn foundational concepts like how snow forms, what snow water equivalent means, and how the Eastern Sierra’s winter snowpack feeds our local watershed. Then comes the highlight: a field day in the snow where those concepts suddenly become very real.

Bundled up and strapped into snowshoes, students head out to dig snow pits, measure and calculate snow water equivalence, and observe the layers that make up the winter snowpack. Along the way, they also learn how animals and trees survive the harsh winter and discover how winter shapes the ecosystems of their local mountains.  The day is full of teamwork, problem solving, and hands-on experiments, and of course, plenty of fun and games in the snow.

Programs like SnowSchool simply wouldn’t happen without the support of our community. A huge thank you goes out to our dedicated volunteers, the teachers and school administrators who make space for this program in their classrooms, and everyone in the community who has supported SnowSchool over the years.

Watching students discover the science and wonder of winter never gets old, and we’re already excited to do it all again next year!