Blog
Browse this page for blog postings related to middle- and high-school-teacher Adventure Learning workshops taking place across Idaho. Use the widgets to the right (or at bottom of this page, for smaller devices) to filter blog posts.
Bygone days a neuf
A visit to the past, creating a new history, and searching for memories is how I would describe our day. We stood together on the wooden bridge that begins the cement channel, enjoyed the cool and the breeze after yesterday's heat. We listened to Kevin Marsh's presentation on the History of the Portneuf. I learned that it named after the exploits of the Massachuttes Bay Company who sent out a man by the name of Portneuf. I always thought is was that a French explorer named it as a new port to the Industrial West. I also learned at present the design and function of the river structure... more
Portneuf River, These two days together.
I have spent thousands of hours recreating on or very near the Portneuf River. As a child, I would fish it. My great grandparents were some of the settlers of Dempsey Creek. My Grandfather was born in a white house that once sat on Maughn Road across from where we got out or the river on the float trip. My grandparents met at a dance in the Topaz area as my grandmother, from Salt Lake City, visited her cousins. I think I can say I would not have existed without the Portneuf River. Wow. I just realized that. As a teen in High School I would swim in many of the known swimming holes and... more
Hump Day--History Day
"...still I am pretty sure that some few centuries from now the Portneuf will revive itself, discard the concrete girdle, and send our descendants scurrying back up to the benchlands with wet feet." -Requiem For A River, Senator Perry Swisher, late 60s?
Today we looked at some primary documents that demonstrated diverse, changing feelings on the building of the concrete levees in the late 1960's, and then we investigated current plans to move levees, create access points and beautify our river. We also looked at historical photographs of sections of the river and recreated these... more
Now and Then of the Portneuf River
Today, as one of our activities, we got to try repeat photography. We were provided with a 1967 photo before the Portneuf channel was put in by the Army Corps of Engineers. If you look at the banks of the river you can see that the trees have been cut down because they were clearing that area to put in the channel. The contemporary photo of the Veterans' Memorial Building/ Portneuf River shows the channel, fencing, grown trees, a few changes on the Veterans Memorial Building. I believe the shape of the river is very similar in both photos. Can you see similarities and differences? I know... more
Tuesday's 3 take home points.
I should have written this post yesterday, because I'm already forgetting details, but I want to quickly record what stood out to me on Tuesday. First, the concept of inverted topography. Basalt flows into the lowlands, but since it is harder than the surounding areas, over time as erosion occurs around the basalt flows, those areas become highlands. Secondly, I had no idea that most (and sometimes all) of the portneuf is diverted into the canal system, and then is regenerated by springs and snow melt for the downstream half. And lastly I was pleased to learn that the city funded a... more
You want to make learning fun?
I have taken my son to this area a few times for the playground and a view of the trains. That being said, the family guy in my would love to see a second pedestrian bridge connecting this area in a large loop. Nature stations identifying habitats, water patterns, local history, and fun facts about the area would be pretty fun. To jump on Josh's ideas, having some type of gardens or outdoor activities would attract more people to the area as well.
I do like that it is connected to the greenway so coupling bike/walking activities to the area would also be a secondary draw.