Third graders from Conger Elementary stepped outside the classroom and into nature today, spending the day at Moore Park as part of their Klamath Outdoor Science School (KOSS) experience.
Click Here to be directed to the KFCS Facebook To See A Full Photo Gallery
Conger instructors Madaline Elliot and Ashley Doty and their students joined KOSS educators for a full day of learning centered around forestry, ecology, and environmental science.
KOSS, a free program available to Klamath Basin schools, provides immersive field trips designed to connect students with the natural world while supporting key science standards. For third graders, the focus is on forest and aquatic ecology, something Conger students experienced firsthand as they explored tree life cycles, plant identification, and wildlife habitats throughout the park.
Guided by KOSS staff Tabitha Weir, Megean Pappe, Madeline Hall, and Kevin Spencer, students were full of questions of their surroundings. The day quickly turned into an adventure as students examined a former bear enclosure, sparking curiosity and imagination.
“This used to be a bear enclosure, which is kind of crazy to think about,” Weir said, prompting students to reflect on how wildlife care and conservation have evolved over time. “It’s kind of cool to think about how far we’ve come with our zoos.”
By the end of the day, Conger students were easily able to identify trees and plants along their path, including juniper, Oregon grape, and ponderosa pine.
The highlight of the day came when students learned how to determine the age of a tree using its rings. Students used a specialized tool called a tree borer to extract a small core sample from a tree without harming it.
As Doty’s class gathered around the sample, students worked together to estimate the tree’s age.
“How do you guys think we tell the ages of trees?” Hall asked.
After counting the rings, the group discovered the tree, which they nicknamed “Barnaby,” was approximately 95 years old.
“So he’s around 90 years old … we’re going to add a five to Barnaby’s age as we didn’t measure from the very base of the tree, so we add about five years to account for those early growth rings we couldn’t capture,” Pappe said.
The lesson didn’t stop there. Students also learned how environmental factors like water and sunlight affect tree growth.
“If the rings are really close together then that means it didn’t have enough sun and water, Spencer said.”
Conger Elementary third graders will continue their KOSS experience Thursday with a field trip to the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where they will explore aquatic ecosystems by collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates while learning about food webs, habitats, and environmental adaptations.
“Each field trip is jam packed with hands-on experiences with our knowledgeable guides,” Elliot said. “KOSS is an incredible resource.”
