This last Tuesday, the day returning from the three day weekend, a good portion of Ms. Davis’ Anatomy students got to go on a field trip to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area in Malibu, California. While on the trip, students had the chance to escape into the wide-range of plants and wildlife offered in this park. Although the bus ride to get there was more than an hour long, it was definitely worth it once we arrived.

Upon arrival, students met with a few friendly park rangers, who gladly went over the park’s regulations and general information. Soon after, the park rangers led us to a section of the park where there were a group of tables set up. There were stations with different activities on each of the tables. The activities consisted of learning about the different species of plants and animals that were present throughout the park and identifying them. We also got to view some animal skulls, such as one of a deer and a squirrel. After all the activities, we split up into two groups. One group was to go on the hiking trail and the other was to plant trees.

The hike took approximately a half an hour, and along the way, students got to see exotic plants and animal nests. Also, we got to see a few horses who were hiking on the trail with their owners alongside us. Meanwhile, the other group grabbed a shovel and proceeded to plant trees into the soil. Then, the two groups switched so both groups had enough time to do each activity. Next, all students gathered together and ate lunch. This concluded the day of adventure.

The Anatomy students really seemed to enjoy the trip. I asked junior Camilla Valadez what her favorite part was and she replied, “It was definitely planting the baby trees. The hike was also nice and we saw a lot of horses.” In agreement, senior Samantha Mejia said, “I really enjoyed the little hike we went on. It was nice to be out in nature for a while.”

All in all, Davis’ students, including myself, had a wonderful time. Although the time spent on the trip seemed short, I’m sure it is a trip the attendees won’t forget anytime soon.