One of Rockjumper’s goals as an organization is to reach out into our communities and share the outdoors with younger generations. As a host and tour leader, David Shackelford helped sponsor a recent overnight biology field trip for Connolly High School. Together with teachers and parent volunteers, more than 40 high school students participated in a wide range of activities at Pedernales Falls State Park in the Texas Hill Country. Some of their activities including astronomy, hiking, water quality testing, camping, swimming, plant ecology, and of course birding!

David said about the event, “The kids were awesome – their energy was amazing and we had a great time learning together about the fascinating natural wonders that are sometimes right under our noses. Besides wildlife such as a male Painted Bunting, Broad-banded Water Snake, and American Porcupine, we also found the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler for everyone to see perched only ten feet away!” Rockjumper is always looking for new ways to teach our communities about the importance of conservation while introducing others to the joys of birding.

For the theme of the trip they quoted from Baba Dioum: “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.”