Students Become Naturalists in Winter Term Hiking Course

For the second year in a row, MICDS Upper Schoolers traversed the natural landscape of the Greater St. Louis Area in the Winter Term course entitled “Take a Hike.” Concurrently, through hiking the surrounding area, the 21st-century naturalists, environmental activists, and budding conservationists were challenged to express themselves creatively through journaling as they worked to define their place in the natural world. As they hiked, they built on the foundations established by various writers, artists, and scientists like American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philospher Henry David Thoreau. New in the 2025 iteration of this course was the addition of snow to all of the hikes. Even weeks later, the brilliant white blanket has yet to fully melt. What a chilly but breathtaking experience for students as they stepped outside of the traditional landscape and explored the great outdoors!

 

“Take a Hike” Teacher and Upper School Spanish Teacher Sarah Elliott-Vandiver shared, “In our course, students braved the harsh winter weather, just as Henry David Thoreau did at Walden Pond, as they sought the beauty of the nature that our area has to offer. They spent a total of five classes hiking, and walked a half marathon (give or take, depending on whose odometer we referred to). On our hikes, students were tasked with using their five senses to take in and connect with the environment surrounding them and notice the little details, such as the tracks of a deer, the veins of a leaf, the sounds of birds singing in the trees, or the glimmer of a snowflake. As teachers, we loved seeing the joy, camaraderie, curiosity, and dedication that our students brought to this experience as a whole.”

The class hiked through the following different paths and around MICDS during the six-day Winter Term experience:

  • River’s Edge Park
  • Creve Coeur Lake Park (They walked the trail by the Taco Bell Shelter)
  • Castlewood State Park (Lone Wolf Trail)
  • Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center (This is closed on Mondays)

Several students took a moment to reflect on their snowy hikes. Some noticed more in the natural surroundings. “I was challenged to grow in my understanding of the little details and small pieces while still maintaining a bigger picture,” shared Bryce Kundel ’27. Others were able to pause and think about the intricate beauty around them. Dunnen McGaughey ’26 reflected, “We were really forced to stop and think about the little things through all those activities, something I’m not normally good at.” Another student, Graham Faust ’26, pondered each new setting with more intention and awareness. “I was challenged to grow in my thinking about nature rather than just walk by and not take a second to study nature,” he stated. Gianna Biswell ’28 enjoyed connecting with the outdoors. “I was challenged to connect to nature personally and seek things I wouldn’t normally think about,” she stated.

To pull the hikes and journal entries together, the students compiled an anthology. Enjoy reading through “Polar Peeks: An Anthology of Journal Entries” here!

Looking for additional hikes? Check out these other hiking paths:

  • Chain of Rocks Park (22 minutes from MICDS)
  • Weldon Spring Conservation Area (30 minutes from MICDS)
  • Pere Marquette State Park (1 hour from MICDS)
  • Elephant Rocks State Park (1.5 hours from MICDS)
  • Hughes Mountain Natural Area (1.5 hours from MICDS)
  • Giant City State Park (2 hours from MICDS)
  • Lone Elk Park (20 minutes from MICDS)

Thank you to Ms. Elliott-Vandiver and to Upper School Science Teacher Andi Galluppi for guiding the world’s newest naturalists! Happy hiking and journaling!