PCS high schoolers partner with Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
Casey Peters knows that experience is the best teacher. Committed to helping his Plumas Charter high school students learn about environmental stewardship firsthand, he recently took his class out to work on the Jamison Mine Trail near Grass Lake in the scenic Lakes Basin Recreation Area.
The PCS class of sophomores, juniors and seniors did some rugged work “brushing” a section of the trail as part of an ongoing partnership with the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship.
“The Sierra Buttes organization relies heavily on volunteers to keep trails maintained all over Plumas County,” Peters said. “We’ve been partnering with them for a couple of years. I value these experiential learning experiences because it shows the students the value of hard work and they can see an immediate impact on their community.”
The teacher explained that his PCS high school students perform a variety of projects, do community service and study outdoor education on Wednesdays instead of spending the day on traditional class lessons. They also work on building a range of “life skills” that will help them make the most out of life.
According to Peters, who has a special interest in sports and the outdoors, the charter school employs experiential education classes in its high school program to give students a wide variety of experiences.
He said projects like working on trails and learning about environmental stewardship help them build leadership, find their passions, and give back to their communities.
“My favorite thing that students get out of these experiences is exposure to professionals in the community, they get to develop more life skills, and they’re exposed to the beautiful, wild areas of Plumas County,” Peters said.
