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July 14, 1999
By GUY PRIEL Journal Staff Writer NEW ULM -- While most teens are spending vacation as far away from school as possible, a small group of students is spending two weeks of the summer plying the waters of the Minnesota River. After beginning the trip near the source of the Minnesota River last week, the group reached New Ulm Tuesday and camped in Riverside Park. The group hails from Montevideo High School. Participants spent Tuesday catching up on their rest, entering information in their journals and enjoying much-needed rest. The group took a bus to Odessa, a small town near Lac qui Parle, where it started the journey down the river last Wednesday. Plans are to complete the voyage at the point where the Minnesota River meets the Mississippi River at Fort Snelling on Sunday. "We'll spend another full day in Mankato on Thursday, and we figure it will only take us three days to get to the Cities from there," Montevideo biology teacher Butch Halterman said. The first night the group camped out at Lac Qui Parle, and a storm hit the area. Students debated having the bus pick them up and deliver them to an area below the dam, but they persevered. "The kids actually managed to tough it out, and they were the ones who encouraged us not to give up," Halterman said. During the regular school year, the 14 juniors and seniors prepared for the trip by learning about the various aspects of the journey. They studied survival skills and methods to cope with almost two weeks on the river. "By the time they finish the class and the trip, they will have earned one credit of environmental science and will develop several projects and reports," Halterman said. The trip was designed to follow the main channel of the river. The group has camped at the Upper Sioux Agency, North Redwood, Morton and Franklin. They stayed in county, city or state parks. "I needed to earn (teaching) credits to essentially keep my job, and I have canoed the Amazon and other rivers before," Halterman said. "After reading a story about a similar trip in a newspaper, I thought to myself that I could do something like this." With the help of the school district and other agencies, Halterman and another Montevideo biology teacher, Jason Marsh, collected enough money to purchase 10 canoes and enough camping gear for a group of 20 people. "One of the fun parts of preparing for this trip was power shopping for camping equipment," Halterman said. While on the river, the group carries its camping equipment in bags and plastic buckets. "We have group meals in the evenings, but everyone is basically on their own for breakfast and lunch, determined by what they have in their buckets," Halterman said. "We did group shopping for the things we needed for dinner, and each student bought what they would need for the other meals." They eat a lot of tuna for protein and use tortilla chips instead of bread, he said. "The farther down the river we go, the easier it is to travel, because we noticed the currents picking up yesterday," he said. "There is also a lot more water." Everyone has learned how to get along together, despite having different interests, and no one has to be told what to do, Halterman said. In addition to the the adventure and the thrill of accomplishment, there is also the academic side of the experience. Some of the students are involved in bird study. Others are writing about the trip for newspapers in Montevideo and Granite Falls. Some are keeping photographic records of the journey, and others are conducting water experiments. "For water testing, we conduct an analysis of chemical concentrations and usage along the way," Halterman said. "We also study biodiversity using an electronic ear device." The students plan to develop a presentation to show supporters what the experience taught them. It will also be used in visits to other schools throughout the Minnesota River drainage basin in an attempt to increase interest for future trips. "I love the river, that's why we're here," Halterman said. "The objective of this program is to preserve our resources. How can we do that unless we get kids on that resource?" The goal of the entire journey is to get the students to appreciate the Minnesota River as a resource and change their attitudes in an attempt to preserve the river for the future. The group travels approximately 30 miles per day, which includes time for a few stops for lunch and restroom breaks. "We wanted our tests to be as accurate as possible, so we use a global positioning satellite system," Marsh said. "That will help us locate the exact position so the next time we make the trip we can test the changes in water quality at each spot." One of the most exciting aspects of the trip is teaching the students how to use the global positioning system and to watch them learn about the rive, he said. "This is a big learning experience that is right in our backyard, so why not take advantage of it?" Marsh asked. "The river is incredible and beautiful, and it is the neatest thing I have ever done with kids." River becomes resource for science students |