Jefferson High School students hit the ice last month to get a taste of a classic Montana winter pastime: ice fishing.
With cold temperatures turning many lakes into vast expanses of ice, hardy anglers enjoy spending days out on the ice, some in warm huts and others out in the open, enjoying nature. And on Feb. 24, Jefferson High School’s Outdoors Literacy class did just that. A group of eight students and their teacher, Anne Jolliff, spent the day at Canyon Ferry catching fish and learning the basics of ice fishing.
Jefferson High School junior Ava Rivera said that the day was “a great opportunity to try something new in a new environment.”
This trip was emblematic of the course’s goal: learning about conservation, local activities and how to become involved in the great outdoors. Jolliff created the class, which is in its second year, and said that she crafted it to encourage students to get outdoors more, which she said is instrumental for mental and physical health. She also has seen that literacy has increased when the kids can experience the activity.
The course can also get people involved in conservation, and that is exactly the experience that Jefferson High senior Hyrum Parke has had during his two years in the class, saying that “Outdoors Literacy has helped me realize the importance of preserving our wildlife.”
Field Trips such as going ice fishing are the perfect way to encourage kids to be more involved with nature, and with conservation, Jolliff said, and the trips are something that the class is planning to continue in the future.
