Use this page and the calendar to show your family where Project Pluton is going each month.

This year's theme is Yosemite Lives. We will focus on the flora and fauna of Yosemite, what are called the biotic factors. This is another year for a winter overnight to the Crane Flat campus. As the time draws nearer you will be given a list of winter gear you need. We will get to snowshoe to the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias and ski in the Crane Flat Meadow.

Here is a list of what you need to bring every time. Further down you will find the list of "seasonal" items. Always bring the following:
*full water bottle (water is better than Gatorade, juice, or anything else)
*lunch
*rain layer that can also be a wind layer
*hat
*closed-toed shoes (no sandals)
*Bandanas-please bring them as we practice "LNT Lunches"!

As is traditional, Yosemite Institute will provide fruit and other snacks in the morning, but you can always bring your own.

Please no gum. YI is a gum-free program.

Fall/Spring Seasonal items:
*sunscreen
*baseball cap
*sweater or fleece
*long pants to go over short pants

Winter Seasonal items:
*beanie or other warm hat
*gloves/mittens
*extra fleece or sweater
*warm/waterproof footwear

There is a list for Crane Flat attached below. The photo is from last year's overnight to Crane Flat in a snowstorm!

This year, teaching Project Pluton, are Jeff Crow, Sarah Cupery Ottley, Laura Milligan, and yet another certified science teacher named Laura! Her name is Laura Nordaas and she grew up in Japan! We are so lucky to have these wonderful Instructors on our program. And, yes, Mara is still the Project Pluton Coordinator and Instructor. Happily all 3 park schools are participating this year! Mr. Sakols & Ms. Medema will come with El Portal, Ms. Horner who has changed her name since she got married to Stauffer (I bet she still lets us call her Ms. Horner!) will bring Wawona, and Ms. Stewart from Yosemite Valley. Happy as we are to get Ms. Stewart, we will miss Ms. DeCecco who will now be teaching the K-2 at the Valley School. Get ready to make new friends and greet the old.

I will try to keep the calendar and this page up to date.

If you have questions you should ask your teacher or Mara (see link at the top to email Mara)

El Portal students: Remember there is a link from your grade (4,5, or 6) page to this page.

I have left the links from the research project on the bottom of this page in case you need them for anything else. Some of them are just fun to browse. Check out the library skills page I made. (last link)