Day 4 | Glacier National Park: Becoming the Light

Day 4 invited us to slow down and experience Glacier National Park in a completely different way. With Rangers Matt and Lindsay leading the way, our campers rotated through a series of Five Senses stations before heading out on a sensory hike. Instead of rushing to the next destination, we paused to notice the small things that are so easy to overlook. We listened to the water of nearby streams, felt the rough bark of ancient cedars, breathed in the fresh mountain air, searched for the subtle colors woven throughout the forest, and even tasted a few Glacier-inspired treats along the way. It was a wonderful reminder that nature has so much to teach us when we simply pay attention.

Back on campus, it was time for one of our favorite challenges of the week—Glacier Rescue. Every camper became either an animal, plant, or natural feature found within Glacier National Park. Through games, problem-solving, and plenty of laughter, they discovered just how connected every living thing is. It didn't take long before food webs, habitats, predators, pollinators, decomposers, and forests all came together in ways that made perfect sense. Watching those "aha" moments happen never gets old.

The afternoon brought something every camper had been looking forward to: free time. Some chose to kayak or paddleboard across the crystal-clear waters of Lake McDonald while others headed for the beautiful Trail of the Cedars and Avalanche Lake Trail. Of course, another stop for huckleberry ice cream was absolutely necessary. At this point, we're fairly certain the black bears are wondering where all the huckleberries have gone. Ironically, not long afterward, we spotted a black bear enjoying a moose carcass, a powerful reminder that nature follows its own rhythms and that every animal has a role to play in this incredible ecosystem.

Our final evening together was filled with the traditions that make the end of every STEAM in the PARK week so memorable. Campers signed our camp poster, wrote postcards to each other, and gathered together to watch National Parks Adventure, and then made our way outside for our closing Firefly Ceremony.

This evening carried even more meaning as we celebrated the twelve campers who joined us for their very first STEAM in the PARK experience, along with three outstanding environmental educators who shared their knowledge, enthusiasm, and hearts with us all week. Welcoming new people into this community is one of the greatest joys of what we do, and watching them become part of the family in just a few short days is something I'll never stop appreciating.

And maybe that's why our closing Firefly Ceremony has become one of the most meaningful traditions of every STEAM in the PARK week. A single firefly doesn't light up the forest. Its glow is small, quiet, and easy to miss. But when hundreds of fireflies begin to shine together, the darkness is transformed. No one asks another firefly to glow exactly the same way. Each one simply offers the light it was created to give.

I think people are a lot like that.

None of us can solve every problem or change the entire world by ourselves. But each act of kindness, every encouraging word, every listening ear, every helping hand, and every moment of choosing compassion over criticism adds a little more light. Before long, those small lights become something beautiful that others can see from far away.

Our hope has never been to create people who all think alike. Our hope has always been to create people who choose to be light wherever they go. If every camper leaves this place carrying just a little more kindness, a little more courage, and a little more willingness to look for the good in others, then that light won't end when camp ends. It will travel home with them, into their classrooms, their families, their communities, and into countless lives they'll never even realize they've touched.
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That's how darkness loses. Not because one bright light overpowers it, but because thousands of ordinary people decide to shine.

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