On Nov. 1, 2021, the Judge Memorial oceanography class stepped onto the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program (CELP) campgrounds at Catalina Island, an oasis off the coast of Los Angeles. This program, sponsored by Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Oceans Future’s Society, has been operating since 1999. The 2021 trip was the third year it was being offered at Judge.

The Oceanography class taught by Dr. Dasch Houdeshel embarked on a five-day educational field trip to learn about the ocean, to snorkel and kayak, and to build healthy relationships with the environment.

“The trip is to give kids an opportunity to see what we’re learning about in class,” Dr. Dasch said, “to snorkel, to see the ecological structure of the ocean, as well as have a better understanding of some of the problems that the ocean is facing.”

Dr. Houdeshel believes this oceanography field trip was the “best one yet,” as the relationships between the students and chaperones were closer than before. More importantly, he stated that this trip achieved exactly what he had expected. Students were able to use this trip as an “immersive experience that lets the rest of the world fall away,” to learn about the ocean.

On the first day, the students arrived and were immediately impressed by their surroundings. They were able to snorkel and learn about the environment through a night hike with zero light pollution. They then got the opportunity to sleep in open air cabins, listening to the crashing of the waves.

As Dr. Houdeshel states, “the fog rolls in, and it’s heavy, you can’t really escape it,” he describes mornings on the island. Waking up to the salty smell and cloudy morning haze. Throughout the week, students were able to continue snorkeling, to hike, explore the sea life and beach life, and learn about ocean and land sustainability.

Students were asked to tell a story of the most memorable moment of their trip. Brennan Riad ‘22 stated that just being in the cabins with his friends was a great experience. “It was also amazing to see the pod of dolphins following our boat as we left the island.”

Misa DeAstis ‘22 mentioned the day hike, where she felt like she was on top of the world while still feeling extremely calm as she was surrounded by those she trusted.

Sam Oswald ‘22 highlighted the night snorkel. He thought it was incredible to see the bioluminescence of the water, which matched with the pattern of the stars in the sky.

Dr. Houdeshel said that scholarships are provided as Judge hopes money is not an obstacle when it comes to this trip. For Olivia, the most immersive experience was in the CELP garden where sustainable living was taught through compost. This information can now be applied to daily life consistently.

“Due to the immersive nature of this trip,” Olivia said, “it is something that will be hard to forget.”

Others, like Misa DeAstis, said that one of the best parts of the trip was that it balanced fun and learning.

“While you were hanging out with everyone,” Misa said, “you were also learning valuable lessons to do with the environment. There was this one time we went on a hike. It wasn’t a long hike. When we sat down, we were talking about sustainable living, and we just looked out and all got distracted by just the amazing view. I think that was one of the most memorable moments – just sitting there, surrounded by all my friends looking at this amazing view and being in the moment.”