Carissa: I'm here today because I am a science teacher down in Denver. And I am just so in love with nature and with connecting with the land.

And Wyoming is just gorgeous, and I really think that not enough people know how gorgeous Wyoming is, 'cause I think when people think Wyoming, they think, like, plains. Which is gorgeous in its own. But this ecosystem that we're in right now is just unmatched, you know?

Nancy: Can you say more as a science teacher and as a human about unmatched?

Carissa: I think that it's just so great seeing so much biodiversity here. There's so many different trees, so many different birds. Like, today, me and my girlfriend found, like, 10 different bird species this morning when we were birding.

It's clear that the ecosystem is really healthy because you can see all the different trophic levels, which is really important for a healthy ecosystem. And I think just as a human, you can just feel it when you're here. You can feel how special and spiritual this land is. It is awe-inspiring, I think is what I would say.

Nancy: I love that. So when you're a teacher in Denver, does it mean, do you live in the city?

Carissa: Yep. So I teach over at Manual High School. I live in the city. Manual is, like, an inner-city school, one of the oldest in Denver. Historically, the Black school that DPS provided.

And I really love bringing community science into my classroom. So we've done the Celebrate Urban Birds community science project in my classroom, and me and my girlfriend actually co-planned that project together…Yeah, so they teach seventh grade, and I teach freshmen in high school. And so what my freshmen did for biology is we went and we observed the birds, and we took all the data.

We compiled proposals for how to increase bird biodiversity in Denver, and then we gave those proposals to the middle schoolers, which was the sixth graders. They read through them. They critiqued them, and then had to vote on which proposal we were gonna try to do at school.

And so it's just so great meeting all the scientists here, and all the naturalists, so that I can get more ideas for my classroom.

Nancy: I love that so much. As a teacher, as a fellow teacher, it's college level. Doesn't really matter. Teaching is a vocation, a calling. I would love to hear, if you wouldn't mind, because I'm not familiar, it's Manual High School?

Carissa: Yeah, Manual High School.

Nancy: M-A-N-U-A-L?

Carissa: Mm-hmm.

Nancy: So, like manual, like strong. So could you just tell me a tiny bit more, because I think it's wonderful to celebrate that high school. Tell me just a little bit more about it, and how long have you been teaching there?

Carissa: I've been teaching there, this past year was my sixth year teaching there. I'm going into my 11th year teaching.

And Manual was founded in the 1800s, and it was originally created to be the manual labor education school, which is where the name comes from. Right now, we have about 350 students. We're really small. We focus really heavily on biomedical sciences, on business, on justice and stewardship of the human condition maybe.

And it's just a really special place. It's one of those places that they say we're all a family, but it actually is true there.

Nancy: Oh, that's beautiful. Yeah. So last question. As you head back then, you soak up this weekend at BioBlitz, and you head back to Denver, what's something that you will take with you that you've soaked up?

Carissa: Hmm. You know, this might be a cop-out answer, but I don't know yet. Like, I'm just ready for whatever experience is gonna happen, and whatever adventure I'm gonna bring. But yeah, I have no idea yet.

Nancy: I love that. The openness, just the serendipity of what the weekend brings. I love that. Carissa, thank you so much.

Carissa: Thank you so much. Yeah.

Note: The transcript above has been condensed from its original audio recording to improve the flow and readability of the story.