Students at Fountain Hills Charter School continued to learn more about the environment around them when they visited the Desert Outdoor Center in Maricopa County Parks and Reaction on Nov. 5.

FHCS fourth through eighth grade students partnered with environmental education students from Prescott College to experience hands-on learning about edible plants in the Sonoran Desert, map skills like using a compass, ecology around Lake Pleasant, invasive species and desert survival.

The students found that using a compass wasn’t as easy as TV and movies make it out to be.

“We had to go around Lake Pleasant finding signs using a compass,” Buddy Ballew said. “We had to line the back up with our stomach to see where the north was, among other things.”

A lot of the students’ trip was spent learning about the different ways the plants in the environment could be used for either food or water.

“We saw trees that they had made cookies out of and we got to try pickled cactus,” Zion Sidhu said. “There was also this cactus that we learned to get water from by digging to its roots.”

Sheila O’Donnell, one of the FHCS teachers who went on the trip, said she was really impressed with the college students who buddied up with the local students.

“It was really nice having those student with us,” O’Donnell said “If it had just been us (the teachers) it would have been completely different. They were able to relate to the students and put things in terms they understood.”

The students at Prescott College enjoyed their time so much with FHCS that they have invited them to return and learn more about the environment.