Author: Dave Quinn

We stand on Coyote Plateau, high above the Rocky Mountain Trench. Our group of 12 teens from across the Columbia Basin survey the same sweeping landscape that has captivated people for countless generations.

Students squint at turkey basters and squirt water samples into ice cube trays. Others raise handheld microscopes to eye level, peering at tiny life within. Separate teams shake vials, held up to the light to see transforming colours from chemical…