When Phones Go Quiet, Curiosity Gets Loud By Rea Antoniou Photo credit: Austin Corbett That’s a question many adults have probably asked themselves and perhaps something they quietly wish for themselves, too. Smartphone dependency is so deeply embedded in our lives that research has begun to highlight how smartphones have become part of our extended…
GCY Alum Turned Guide Turned Teacher Turned Poet By Delaney Cook [This poem was originally shared by Delaney Cook at River Tales, GCY’s live storytelling event on Oct. 25, 2025, in Flagstaff, AZ. It has since been published in the Winter 2025/2026 Issue of the Boatman’s Quarterly Review.] When six guides, three scientists, and fifteen…
The One Who Said No By Katy Sechrist Both of my daughters were privileged to join Grand Canyon Youth on river trips down the lower Colorado River during high school. One kid was enthusiastic about the possibility of adventure. The other one? Not so much. This story is about the kid who said “No,” the…
Courage Below the Rim/Courage Above the Rim: Rapids, Research, and Carving a Scientist By Margaret Mattson Margaret as a youth When people ask me how I found myself in a career in biology, I always smile because I get to bring up Grand Canyon Youth. I tell them of hot desert nights on a GCY…
A Moment of Literal Impact By Keven Griffen [This piece was originally shared by the author, Keven Griffen, at River Tales, GCY’s live storytelling event on Nov. 2, 2024 in Flagstaff, Arizona.] When someone hits their head, there’s a standard series of questions you’re supposed to ask them to assess their level of consciousness. Keven…
Spinning Silken Yarns: Unraveling the Mysteries of Fingernet Caddisflies with GCY By Anya Metcalfe [This piece was originally shared by the author, Anya Metcalfe, at River Tales, GCY’s live storytelling event on Nov. 2, 2024 in Flagstaff, Arizona.] Hi! My name is Anya, resident bug nerd. I am an ecologist with Grand Canyon Monitoring and…
Let the Kids Play By Zach Fountain Returning from a recent expedition with Grand Canyon Youth on the Lower San Juan River to edit photos of our journey has helped fill my bucket. For me, this trip was about documenting the fun learning experiences middle-school-aged students can have out in nature – what I witnessed…
Grand Canyon Youth Partners in Science: Reflections from a Scientist By Shannon Sartain, Hydrologist US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (Reprinted with permission by Grand Canyon River Guides & US Geological Survey, as originally published in the Boatman’s Quarterly Review, Vol 36 #4, Winter 2023/2024. Many thanks!) Since…
Reflections from an Adventure-Seeking Outdoorswoman By Eliza Moyer I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that GCY changed the trajectory of my life– the few short weeks I spent rowing boats, sleeping under the stars, and exploring canyons transformed me from an anxious and shy child into an adventure-seeking and ambitious outdoorswoman. “…if…
Cicada Dance By Margarita Cruz [This piece was read aloud by the author, Margarita Cruz, at River Tales, GCY’s live storytelling event on Nov. 5, 2022 in Flagstaff, Arizona.] Cicadas dance as if their lives depend on it, hold the plant they’ve landed on between their legs and pinchers…when I look up from peeing,…