Environmental literacy, community action
Our lesson series are designed to provide teachers with the confidence and resources to advance environmental literacy in their classrooms. This summer, we invite 3rd–5th grade teachers to pilot one or more of our lesson series.
The CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub is a portal that connects K–12 teachers and administrators to environmental education community-based partners and their programs. Find experiential learning opportunities for your students today!
| The California Botanic Garden in Claremont, is the largest botanic garden dedicated to California native plants, promoting botany, conservation and horticulture to inspire, inform and educate the public and scientific community about California’s native flora. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Garden is a living museum with curated collections of more than 22,000 California native plants, some of which are rare or endangered. Spread across 86 acres, the Garden is located approximately 35 miles east of Los Angeles. The Garden displays about 1170 taxa of California plants and includes those native to the California Floristic Province. |  |
| The California Botanic Garden offers several educational programs for schools. Schools can choose a Self-Guided visit or a Guided School Visit, both available to all grade levels. The Guided School Visits are led by Volunteer Garden Guides who introduce, demonstrate, and reinforce ideas included in K-8 Common Core standards and Next Generation Science Standards. The primary grade (TK-2) tours are offered on Tuesdays. TK students learn about living things in It’s Alive! as they tour the garden, while Kindergarteners participate in The Big Green Machine: Plants and their Ecosystems and learn about energy and how plants support life on earth. First graders also study plants in Plantastic! What Makes a Plant, a Plant, while 2nd graders participate in Surviving and Thriving: Pollination and Seed Disposal to learn about plant reproduction from pollination, to setting fruit, and producing seeds. Teachers are provided an overview of the programs so they know exactly what the students will study and explore. |
 | Thursdays welcome 3rd to 6th grade students for guided programs. Third and fourth graders participate in Web of Life: The Study of Ecological Relationships and Diversity of Life. They study energy flow from the sun through an ecosystem. Fifth and sixth graders participate in Adaptation and Survival: A Quest for Success. They explore how plants and animals adapt to |
| survive in different habitats. Teacher preparation materials are provided. The Botanic Garden offers guided tours for middle and high school students upon request and based upon staff and volunteer availability. Additionally, home school, scouts, and day camps can also request tours. |  |
| The Children’s Woodland debuted this past spring 2026 and is a unique space within California Botanic Garden where children can explore native habitat, engage in imaginative play, and make a lifelong connection with nature. While the Woodland is not a playground in the traditional sense, the space currently features open space for creative play, balance logs and stumps, sticks and other items for building, rocks and rock fountains for climbing and water play, hammocks for relaxing, a stump circle for reading and gathering, a sensory plant circle for touching and smelling, and benches and picnic tables for resting and connection. Like other natural spaces, the Children’s Woodland will change with the seasons and the years, so watch for new installations in the future! |  |
| The California Botanic Garden supports learning at home and has created interactive worksheets for students and their families to enjoy. The worksheets are downloadable and offered in English and Spanish. Public programs for adults, seniors, youth groups, and college classes are also offered as A Walk in the Garden is always a New Adventure. Participants can discover new sights, sounds, and experiences with a guided tour. The Botanic Garden hosts events and classes throughout the year that celebrate, enrich, and explore our connections to California native plants and the larger natural world. Visit their event page to see what is coming up next. |
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 | Date: October 6-9, 2026 Location: Portland, Oregon Description: Registration is open for NAAEE’s Annual Conference and Research Symposium. Join more than 1,000 attendees as they imagine and advance solutions grounded in research and practice, inspired by place, and strengthened through collaboration. With themes from connecting with nature to advancing sustainable communities, this event invites everyone to consider what becomes possible when education drives connection, action, and positive change. For more information and registration, click HERE. |
  | Dates: October 9-11, 2026 Location: Santa Barbara Description: UC Environmental Stewards welcomes everyone to join an inclusive and safe setting to learn to be better stewards of our environment. The conference is open to all individuals with an interest in building a more equitable, resilient and sustainable future for California. There will be engaging presentations, hands-on workshops and field trips will highlight local natural history, culture and the environment, with a focus on climate change and climate resilience work in California and participatory science, equity, inclusion and justice in conservation efforts. Register HERE. |
 | Dates: October 12, 2026 Location: Virtual Description: California’s public lands hold stories of migration, labor, family, cultural tradition, recreation, and community identity. Latino communities have shaped and cared for the state’s parks, forests, deserts, waterways, and historic places for generations. Yet barriers to outdoor access, changing environmental protections, and fear surrounding immigration enforcement continue to affect how many families experience these shared spaces. During Latino Heritage Month, hear from inspiring Latino leaders who have broken barriers, overcome difficult circumstances, and lead with compassion. We will explore the strength of community and the work underway to create parks and public lands where everyone feels safe, represented, and welcome. Register HERE. |
  | Date: October 14-15, 2026 Location: Sacramento County Description: Presented by First Partner of California Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Center for Ecoliteracy, Alice Waters Institute, National Farm to School Network, and Soil Born Farms. Connect with California’s farm to school community for a vibrant celebration of the people advancing the health of our children, our farms, and our future. Together, we will celebrate California’s leadership, strengthen connections across the state, and build momentum for the future of farm to school. Register HERE. |
 | Date: October 22, 2026 Location: Virtual Description: The CAELI County Office of Education Community of Practice brings together staff in a variety of roles from County Offices of Education (COEs) across the state. They meet every other month for networking, professional learning, and focused discussions on self-selected topics. Register HERE for the COE Community of Practice meeting. |
  | Date: October 25, 2026 Location: Multiple locations Description: Join environmental and outdoor education professionals from across your region to explore a local site and meet colleagues working in a variety of settings. The event includes networking activities, snacks, and a tour of the site. Make new connections and learn more about a local program in your region! San Diego County: Mission Trails East Fortuna Field Station (San Diego) – Click here to register Los Angeles County: Audubon Center at Debs Park (Los Angeles) – Click here to register (Note that the meetup for this location runs 12-4pm) Greater Sacramento Capitol Region: Effie Yaw Nature Center (Charmichael) – Click here to register Shasta County: Whiskeytown Environmental School (Redding) – Click here to register Humboldt County: Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Loleta) – Click here to register SF Bay Area: Nature Learning Center (Fremont) – Click here to register |
 | Date: October 24-31, 2026 Location: International Description: Bat Week is an international, annual celebration designed to raise awareness about the need for bat conservation. Bats are amazing creatures that are vital to the health of our natural world and economy. Although we may not always see them, bats are hard at work all around the world each night – eating tons of insects, pollinating flowers, and spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees. The website has numerous activities, videos, handouts, and other resources to share with students. |
| Date: October 29, 2026 Location: Virtual Description: The CAELI District Community of Practice (COP) invites district-focused staff from a variety of roles across California to join a statewide network of leaders, educators, and support staff working to advance environmental literacy and sustainability in schools. Register HERE to register for District Community of Practice meetings |
 | Description: October is the month of all things spooky! Bats, jack-o-lanterns, and artificial spider webs set the stage for fall harvest parties and Halloween. In reality, spider webs adorn our porches, garages, and patios all year long, not just in the fall. However, autumn is the time of year when a few noticeable species like orb-weavers and giant house spiders find a mate and lay eggs before winter arrives. These types of spiders are much more active and visible in the fall, which may be one reason we associate spiders and their webs with the fall months. Project Learning Tree provides a variety of resources for educators to use to study spiders. Which will be your favorite? |
 | Description: The Invisible Mammal is a feature-length documentary film about bats, infectious disease, and women in science. In this intensely cinematic film, bats are rendered poetically visible: spectacularly streaming out of caves or bridges, or cradled in a gloved hand, wings extended. Wonder is the overriding emotion. Adventure is a key mood, along with mind-expanding discovery in the company of some of the most prominent human faces in bat conservation. Watch the trailer HERE. Check out the list of screenings coming up in California or book a screening yourself. |
 | Description: Elementary students get moving, get outside, and get creative with these activities, all while practicing academic skills. Activities include: Leaf Scavenger Hunt Challenge, Mystery Sensory Harvest, Pumpkin Seed Guessitmation Challenge, Apple Taste Test Graphing, Autumn-themed Word Relay Race, Pumpkin Pie Baking Challenge, Leaf Composition Prediction, and Mini Pumpkin Catapult. These activities will make learning fun! |
 | Description: Autumn is time for fall bird migration. Audubon Adventures introduces young people to the world of nature and wildlife through colorful magazines, online features and interactive games and puzzles, plus activities, guidance, and resources for educators. Designed for classrooms and other educational settings as well as for enjoyment at home, Audubon Adventures opens children’s hearts and minds to the wonders of birds, other wildlife, and the fascinating and complex natural world that is Planet Earth. Developed by professional educators and scientists, Audubon Adventures is designed to be integrated easily into any curriculum area: science, mathematics, language arts, social studies, and the creative arts. It has been used in classrooms, home-school settings, after-school programs, camp programs, ESL classes, and more. Since its inception in 1984, more than 7 million students have participated in the program. |
 | Description: A conversation about the connections between education, nature, community, food, health, childhood, and the places that give us room to pay attention. Their conversation moves from childhood memories of staring at the night sky and sitting on a grandparents’ porch to the experiences being created for young people today. Along the way, they explore stillness and boredom, access to nature, environmental learning, community connection, and what it might mean to create more welcoming spaces where people can learn from the world around them. And an unexpected question emerges: Do we need to build more porches? |
 | Description: This handy resource book for primary and intermediate level educators includes 20 weeks’ worth of themed sit spot activities for students of all ages. It also includes additional downloadable resources – to explore outdoor learning with students all year-long and in all weather conditions. This handy field guide begins by introducing The Framework beneath sit spot pedagogy, grounding this work in the literature. It then builds on this foundation, blending theory with practice in a step-by-step Getting Started process to set up successful sit spot experiences with a wide-variety of learners. Lauren MacLean is a certified teacher and accomplished author, known for her children’s picture books. |
| The vision of YES, Nature to Neighborhoods is for Richmond youth, adults and families to lead healthy, connected lives; motivate change in their neighborhoods; and inspire a safe, thriving community. YES Nature to Neighborhoods was founded on the belief that positive experiences in nature are a catalyst for individual and community transformation. Their work focuses on cultivating leadership, increasing access and breaking down barriers for those excluded from the outdoors, reclaiming a connection to the earth, and creating brave spaces that foster cross-cultural relationships. Their organization values inclusion, intentionality, effective communication, integrity, a holistic approach, equity, and diversity. |  |
 | YES Nature to Neighborhoods offers programs for youth from childhood through young adulthood. The Explorers Program for 8-10 year olds, offers new experiences that nurture children’s leadership skills through hands-on learning in the natural environment. Through after-school workshops and weekend outings, Explorers grow their social- emotional skills and engage in environmental education and critical thinking. Explorers participate in outdoor experiences like learning center visits and one overnight camping trip. They can also participate in YES’s Summer, Family, and Winter camps. |
| The Rangers Program for youth ages 11-13, continues to build social-emotional and outdoor skills while learning about the natural environment, environmental stewardship, and responsibility to the community. Rangers participate in biweekly workshops and continue to develop a sense of belonging in and connection to the outdoors through adventures like hiking, fishing, kayaking, and camping. |  |
 | The Adventure Crew for youth ages 11-13, is a 10-month environmental program co-led with the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). While exploring a variety of parks and outdoor landscapes across the region, the group emphasizes challenge-by-choice through a variety of outdoor experiences, culminating in a three-night, self-supported backpacking trip. The Adventure Crew meets every other Saturday, and members may also participate in the Rangers cohort. |
| The Youth Engagement Team (YET) is a program designed for youth ages 14-15. Teens grow from campers into community role models and advocates. YET members build leadership skills by mentoring younger participants, exploring health and wellness, and leading community improvement projects. YET leaders can also participate in outdoor excursions such as rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and camping. Through these experiences, they develop and pursue personal goals, become more confident in their voice, learn about local issues, and gain skills to make community improvements. In the Coastal Conservation Corps, youth ages 16-18, continue to practice stewardship and civic action, learning about environmental justice, climate change, and conservation science, focusing on the health of local waterways. This is done through bi-weekly workshops, educational day and overnight trips, local advocacy, and access to recreation and leadership opportunities. Teens are supported to identify and pursue goals, graduate high school, and access scholarships, internships, and job opportunities to successfully navigate young adulthood and as empowered leaders. |
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| Additionally, YES Nature to Neighborhoods offers Family Camp which cultivates self-awareness, connection to nature, and strong bonds. At Family Camp, parents and caregivers and their children build cross-generational and peer-group relationships, become inspired to engage in their communities, and connect with the solace, joy, adventure, fun, and opportunities for growth that nature provides. Visit the YES Nature to Neighborhoods website to learn more about their amazing programs! |
| Date: September 2, 20026 Location: Online Description: We invite you to our next virtual statewide gathering which is a great opportunity to connect, share updates, and collaborate with environmental education leaders across California. Visit the CAELI website for more information. Register HERE. |
 | Dates: September 5-13, 20026 Location: Statewide Description: You can take part in California Biodiversity Day no matter where you are! Simply join the Find 30 Species for California Biodiversity Day project in iNaturalist and record 30 wild species between September 5–13. Every observation adds to a statewide picture of California’s amazing biodiversity, and the information we gather together helps inform the California 30×30 Initiative. Thanks to the Climate Science Alliance, there are some prizes in store for top participants in the project this year! |
 | Dates: September 8 – October 4, 2026 Location: Asynchronous weekly modules + live webinars Description: This 4-week course offered by the Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab helps educators and community practitioners turn climate concern into clear communication, meaningful learning, and local action. Hundreds of educators, NGO staff, community leaders, and students from around the world typically join our courses, and we would be glad to learn with you. Register HERE. |
 | Date: September 15, 2026 Locations: Online Description: A free virtual workshop for an overview of how educators and healthcare practitioners can better understand and support kids’ mental health through outdoor activities and to learn practical, low-pressure ways to support both student and teacher wellbeing through simple outdoor routines and experiences. This workshop will cover nature as co-therapist, benefits of sensory awareness activities, and how risk and challenge can be leveraged to reduce anxiety. With increasing demands, diverse learning needs, anxious students, and constant curriculum pressures, many teachers are looking for approaches that calm the classroom without adding more to their plate. Register HERE. |
 | Date: September 15-16, 2026 Location: Pasadena Description: This year marks the 20-year anniversary of Green Technology, a momentous milestone that celebrates two decades of advancing sustainability, innovation, and collaboration across California’s public sector. Over the past twenty years, Green Technology has brought together educators, facilities leaders, policymakers, and solution providers to accelerate progress toward healthier environments and more resilient communities. The education sessions will explore how sustainability can be integrated into the curriculum, how environmental literacy can bridge the gap between facilities and the classroom, and how schools can implement best practices both operationally and academically. Participants will also discover funding and grant opportunities available to support sustainability planning and project implementation for schools and higher education institutions. Register HERE |
 | Date: September 19, 2026 Location: Statewide Description: Join your friends and neighbors at California’s largest annual volunteer event to remove trash from across the entire state. Help protect people and wildlife by eliminating plastic pollution before it can cause any more harm. Sponsored by the California Coastal Commission, this marks the 42nd year of the event. To learn more and to participate, visit the CA Coastal Cleanup Day website. |
| Date: September 24, 2026 Location: Online Description: The CAELI District Community of Practice (COP) invites district-focused staff from a variety of roles across California to join a statewide network of leaders, educators, and support staff working to advance environmental literacy and sustainability in schools. Register HERE to register for District Community of Practice meetings. |
 | Date: September 26, 2026 Location: Nationwide Description: Coordinated by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), National Public Lands Day is a collective act of care that strengthens our connection to the landscape and to each other. It is a day of service as well as an opportunity to give back, build community, and enjoy the public lands that support our health, environment, and well-being. Public lands include national parks, forests, monuments, wildlife refuges, grasslands, marine sanctuaries, lakes, and state, county, and city parks—spaces managed by public agencies or nonprofits and open to all. This years’ theme is Caring for Our Shared America. Visit the website to learn more. |
 | Description: The toolkit is designed with inclusive language to ensure clarity and accessibility for all and to support anyone advocating for educational policies that emphasize climate literacy and action; career readiness and STEM learning, skill development, and healthy and just learning environments. The toolkit objectives include ensuring equitable access and promoting justice; empower organizations and advocates; comprehensive database; and catalyzing impact. To view or download the toolkit, visit the NAAEE website at Climate Education Policy Toolkit. |
 | Description: This study aimed to clarify whether outdoor play in early childhood may offer “a low-cost, enjoyable, and developmentally appropriate strategy for reducing children’s risk of later mental health difficulties.” According to the researchers, this is the first study to demonstrate that outdoor play during the preschool years is related to how children’s mental health develops over time. Findings suggest that preschool children who play outdoors more frequently may have better mental health throughout middle childhood. Published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, June 2026. |
 | Description: Holly Steele, Director of Professional Learning and Community Building at Ten Strands, shares the experiences of 30 educators who participated in a 3-day summer institute immersed in the Seeds to Solutions 7th grade unit of groundwater. There were five key lessons that participants took away from their experience. Read the article HERE. |
 | Description: Secretary Wade Crowfoot’s Speaker Series recently featured panelists discussing extreme heat in California. Be sure to listen to Brad Rumble, Principal at Esperanza Elementary School in LAUSD, as he shares about the changes he helped make happen on school campuses near downtown Los Angeles. His segment airs beginning at minutes 23:00 to 34:00. View the webinar HERE on YouTube. |
 | Description: Organizations that offer climate change communication and education (CCEOs) include non-governmental organizations, community-based organizations, zoos, museums, parks, libraries, and private companies. They use a wide range of modalities such as camps, workshops, campaigns, and afterschool programs to empower learners of all ages to take climate action. This study helped fill knowledge gaps about their services by mapping the types and foci of these CCEOs. Read the report to learn more. |
 | Description: Building on her commitment to ensuring California children have the best start in life, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom released a report, Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success, in February 2022. The report highlights policy goals to advance child well-being, economic growth, environmental resilience, and racial equity through farm to school systems that connect children to locally sourced, whole foods and produce in cafeterias, classrooms, and gardens. The report and its recommendations are the result of a collaboration — led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross — among a number of state agency leaders, education professionals, and farm to school experts and practitioners. |
| Since 1989, Web of Life Field (WOLF) School has been dedicated to providing engaging and impactful educational outdoor experiences for California’s K-12th grade students and families. They believe in the transformative power of outdoor experiences, and are committed to designing immersive programs that connect youth with nature, empower individuals, and strengthen communities. Through lessons and activities that make learning fun, WOLF School gives teachers the opportunity to enhance classroom curriculum, and gives students the chance to gain knowledge, awareness, and respect of their environment, their community, and themselves. Education is one of their key values and they believe knowledge is power, and that by becoming a life-long learner and continuously educating oneself each individual can make a positive difference for the betterment of themselves and their world. At Web of Life Field (WOLF) School, they believe that youth thrive outdoors! Their K-12th grade residential outdoor education and team building programs inspire California’s students to explore, discover, and learn through exciting field study activities, group building initiatives, fun songs, active games, and living together in a community. Programs are led by professionally-trained naturalists at stunning camps throughout California, are California State Standards-based, and support Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), giving students the opportunity to make hands-on connections between classroom learning and the world around them in a safe and positive outdoor environment. WOLF School is unique in their ability to offer any of their educational outdoor programs at multiple professionally-maintained camps in beautiful locations throughout California. From the central coast’s soaring redwood forests to the majestic reaches of the Sierras, with campuses as far north as Sonoma County and south to the San Bernardino Mountains, educators can choose the site that best suits their group, and get ready for a remarkable experience! Their four campuses include Camp Monte Toyon in the Santa Cruz area, Camp Arroyo in the East Bay, Camp Sea Lab in the Santa Cruz and Monterey area, and Camp Loma Mar in the Bay Area. |
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| During WOLF School’s Outdoor Science School program, educated naturalists lead students in scientific field studies where students can explore, discover, and learn about the natural world through fun activities on the trail and in remarkable outdoor environments. Their naturalists are experts at taking material taught in the classroom and creating supplemental curriculum for the outdoors, and field studies can be tailored to teachers’ particular subject interests or state standards for a specific grade. Let them know what your interests are and they will create an unforgettable California science camp experience for you and your students! |  |
 | The Camp Sea Lab programs fosters lifelong excitement, scientific understanding, and stewardship of our coasts and ocean by providing quality marine-oriented programs that promote science, education, and adventure for youth. Located in Monterey Bay, Camp SEA Lab offers high-quality outdoor school and summer camp programs to educate and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. Camp SEA Lab is dedicated to helping children explore the wonders of the marine environment from the top of the watershed to the bottom of the deep sea as they gain a greater appreciation for what science can teach them about our world and the importance of being good stewards for the ocean. |
| WOLF School offers wonderful programs with a very dedicated staff. Visit their website to learn more or to make your school’s reservations for the coming school year. |
 | Dates: August 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026 Location: Online Description: Join Sonya Rokosh and weekly special guests for four sessions to explore nature journaling outside! The first session will go over some quick and accessible journaling exercises – good warm ups for both adults and youth – and shift into season-focused exercises and activities in each session thereafter. For more information and to register, click HERE. |
 | Date: August 6, 2026 Location: Online Description: How can stronger connections to place help create healthier communities and a more sustainable future? Join Matt Biggar, Ph.D., for an eeWEBINAR exploring ideas from his new book, Connected to Place, and discover how place-based education and systems thinking can inspire meaningful environmental and social change. Biggar discusses place-based systems change as a real-world solution to our growing environmental and social challenges. At the core of our biggest problems lies a deeper crisis of disconnectedness. Dominant economic forces continually push us away from nature, community, and each other. Place-based systems offer an alternative model and are gaining traction in places around the world, both urban and rural. Register HERE. |
| Dates: August 11, 2026 Location: Online Description: Birds can be found in all learning environments, rural or urban. Join our panel of knowledgeable presenters who will share resources, both analogue and digital, for learning about birds in formal or informal education spaces. This workshop will also highlight the work of Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andrés Jiménez, and Junaid Khan to support the regathering and the education of Anishinaabe bird names and significant Indigenous bird knowledge. Included in this are their Anishinaabe Bird Names Nature Guide and Anishinaabe Winter Bird Names Nature Guide. While these resources are specific to Indigenous groups primarily located around the Great Lakes in Canada and the United States, there are valuable insights to be gleaned wherever you are joining from. Register HERE. |
 | Date: August 19, 2026 Locations: Online Description: School leaders are frequently asked to do more with less. What if one approach could help advance multiple district priorities at once? Join the Superintendents’ Environmental Education Collaborative and Project Learning Tree to explore how environmental education can be leveraged as a unifying strategy to help districts achieve strategic goals. No district succeeds alone. Join a growing network of education leaders committed to preparing future-ready students through innovative partnerships, shared learning, and practical strategies you can adapt in your own schools and communities. Register HERE. |
 | Date: August 27, 2026 Location: Online Description: Now in its sixth year and growing, this community of practice (COP) brings together staff from a variety of roles in County Offices of Education (COE) across the state. We meet every other month for networking, professional learning, and focused discussions on self-selected topics. Register HERE for one or more CoP meetings. |
| Date: September 2, 2026 Location: Online Description: We invite you to our next virtual statewide gathering which is a great opportunity to connect, share updates, and collaborate with environmental education leaders across California. Visit the CAELI website for more information. |
| Date: September 2 to October 20, 2026 Location: Online Description: This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ways of knowing. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around how we can more intentionally and respectfully incorporate traditional Indigenous ways of knowing into our environmental and outdoor learning programming. This six-week course takes approximately 15 hours to complete. Register HERE. |
 | Date: September 29-30, 2026 Location: Cal Academy, San Francisco, CA Description: Energize bold action to accelerate progress. Empower partners to turn goals into results. Evolve strategies to meet the scale and urgency of 30×30. This year’s 30×30 Partnership Summit will spark engaging presentations, foster rich discussion, and create space to connect with colleagues working to bring 30×30 to life across California and beyond. Register HERE. |
| Date: October 25, 2026 Location: Throughout California Description: Join environmental and outdoor education professionals from across your region to explore a local site and meet colleagues working in a variety of settings. The event includes networking activities, snacks, and a tour of the site. Make new connections and learn more about a local program in your region! Meetups are held in multiple locations throughout the state. For more information, click HERE. |
| Description: The Coalition’s vision for Outdoor Learning is that every student in California has regular access to outdoor learning experiences that inspire curiosity, deepen connections to the natural world, and improve health, learning and personal growth. When outdoor learning is a regular part of the school day, students learn to solve real-world challenges, improve their lives and communities, and benefit from healthier, more equitable learning environments. The California Campaign for Outdoor Learning is currently supporting legislation to advance its goals. Read more about AB 2158, the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026 and learn how you can sign on to support the legislation and become involved in the coalition. |
 | Description: This report released by Ten Strands as a part of their Data Initiative, analyzed data across three critical areas – facilities planning, staffing, and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) funding — to reveal where our state is making progress and where gaps remain. Read the report to see what the data show. This report also includes recommendations for state and local leaders to support districts to develop planning systems, build staff capacity, secure funding, and establish coordination structures to bring their environmental commitments to life — and help build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for California. Read the full report HERE. |
 | Description: Championed by Governor Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California created the Outdoors for All initiative to expand access to the outdoors. In partnership with a broad array of governments, community organizations and tribes, California is expanding parks and outdoor spaces in communities that need them the most, supporting programs to connect with people who lack access, fostering a sense of belonging for all Californians outdoors, and much more. We invite you to join the movement of an Outdoors for All. On their website, you’ll find links to public outdoor spaces at state parks and beyond, safety tips, grant programs, resources, a partner kit, and much more. If you’d like to stay connected and hear more about the work, success stories, and ways to get involved, sign up for The Trailblazer, the new Outdoors for All Newsletter. |
 | Description: Sentinel Sites for Nature (SSN) is a multi-jurisdictional and collaborative initiative built on partnerships, and supported by the broader conservation community through the California Biodiversity Network and the Sentinel Site Network Roundtable. There are currently over 100 Sentinel Sites in California either already established or in the planning stages. SSN is a long-term monitoring collaborative established to create biodiversity baselines and to assess change over time. Sentinel Sites are managed by a network of partners committed to biodiversity exploration and conservation under the increasing pressures of climate and land-use change. The power of the SSN is grounded in a shared set of monitoring protocols and an emphasis on widespread data sharing and availability. Dr. Roni Jones, Ten Strands Director of Curriculum, is one of the featured panelists. |
 | Description: You are getting into your car for a drive and need something to listen to. Check out Justice Outside’s podcast series, Joy Outside, Season 2. These podcasts include special guests discussing a variety of topics. -January 2026: Sanjana Sekhar got us HEATED -February 2026: Noor Qwfan, This Muslim Girl Goes Outside -May 2026: Mary Pelagio and Nanci Torres, Immigrant Justice is Environmental Justice -May 2026: Sally Steele, Leave Anyway-Redefining Who Belongs on Public Lands Listen HERE. |
 | Description: Building on her commitment to ensuring California children have the best start in life, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom released a report, Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success, in February 2022. The report highlights policy goals to advance child well-being, economic growth, environmental resilience, and racial equity through farm to school systems that connect children to locally sourced, whole foods and produce in cafeterias, classrooms, and gardens. The report and its recommendations are the result of a collaboration — led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross — among a number of state agency leaders, education professionals, and farm to school experts and practitioners. |
| The Wildlands Conservancy Wind Wolves Preserve is in an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley influences converge. For more than 30 years, the Wildlands Conservancy has worked to preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the earth and to provide programs so that children may know the wonder and joy of nature. |  |
| Due to elevation ranges from 640 to 6,005 feet, the Wind Wolves Preserve has an impressive array of landforms and habitats that serve as a critical landscape linkage and wildlife corridor between the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada. The 93,000 acre preserve offers more than just breathtaking views – it’s a sanctuary for wildlife, a place for refuge for the spirit, and most importantly, a classroom under the sky. On the San Joaquin Valley floor, the Preserve is a 30-square-mile veritable sea of grasslands with remnant stands of saltbush. These grasslands are home to the endangered San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard as well as one of the largest stands of the endangered Bakersfield cactus. The Preserve’s main wetland is home to the Buena Vista Lake ornate shrew—one of the most endangered mammals in the United States. Rolling grasslands rise from the valley floor, transitioning into classic California blue oak and valley oak savanna with extensive riparian wetlands. The oak savanna ascends into juniper and pinyon forests that vault into stands of ponderosa pine and big cone spruce. Volunteers have played a major role in working with staff to restore this heroic landscape. Fourteen years of monthly work parties have removed invasive tamarisk from 30 miles of stream channels. Volunteers have made miles of boundary fencing antelope friendly, as well as make kit fox dens for the recruitment of kit foxes. And volunteers through school, family work parties, and collaborating organizations have planted tens of thousands of native trees and shrubs. The preserve includes the entire San Emidio Land Grant, once owned by John C. Fremont. Wind Wolves’ rich cultural history includes some of the most noteworthy Native American rock art in North America. |
 | Wind Wolves Preserve offers students and families opportunities to hike, bike, picnic, view wildlife and wildflowers, go birdwatching, and camp. Free School Programs and public programs are available. They promote a Leave No Trace philosophy asking visitors to pack out what they pack in. They encourage respect for all wildlife and to learn through observation. They also ask for everyone to be courteous to others so everyone enjoys their outdoor experience |
| For many children, the first time they spot a majestic hawk soaring above or uncover the delicate pattern of animal tracks along a trail, something awakens. These moments of wonder spark not just curiosity but a profound connection — one that The Wildlands Conservancy believes can grow into a lifelong passion for conservation. Each year, Wildlands naturalists and docents lead free outdoor education programs at Wind Wolves Preserve for thousands of school children from across Kern County. Targeted to public schools in underserved and under-resourced communities, this is more than just a field trip — it’s a rite of passage, a transformative experience that fosters a connection to nature and inspires a love for the Earth. |  |
| “The Preserve is a place for learning, but also a place to feel peace, it’s a refuge.” |
| For Sherryl Clendenen, biologist and outdoor educator who worked for Wildlands from 1998 to 2015, Wind Wolves Preserve was the perfect venue to integrate science and history into the lives of local students in a way that made learning come alive. As a child, Sherryl had struggled with traditional forms of learning—textbooks and classroom lectures left her feeling disconnected from the material. Fortunately for Sherryl, her father understood the real world was the best teacher and he took her outdoors, where nature became her classroom. This hands-on learning shaped her philosophy and later guided her work at Wind Wolves Preserve, where she built the outdoor education program from the ground up. |  |
| Sherryl’s early experiences taught her something profound: humans are not separate from nature, but part of it. She remembers learning in school that human activity caused many environmental issues, leading her to believe the only way to save the wilderness was to keep humans away. But when she was outside with her father, she saw things differently. Being immersed in the wild didn’t lead her to fear human impact; instead, it taught her to love and respect nature. Sherryl sought to pass on these same lessons through the outdoor education program at Wind Wolves Preserve, which has welcomed over 210,000 local students since it originated in 1998. Today, Wildlands has expanded its Outdoor Discovery Program to serve students throughout the state of California across its Preserve system, offering schoolchildren and families the chance to build that deep, personal relationship with nature. Our naturalists, rangers and docents understand that education isn’t just about facts and figures; it’s about fostering relationships —with the land, with the plants and animals, and with each other. To save the environment, “Sherryl believes, “we must have a connection to it, a love for it.” This belief is woven into the fibers of Wildlands Outdoor Discovery Program, which aims to inspire not just knowledgeable individuals, but future stewards of the Earth. |
