Category: CBP Features

CPB Feature for July 2025


Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center

Overlooking Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Sanctuary Exploration Center offers engaging interactive exhibits and programs focused on remarkable marine ecosystems, as well as information on how you can protect this special underwater place by responsibly enjoying its unique habitats and wildlife.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a spectacular outdoor living classroom that can be explored in person or through interactive virtual experiences. It offers a wide array of exciting and engaging educational experiences for all ages including exhibits, field trips, distance learning, lesson plans, posters, and more. Visit the free admission Sanctuary Exploration Center located just steps away from Cowell Beach and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. Developed in partnership with the city of Santa Cruz, the center features state-of-the art displays, short films, interactive exhibits, and more. You can explore the sanctuary’s remarkable marine environment and learn your role in protecting our nation’s special underwater places.

Through exploring biological and physical ocean processes, the Sanctuary Exploration Center school field trip program offers exploratory, inquiry-based K-12 education programs on several marine topics. Programs are grade specific, support Next Generation Science Standards to investigate the natural world, and include indoor and outdoor components.

The Center requires a chaperone ratio of 1:6 for grades K-2 and a 1:10 ratio for grades 3-12. Chaperones do not count towards participant maximums. All field trip programs typically run for two hours. Groups larger than 55 students may require a three hour program to ensure meaningful program delivery, however there is a maximum capacity of 65 students per program. Contact them to inquire about fees for your group size, offered in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The programs offered include: 

Grades K-1: Beach Exploration

From large birds and mammals, to small insects and algae, the beach is home to many different creatures. What makes this habitat special, and how can people help keep it safe for the animals—large and small— that call it home? Students will participate in a beach scavenger hunt to explore this ecosystem, then investigate what they found using their senses and science tools.Grades 2-3: Kelp Forest Investigation
Just off the coast, rich kelp forests span from the seafloor to the surface, creating a habitat for many animals just offshore. From land, you can see clues that there is a kelp forest in the water by looking at the kelp wrack left on the beach by waves. Students will participate in a scavenger hunt for as many different types of seaweed as possible and discuss how it serves as a habitat and helps keep our bay healthy.

Grades 3-8: Marine Debris Monitoring
Practice becoming a scientist while helping to protect the sanctuary. Using scientific protocols, students will collect debris, make observations, and keep detailed records. Sanctuary naturalists will lead your students in a discussion on the causes and effects of marine debris and compare your cleanup results with data previously collected.

Grades 5-12: Plankton Discovery
Students will use real oceanographic tools, including microscopes, to assess the current conditions of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Students will engage in field and classroom investigations to understand what physical, biological, and chemical parameters affect marine life and how scientists monitor them. By monitoring these conditions over time, scientists can determine the health of the bay and how changes over time could influence the animals we see.

The Center also offers Distance Learning opportunities. Do you want to connect your students to science, exploration, and engineering? Experience our distance learning programs for grades 2-6 with sanctuary staff delivering live programming and a question and answer session for your students. Their team offers real-time, 45-minute interactive distance learning programs via a two-way video communication platform. These dynamic presentations include in-depth discussion, group activities, and live demonstrations. Each distance learning program will also connect your students to a corresponding virtual activity that can be done independently to “dive deeper” into the themes. Teachers can assign the virtual activities to students to be completed on their own time. Fees apply for distance learning programs, offered in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov for details.

Teachers can access a range of educational resources that support ocean and climate literacy. There are lesson plans, activities, webinars, grant opportunities, and more. Visit the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Center website to learn more.

CPB Feature for June 2025

Island Packers

Island Packers is the concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park, providing transportation to the islands from the Ventura and Channel Islands Harbors. They offer Floating Classroom programs to K-12 students, focusing on the unique resources and environmental challenges impacting these offshore islands and the waters surrounding them. Their programs can be tailored to meet the educational goals of the instructors in both science and social science topics, and include subjects like introduced species, endemism, geology, marine resources, Native American inhabitants, human impact, and environmental stewardship. 

Anacapa Island K-12 Education – This true oceanic island offers 360-degree views of the ocean, and East Anacapa is known for its abundant bird population and seasonal wildflowers. Its remote location makes it a perfect spot to cover science and social science themes. 

What makes this destination unique?  East Anacapa Island is one of the most popular destinations for first time visitors to the Channel Islands. This small, rugged island is big on the sights and sounds of a remote island wilderness. Surrounded by sheer cliffs, the top of the island is an ancient wave cut terrace. Anacapa offers spectacular panoramic views from everywhere you journey. The surrounding kelp forests highlight the rich marine resources present in the area. Sometimes you will see dolphins or whales right from the trail. There are always sea lions and seabirds present. From mid-April through June, you can expect to see the nesting activity of Western Gulls and their chicks. Anacapa island also offers a rich cultural history, including the last lighthouse built on the California coast. There are several archaeological sites documenting the presence of the Chumash people.Prisoners Harbor, Santa Cruz Island K-12 Education – Mature students and/or smaller groups may want to consider the Pelican Trail hike at Prisoners Harbor. This trail is considered one of the most diverse hikes on the islands. Trail highlights include lush native vegetation and spectacular vistas. Education themes are similar to those described for Scorpion Ranch with an emphasis on restoration and conservation. (Requires special permission and release forms to visit The Nature Conservancy property).

What makes this destination unique? Prisoners Harbor is located where the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) boundaries meet, giving unique access to the Pelican Bay Trail. This trail offers beautiful vistas that overlook the Santa Barbara Channel and all its rich marine diversity. It also traverses several different vegetation habitats, providing the best opportunity to see the most diversity of endemic species of any trail on Santa Cruz. This vegetation provides habitat for many bird species as well, including the endemic Island Scrub Jay, which is found nowhere else in the world. The Harbor area still houses an old ranch storage building and an archaeological site that offer a window into the rich cultural past of this island.

Scorpion Ranch K-12 Education – Located on the east end of the largest island off the California Coast, Scorpion Ranch is a unique location to study science themes such as native and endemic organisms, introduced species, geology, and the marine environment. Scorpion Ranch has a long and interesting history of human activities including the site of one of the largest Chumash villages on the Channel Islands. 

What makes this destination unique? East Santa Cruz Island is rich with cultural history and feels like a step back in time. Old ranch buildings still stand just off the main beach. One building has been converted into a Visitor’s Center. Prior to the ranching era, the Chumash people inhabited this same valley. There are archaeological sites as well as current activities that document their connection to this place they know as “Limuw.” As the largest island in California, there is great diversity in the geology and topography. Starting at the cobblestone beach, moving up to wave cut terraces, and continuing to mountainous peaks. Besides the beautiful vistas that overlook the Santa Barbara Channel and all its rich marine diversity. The island is host to a very unique habitat of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. It is fairly common to see the endemic Santa Cruz Island Fox along the trails at Scorpion.

Wildlife and Whales K-12 Education – This is a non-island landing excursion that focuses on the natural history of this unique marine region, and the various types of wildlife that depend on a healthy ocean. Within the waters of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, over 35 species of marine mammals have been identified. Throughout the year it is possible to see Common Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Minke Whales, Bottlenose Dolphin, Pacific White Sided Dolphin, Dall’s Porpoise , Humpback Whales, and an occasional pod of Orca. Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions are also common around the harbor breakwaters and Anacapa Island. The islands and surrounding waters are also habitat for at least 60 species of seabirds. Some of the more common sightings of seabirds include Western Gulls, California Brown Pelicans, and several species of cormorants and shearwaters. 

What will students experience? There is always an opportunity to see wildlife in route to the islands. They will brake to see whales and dolphins! Once ashore, students will have a lunch break. After lunch they will take a guided hike with their naturalist. Their naturalists are trained on the unique natural and cultural resources found in Channel Islands National Park and have a large repertoire of activities to reinforce the information they present. Anacapa Island possible science themes include adaptation, habitats, native and endemic organisms. As well as introduced species, research and restoration, marine ecology, and geology. Social science themes may include Native American inhabitants, explorers, and shipwrecks. All trips can be tailored to meet your curriculum goals and objectives. Financial assistance is available

CPB Feature for May 2025

Coastal Roots Farm, located near Encinitas in San Diego County, cultivates healthy, connected communities by integrating sustainable agriculture, food justice, and ancient Jewish wisdom. They envision a world in which every community comes together to grow and share healthy food, care for the lands, help their neighbors, and strengthen the connections they have with each other. 

Coastal Roots Farm is a nonprofit community farm and education center where they practice organic farming, share their harvest with those who lack access, deliver unique farm-based education, and foster inclusive spaces for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together. Each year, they grow more than 80,000 pounds of food and donate more than 75% of their harvest to San Diegans facing food insecurity. Their comprehensive environmental education programs reach more than 10,000 students and children including more than 50% of students and campers who come on scholarship each year. They strive to make outdoor STEM learning opportunities available to all, especially those who have been historically underserved, with an emphasis on Title-I, Title-V, and low-income schools and groups to participate in the Farm’s programming on a sliding scale and to establish robust strategic partnerships.

Their Education Center offers numerous programs. Here are a selected few.

Nature Play is their outdoor, natural playground and is open to children and their families. The space is equipped with tools for imaginative play that promotes gross and fine motor skills development. The space houses their play “Shuk” (dramatic play market), Sensory Kitchens, the Nature Studio, the Discovery Tree investigation center, and a full-size tractor!

After School on the Farm offers an opportunity for “farmers-in-training? to get in touch with the great outdoors through hands-on, authentic farm experiences. The After School on the Farm program is offered to children ages 4-10 from September to May.

Their summer program is Farm Camp which they offer to Pre-K to 5th grade students. Children explore the natural world, food systems, and universally meaningful Jewish values through cooking, crafts, and science experiments, visiting chickens, harvesting farm-fresh snacks, singing, and more. 

Field Trips at Coastal Roots Farm offer hands-on environmental, food system, and climate education, especially for school classes and community groups. Aligned with California learning standards, Field Trip curriculum integrates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math), nutrition, and universally meaningful Jewish values through tactile and participatory activities. Bring students into the “field” to explore the great outdoors, fuel phenomena-based learning, and apply classroom knowledge in an agricultural setting.

Farm Tours teach visitors about Coastal Roots Farm impact in Regenerative Agriculture, Organic Food Distribution, Equitable Environmental Education, and Jewish Life. Visitors can see first-hand their innovative practices and programs, and visit the organic production beds, hand-dug Farm and Gardens, Food Forest, compost operation, and chickens.

Coastal Roots Farm will host their Taste of the Farm on May 18th, 5-9pm, Celebrating a Decade in Bloom. Experience farm-to-fork tasting stations, artisan-crafted libations, live music, and meaningful connections. Coastal Roots Farm will be celebrating the milestones of the past while inspiring a vision for the future.

Visit Coastal Roots Farm website to learn more about the incredible programs they offers.  For information about their environmental education programs, contact Kimberly Tomlinson, Director of Education at kimberly@coastalrootsfarm.org. 

CPB Feature for April 2025

South Yuba River Citizens League


The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is a grassroots organization founded in 1983. They are the leading voice for the protection and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. Their goals focus on river and forest restoration and educating and mobilizing their communities to be good stewards of their environment. To achieve their goals, SYRCL has developed into a vibrant community organization with over 3,500 members and 1,000 volunteers. 
SYRCL’s River Restoration team is leading the effort to rehabilitate the lower Yuba River for salmon, steelhead, riparian habitat, and wildlife. The Meadow Restoration team is assessing and restoring meadows because of their hydrological and ecological importance as they sequester carbon, act as natural firebreaks, and as important habitat for wildlife. The Forest Health team works with the U.S. Forest Service, private land owners, and other nonprofits to plan and implement projects that address forest health and to prepare for catastrophic fires. 

SYRCL’s River Restoration team is leading the effort to rehabilitate the lower Yuba River for salmon, steelhead, riparian habitat, and wildlife. The Meadow Restoration team is assessing and restoring meadows because of their hydrological and ecological importance as they sequester carbon, act as natural firebreaks, and as important habitat for wildlife. The Forest Health team works with the U.S. Forest Service, private land owners, and other nonprofits to plan and implement projects that address forest health and to prepare for catastrophic fires.
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is a grassroots organization founded in 1983. They are the leading voice for the protection and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. Their goals focus on river and forest restoration and educating and mobilizing their communities to be good stewards of their environment. To achieve their goals, SYRCL has developed into a vibrant community organization with over 3,500 members and 1,000 volunteers. 
SYRCL’s River Restoration team is leading the effort to rehabilitate the lower Yuba River for salmon, steelhead, riparian habitat, and wildlife. The Meadow Restoration team is assessing and restoring meadows because of their hydrological and ecological importance as they sequester carbon, act as natural firebreaks, and as important habitat for wildlife. The Forest Health team works with the U.S. Forest Service, private land owners, and other nonprofits to plan and implement projects that address forest health and to prepare for catastrophic fires.
The River Education programs integrate science into the curriculum to provide educational opportunities that inspire life-long stewards of the Yuba River watershed. Using a variety of educational tools, they teach students of all ages from their community, as well as surrounding areas, lessons about watershed health, Yuba salmon, climate change, water conservation, meadow restoration, and scientific monitoring. They strive to empower, engage, and collaborate with local youth and learning communities, and create linkages between the River Education program and other areas of SYRCL’s work. The Salmon Expeditions are an amazing opportunity for students and families to adventure down the Yuba River to see spawning salmon. Experienced river rafting guides offer different options to get wet and learn about the salmon life cycle, local ecology, and human impacts on these fish.

The Youth Outdoor Leadership Opportunity (YOLO) is a free, five-day summer science expedition in mid-June for local 9th-12th graders to engage in local climate action and watershed restoration efforts. Surrounded by the gorgeous Sierra Mountains, students get a chance to learn about ecology and build skills in real time. They conduct hands-on field work and meadow restoration research, collect necessary data, connect with teammates to discuss important environmental justice issues, hone leadership skills, and explore the beautiful landscapes of the North Yuba Watershed.
The High School Water Quality Project offers opportunities for high school students to become trained in water quality monitoring practices, collecting water quality data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and learning river etiquette to become River Ambassadors.

SYRCL recently held their annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival. This school program presents film programming for over 3,000 students for their local community and neighboring counties. They curate age-appropriate, engaging, and inspiring content for TK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12th grade film screenings.

Each student audience gets their very own film festival. In years past, students have had the opportunity to see their films on the big screen – TK-8th graders at the Del Oro Theatre and High Schoolers at school sites. An important part of the school program, the Wild & Scenic education team creates film-specific, standards-based curriculum for participating educators from local elementary, middle, and high schools for further classroom enrichment. The Wild & Scenic education team offers a wide array of low-cost programs for audiences throughout the community.   


The South Yuba River Citizens League supports its communities in so many ways. Visit their website to learn more about the education programs they offer schools and the wide-range of activities for community members. For specific questions about their education programs, contact Monique Streit, Education Director, at monique@yubariver.org. Congratulations to Monique who is the recipient of the AEOE 2024 Northern CA Environmental Educator of the Year award.

Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit zoo and aquarium located on the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Living Coast Discovery Center

The Living Coast Discovery Center is a nonprofit zoo and aquarium located on the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Founded in 1987 as the Chula Vista Nature Interpretive Center, they have served the San Diego community for over 30 years. Their mission is to inspire the community to connect with and care for our coastal environment. Their vision is a thriving natural coast through engaged conservation.

For more than 30 years, the Living Coast Discovery Center has reached thousands of children through field trips, outreaches, scout programs, and other community education programs. On average, they see 70,000 visitors each year, including families, school groups, and special events.

Since opening in 1987, the Living Coast Discovery Center has offered various educational programs on the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sweetwater Marsh. Each day, they welcome hundreds of students through their doors connecting them with nature to foster curiosity, environmental awareness, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. By immersing students in outdoor environments, they inspire a lifelong respect for nature and cultivate a generation that understands the importance of environmental stewardship. 

The education program offers Living Labs, field trips, and classroom programs all designed to be fun, engaging, and age-appropriate. Preschool programs include an hour-long lesson and craft facilitated by a Living Coast Education Instructor. K-12 Programs are station-based, with some stations led by Living Coast staff members and docents. Classroom teachers and/or chaperones must lead stations using provided resources if docents are unavailable. The exact program schedule and stations vary by group size and program type. Field trip programming takes approximately 4 hours. The website provides a menu of program offerings and financial support is available for Title 1 schools. Outreach programs bring scientific exploration of the natural world to the classroom, library, or public event! These programs provide hands-on activities, up close animal interactions, dissections, scientific tools, and more! 

The Living Coast Discovery Center participates in conservation and sustainability programs too. This includes their contributions to Team Clapper Rail which is dedicated to the study, restoration, and introduction of the Light-footed Ridgway’s Rail, a state and federally listed endangered species. Their sustainability programs aim to educate their local community on how to sort waste and compost at home. They also offer master composter training courses. 

Animal ambassadors play a unique role in educating the community about their wild counterparts. Through interactive presentations and close-up encounters, they allow individuals to connect with native wildlife while inspiring them to contribute to conservation and protect natural ecosystems. Each ambassador helps to highlight the challenges their species face in the wild, from habitat loss to climate change, fostering a deeper understanding of conservation needs in the region.

To find out more about the Living Coast Discovery Center, visit their website. If you would like information about their education programs, email education@thelivingcoast.org.