The San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust, Inc. mission is to preserve and restore San Joaquin River lands of ecological, scenic or historic significance, to educate the public on the need for stewardship, to research issues affecting the river, and to promote educational, recreational and agricultural uses of the river bottom consistent with the protection of the river’s resources. They offer a wide range of educational experiences for students and the community.
For over 25 years, the River Parkway Trust has offered an exciting, fun, and safe day camp experience at River Camp. River Camp provides campers of all ages to spend time at the river exploring, playing, making friends, and learning about nature. The San Joaquin River is one of the most beautiful and important natural resources in the area – a water source, home to fish and wildlife, and some of the last undeveloped open space. At River Camp, children have the opportunity to experience this treasure right in their own backyard. River Camp programs are offered seasonally throughout the year as well as during the summer months. Campers enjoy exploring wildlife habitat, playing games, creating arts and crafts, and building new friendships during their seasonal day-camp experiences. The Young Explorers Enrichment Program (YEEP) is designed to supplement a child’s regular pre-school or early elementary learning through nature-based experiences. The focus is on learning through play, exploration, and hands-on experiences using nature as the classroom; children are outside for the duration of each program day, and the environment is the teacher.
The journey of each individual is unique, and activities and curriculum are based on the interests and curiosities of participants and aligned with California’s NGSS and Common Core Standards. YEEP uses natural phenomena to strengthen foundations of learning including literacy, mathematics, science, socio-emotional learning, self awareness and critical thinking skills in participants.
The River Parkway Trust began offering school field trips to the river in 1989, and continues to be a leader in the field. They work in partnership with the Fresno Unified School District, Madera Unified School District, and Fresno County Parks to provide experiential learning opportunities for grades K-12. Upon request they can also provide educational experiences for high school or college groups. River field trips for 1st to 5th grade students consist of 3-4 activity stations including nature walks, educational activities or games, and art or poetry. Field trips to Sycamore Island, a 600 acre site with river access, are offered to 6th to 8th grade students and include canoeing and team building activities.
The Youth Parkway Ambassadors (YPA) program is a 3-month program commitment in which high school students learn about the San Joaquin River and its role in our community, share memorable outdoor experiences with new friends, access and explore multiple Parkway properties, and gain experience planning events, creating outreach materials, and leading outdoor activities at free public open house events.
The River Parkway Trust offers a variety of family-friendly Recreation Programs throughout the year, including guided nature walks, family scavenger hunts, and seasonal events. These activities are designed to engage all ages, allowing families to explore and learn about the San Joaquin River’s natural beauty and ecology together. Family Scavenger Hunts gives children the opportunity to be outdoors, solve clues, and search for hidden items. They provide a checklist for a Neighborhood Nature Scavenger Hunt.
Nature Walks are another educational experience the River Parkway Trust offers. They invite community members to come out and explore the wild and wonderful natural world of the San Joaquin River Parkway. Participants explore beautiful natural spaces while listening to bird songs, the sound of the river and breeze, and soak up the sense of peace and respite time spent outdoors can provide. The nature walks are typically 2 to 4 miles in length on fairly level ground.
Children 7+ are welcome on general hikes and children 12+ are welcome on birding hikes. No dogs, please. Nature walks are free of charge; donations are welcomed. They ask that large groups or organizations arrange special group tours rather than attending regularly scheduled hikes.
Date: October 3, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: CAELI invites district office staff from across California to join the District Environmental Literacy Community of Practice (CoP). The District CoP brings together professionals committed to integrating sustainability principles into district operations, instruction, and culture. Through collaboration, shared learning, and resource exchange, members work toward districtwide innovation and systems-level change. Register HERE.
Date: October 5, 2025 Location: Varies across the state 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 will be held in multiple locations throughout the state. To learn more, visit the AEOE website.
Dates: October 10-12, October 17-19, and October 31-November 2, 2025 Location :Nevada County/Plumas County/Mendocino County, CA Description: Where Environmental Literacy & Forest Stewardship Take Root. For 30+ years, FIT’s team of natural resource professionals and credentialed instructors have provided outdoor education experiences for teachers. FIT offers affordable programming that certifies and trains educators in standards-aligned environmental education curricula. By working together, we explore issues facing our state’s natural resources, and how to improve climate science and environmental literacy in the classroom. Apply Now.
Dates: October 17-19, 2025 Location: Palm Springs, CA Description: The California Science Education Conference is hosted and organized by the California Association of Science Educators (CASE). More than 1,000 science educators from around the state are expected to attend this year’s conference. The CASE Conference is well-known by science educators as the place to make connections, generate new ideas, energize their teaching, and learn, and grow as professionals. Join fellow educators for an inspiring weekend of learning, collaboration, and connection. This year’s theme, Science for All, celebrates inclusive, high-quality science education that empowers every learner. Registration is now OPEN.
5. CAELI COE Community of Practice
Date: October 23, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: CAELI invites County Office of Education (COE) leaders in any role who are champions of environmental literacy and advocates for vulnerable and marginalized students and communities from across California to join the COE Environmental Literacy Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP provides a space for COE staff to connect with each other to share best practices and resources for advancing environmental literacy and sustainability in their county region. Visit the CAELI website for more information.
Date: October 23, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: In honor of the International Day of Climate Action (October 24), join CAELI for a celebration featuring youth voices from across California. Hear inspiring stories, learn practical ways to take climate action in your community, and discover how you can get involved. Register HERE.
Date: October 30, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: All Careers can be Green Careers! Join our panel of industry partners, K-12 educators, and community-based partners to learn about the sustainability trends in Agriculture and Natural Resources and how you can raise your students’ awareness of green careers. Register HERE.
Dates: October 30, November 3-6, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: NAAEE’s Annual Conference and Research Symposium is one of the largest professional EE gatherings worldwide. This year’s theme—Forward Together—reflects the power of collaboration in tackling the world’s most pressing social and ecological challenges. Engage virtually with more than 1,000 professionals from 40 countries, all working to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement. With more than 200 engaging sessions and keynotes, we’ll explore how education can inspire action, build environmental stewardship, and create healthier, more resilient communities. There couldn’t be a more urgent need to come together, harness our collective wisdom, and keep moving forward. Register HERE.
Dates: November 13, 2025 Location: Pasadena, CA Description: For the past three years, district leaders have hosted CAELI meet-ups at the GCSHE Summit (see past meet-ups from 2022, 2023, and 2024), and have recently expanded to include a pre-summit gathering. In 2025, the summit will include a pre-day meet-up, as well as a networking breakfast and lunch event on November 13. Join your CAELI colleagues at this event. Registration is now OPEN.
Description: This Climate Resilience and Adaptation Toolkit for CA TK-12 Schools has been developed by Ten Strands and UndauntedK12, in Partnership with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE), with a focus on tools and resources that can support school communities and leaders to build resilience to the impacts of climate-related events. California’s TK-12 School communities are already experiencing the impacts of our changing climate and are having to navigate the challenges related to these impacts such as disruptions in learning, abscesses, emotional trauma, physical damage to buildings and infrastructure, and costly repairs. Climate driven disasters can often result in damage to school buildings, thereby putting strain on the physical infrastructure of a school and on limited school district budgets. Schools need to think differently about climate and weather related emergencies, and transition to a climate ready paradigm.
This toolkit places a specific emphasis on how school leaders can adapt school buildings and grounds to be resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Description: The purpose of the Data Initiative for Environmental and Climate Action in California’s TK–12 Schools is to develop and maintain an interactive database (filterable by county or district), that communicates data related to scale, equity, context, and progress on indicators of environmental and climate action in schools. This initiative supports using data to increase awareness of the current state of environmental and climate action in California’s TK-12 schools, to analyze gaps and opportunities; and to increase agency at the state, regional, and local level for strategic investments in action. Ultimately, this data initiative aims to center environmental and climate action as a core tenet of public education. The data for this initiative is being collected and analyzed by Ten Strands, with support and contributions from UndauntedK12, the UC Berkeley Data Discovery Program, the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), and other advising partners. Climate Impacts Data Extreme Heat – As the climate changes in California, one of the more serious threats to the public health of Californians will stem primarily from the higher frequency of extreme conditions, principally more frequent, more intense, and longer heat waves. Check out the website to learn more.
Description: Published by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, this report explores policies and other historical developments in California with a focus on Los Angeles USD, one of the largest landowners in California. The strategies that emerge from LAUSD may serve as models for schoolyard greening. Read why so many California schools are hardsurfaced, about the policies keeping asphalt in place, and recommendations to support depaving of schools
Description: It’s fall migration. Are you ready to join the millions of people who enjoy birds? Are your students interested in the birds flying around near school? If so, there is no better time than the present to start. Where should you go? How do you even find the birds? Do you need binoculars? The Audubon Society provides some helpful tips on how to find birds and how to identify them, where to go, safety tips, gear needed, and which field guides or apps you can consider purchasing. Visit their website to learn more.
Description: This unit starts with engaging students’ prior understanding and emotions around air quality, and introduces the phenomenon of air pollution in the San Bernardino-Riverside area. This elicits wonders about what air pollutants are made of and how they impact humans and the environment. Students investigate the sources of air pollution in the area, connections between climate change and pollutants, and the influence of the local landscape and weather. Students also explore how some groups are disproportionately impacted by air pollution, including how it is possible for people who live near each other to have different experiences. Students investigate solutions that are available to improve air quality, including actions taken individually, within businesses, and at the community and government level. The unit culminates with students developing an action plan to address one or more aspects of poor air quality in California. Browse the unit HERE.
Description: The Joy Outside Podcast centers the experiences and wisdom of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the outdoors and environmental movements.
Season 2 | Episode 1: Here’s why everyone should care about the EXPLORE Act with special guest Tykee James. Tykee is an avid birdwatcher and environmental justice advocate. Tune in to hear about his love for the outdoors, misconceptions about bird watching, the EXPLORE Act, and one of the most controversial hot takes we’ve ever heard!
Season 2 | Episode 2: The Unoriginal Eeland Stribling. This episode features comedian, flyfisher, and wildlife biologist Eeland Stribling. Get ready for an episode filled with laughter and healing! Tune in to hear Eeland share his unique perspective on the outdoors, comedy, and everything in between. You won’t want to miss it.
The Escondido Creek Conservancy‘s mission is to preserve and restore the Escondido Creek watershed in northern San Diego County. Founded in 1991, their primary priority initially was to acquire land for preservation. Since then, they have helped preserve more than 7,000 acres in or adjacent to the Escondido Creek watershed. Their education department was created in 2009 out of the recognition that without environmental education, the problems confronting their watershed, community, and planet would persist. Providing environmental education and access to outdoor experiences that foster environmental stewardship is the primary goal of their education department. They believe that, through the Conservancy’s leadership, the Escondido Creek watershed will become a model of vibrant urban communities and viable natural ecosystems thriving together for a better Escondido and a better world.
Escondido Creek Conservancy Education Program options include a range of topics.
Habitats (for ages 8-13) – where students discover the interrelationships between native wildlife, native plants, the biological communities they inhabit, and the impact human activities have on these ecosystems.
Adaptations (for ages 8-13) – where students get outdoors and discover how different native plants and animals adapt and survive in their native habitat. What can the shape of a bird’s beak tell you about its diet? Why are most of the trees in the Elfin Forest so small? Why is it so important to recycle and dispose of our trash properly? The program consists of multiple stations with hands-on activities where students will learn the answers to these questions and more.
Watersheds (for ages 8-16) – Without water, there is no life–and faced with ongoing drought, water is quickly becoming one of San Diego County’s scarcest natural resources. In this program, students learn about the Escondido Creek watershed, how human behavior can affect water quality, and ways to conserve water at home and in school.
Sardina Preserve Guided Hike (for ages 8-17) – Learn more about the Conservancy’s efforts to preserve and restore land around the Escondido Creek watershed. In this program, students are led on a guided hike through land managed by our team. Students are introduced to the robust history of our Sardina Preserve, Leave No Trace principles, and utilizing their observational tracking skills to find evidence of animals on the trail. They are then taken on a guided hike through the preserve showcasing the history of the land and the Conservancy’s efforts to restore this former paintball and airsoft range back to wild and healthy habitat.
Trout in the Classroom (for all grade levels) – In this program, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) supplies classrooms with salmonid eggs. Students and teachers take on the responsibility of incubating and nurturing these young fish until they are ready to be released into a waterway designated by the CDFW.The Escondido Creek Conservancy published GoldiLox and the Three Habitats, written by Simon Breen and illustrated by Camie Martinez. GoldiLox is a southern steelhead trout looking for the perfect place to lay her eggs. But a good habitat can be hard to find for a sensitive fish living in a polluted world. Join her on her quest as she meets interesting animal friends, explores different ecosystems, and searches for a home that’s just right. GoldiLox y las Tres Hábitats is also available in Spanish.
A New Chapter in Environmental Education: The Mountain Meadow Preserve Outdoor Classroom.
As demand for outdoor education programs grew, the staff saw the need for a dedicated space to expand hands-on learning. In mid-2024, a grant from the Escondido Community Foundation allowed them to begin building an outdoor classroom at the Mountain Meadow Preserve. With funding in place, they moved quickly—drafting plans, consulting experts, and relying on dedicated volunteers. By winter, they had cleared the site, installed shade tarp poles, and started building benches from recycled eucalyptus. The classroom is taking shape with multiple teaching stations, a native habitat mural, and an informational kiosk, set for completion by fall 2025. Once finished, this space will host expanded after-school and field trip programs with the Escondido Union High School District, as well as community and volunteer events. It will deepen connections to the Escondido Creek watershed, strengthening both their education and conservation efforts.
The Escondido Creek Conservancy boasts numerous other educational achievements from last year (see their 2024 Annual Report). They built a 3D model of the Escondido Creek watershed and this teaching tool engages all visitors to the Elfin Forest Interpretive Center. Annually, they reach every 3rd grade student across 18 elementary schools in the Escondido Union School District and launched Schoolyard Safari in 2024, a program reaching over 200 students across 11 schools. They engage Escondido High School students in hands-on, habitat restoration work, planting over 125 native plants across 0.6 acres.
Community involvement in local non-profit organizations is critical. At the Conservancy, they offer a wide range of volunteer opportunities that allow individuals to actively participate in the mission to protect and restore the Escondido Creek watershed. Volunteers can engage in both hands-on short-term events or become part of a dedicated team working toward long-term habitat improvement. Both forms of volunteerism help shape the future of their landscape. The Conservancy offers volunteer opportunities designed to meet various interests and skills. These include Land Stewards, Conservation Crew, Wednesday Work Group, and Shrub Club. Volunteers involved in these efforts are the backbone of their work, helping them maintain the preserves and push forward restoration and stewardship projects.
Dates: September 10, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: On average, U.S. teens spend 4.8 hours a day on social media. That’s 4.8 hours that could be spent on other experiences, like in-person interactions, time in nature and much-needed sleep! This event features Gabriela Nguyen, founder of the “appstinence” movement, a Gen Z-led social movement calling for us to walk away from our personal social media accounts. Rather than relying on digital detoxes, algorithm hacking and superficial tips and tricks that actually keep us tied to social media platforms, the appstinence movement calls for a lasting and comprehensive solution to the seemingly inescapable attention economy – opting out. Gabriela will discuss how to get off social media for good using the 5D method. She will also answer your questions about dumbphones, phone plans and departing from the digital world. The event is free but donations are suggested. Register HERE.
Dates: September and October, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. As a science-based organization, they conduct their own research and rely upon the most up-to-date information to guide their conservation work. Their key program areas are pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts. Check out these upcoming webinars: – 9/8: Imperiled Butterflies of the Central California Rangeland – 9/11: Bitter Nectar, Toxic Pollen: Pollinators and Plant Chemicals – 9/17: Volunteer Training for the Western Monarch Count – 10/2: The Secret Lives of Bumble Bees: Nesting and Overwintering.
Date: September 25, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: Join us for a timely conversation on how extreme heat is affecting children across California. Learn what schools, districts, and community partners are doing to keep students safe and supported, and walk away with practical tools and strategies you can use to support your own school community.
Dates: October 5, 2025 Location: Varies across the state 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 will be held in multiple locations throughout the state.
Dates: October 17-19, 2025 Location: Palm Springs, CA Description: The California Science Education Conference is hosted and organized by the California Association of Science Educators (CASE). More than 1,000 science educators from around the state are expected to attend this year’s conference. The CASE Conference is well-known by science educators as the place to make connections, generate new ideas, energize their teaching, and learn, and grow as professionals. Join fellow educators for an inspiring weekend of learning, collaboration, and connection. This year’s theme, Science for All, celebrates inclusive, high-quality science education that empowers every learner. Registration is now OPEN.
Dates: October 20 – December 5, 2025 Location: Online – Moodle Description: This course uses the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to guide the design of learning environments that are accessible and challenging for all, rather than making modifications for individual students. UDL improves and optimizes teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn, giving all students equal opportunity to succeed. This course is designed to encourage you to reflect deeply on your practice to focus on how you plan and teach to support all learners. The course content and associated assignments are geared towards practicing environmental and outdoor educators. We hope this course will inspire you to strengthen your pedagogical practices so they are more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible.This 6-week course, moderated by Dr. Amy Williams, takes approximately 12 hours to complete.
The Blueprint for Environmental Literacy sparked a statewide movement to integrate environmental literacy into the heart of California’s education system. CAELI carries the vision and the work forward today. We are celebrating a number of major milestones and the impacts we’ve made over the last ten years. Read all about them in the Ten Strands newsletter.
Description: In the fifth grade unit on Wildfires, students begin by observing that there are more fires now than in previous decades, prompting them to wonder about the best ways to prevent wildfires. They investigate the natural and human causes of wildfires and the solutions humans have to contain wildfires, from hand crews to helicopters. Students investigate how factors like temperature, dry fuels like shrubs and grass, and wind can cause fires to spread quickly, while factors like rain can lower the spread of fire. Students explore how forests in California have been managed over time, including the cultural practices of Indigenous Californians and prescribed burns. This sparks wondering about California’s ability to use prescribed and cultural burns. Students explore solutions to mitigate wildfires, culminating in an action plan. Resources and guidance are provided for teachers to help students manage emotions around wildfires, as well as how to engage indigenous experts about fire in California. Learn more by exploring this Seeds to Solution fifth grade unit on Wildfires.
Description: eePro is the global online community for everyone who cares about education and creating a more fair and sustainable future. Connect with other EE professionals, participate in discussions in eePro groups, and find and share resources, events, and opportunities. You can even post or look for a job! Join eePro today.
Description: Environmental education, like many other sectors, endeavors to answer the calls to examine its history of institutional racism and discrimination, adopt more inclusive hiring practices and address inequities in compensation and benefits packages to make our field more equitable, welcoming and sustainable. Using the findings from a landscape analysis they conducted, this report provides recommendations and highlights some best practices for environmental and outdoor education organizations. Once applied, these standards and resources will help improve employee retention, attract more diverse talent, create a sustainable career path, and establish our field as a viable profession.
Description: The California Coastal Commission will hold its annual Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 20th. Their website offers teachers and other educators numerous resources and streaming videos for students of different grade levels. Video topics include community engagement and coastal management, climate change, environmental justice and redlining, marine and coastal biodiversity, and general ocean information, marine debris, and ocean acidification. Now is a great time to learn more about our coastlines and oceans.
Hippo Works is an animation studio founded by cartoonist Denis Thomopoulos to inspire kids about the environment. Hippo Works’ content reaches kids through collaborations with caring brands and organizations. Most recently Hippo Works has teamed with UNICEF and Project Everyone to inspire children everywhere about the UN Global Goals through a comic book series along with the animated adventure “Cool The Climate!’” as well as a School Lunch Composting Program with EcoSafe Zero Waste.
Cool the Climate! features Simon the Hippo and friends who go on a song-filled adventure while learning about the world’s changing climate, the role that carbon dioxide and methane play, and the good green habits we can all develop to help cool the climate. Along their way the animals find out about topics such as the greenhouse effect, the food chain, the three Rs (reducing, reusing, and recycling), composting, and carbon offsetting. Educators can download a kit that includes a half-hour movie, an eBook (with climate action activities and coloring pages), lesson plans with K-8 NGSS and Common Core standards connections, a memory game to reinforce concepts, and the movie soundtrack.
Hippo Works produces comic books on various topics that teaches students about the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development. These two comic book stories focus on Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and Goal 13: Climate Action. Simon Says Save the Climate or Kids Fight Smog comic books are available for download. Hippo Works offers students 21 Steps to Cool the Climate. Steps include learning about 350ppm (the safe level of carbon in the air according to climate scientists), how to calculate your carbon footprint, the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), composting, ways to be energy smart and travel smart, suggestions for changing your diet to reduce your carbon footprint, using less water, growing your own garden, the importance of individual actions, and more! The webpage features fun graphics your students (and adults) will enjoy.
Dates: August 13, 20, and 27, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: Recruitment and hiring is expensive. This 3-part training series is for organizations that want to rethink the way they build and sustain Their teams—from identifying the most important skills, to crafting inclusive job descriptions, to onboarding staff in ways that make them feel welcome from day one and excited to celebrate many anniversaries with your organization. When you aim to bring in not just “the best and brightest,” but people who expand your perspective and add real value, you don’t just fill roles—you build a workplace people are proud to be part of.
Join Justice Outside staff as they explore how to think differently about job qualifications, broaden your candidate pool, interview for practical strengths, and retain staff by fostering a workplace culture that feels good to be part of. Strong teams don’t happen by accident. Let’s create a workplace people want to grow with.
Dates: September 23-24, 2025 Location: Philadelphia, PA Description: Unite & Ignite 2025 creates a vital space for connection, solidarity, and strategic action. Through inspiring sessions, keynotes, and collaborative conversations, the conference will focus on organizing, mobilizing, and amplifying diverse voices to build collective power for lasting change in outdoor spaces. Attendees at this conference will amplify community voices to transform policies and change who makes decisions about the natural world, connect with leaders redirecting resources to where communities need them most, build networks that center excluded communities in the environmental movement, and transform solidarity into coordinated action for lasting structural change. For more information and to register, click Here.
Date: September 20, 2025 Location: California beaches, creeks, and rivers Description: Coastal Cleanup Day is California’s largest annual volunteer event. It is an opportunity for people across the state to clean our creeks, rivers, lakes, coast, and shorelines of all kinds, to help restore our environment. Virtually every body of water in California ultimately flows to the ocean, and that water can carry a lot of trash. That’s why Coastal Cleanup Day takes place throughout the state – no matter where you’re cleaning, you are helping to protect our coast and ocean. California Coastal Cleanup Day is organized by the California Coastal Commission in partnership with many NGOs and local government partners around the state. It is part of the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, which is the largest volunteer event on the planet!
Join the Trashure Hunt! This year, California Coastal Cleanup Day will become the world’s largest scavenger hunt. Special “trash” items will be hidden at cleanup sites all across the state. If you find one of them, you can redeem it for valuable prizes! Learn more about the 40 year history of California Coastal Cleanup Day. Details to participate can be found Here.
Dates: August 20 – October 5, 2025 Location: Online – Moodle Description: This rigorous online course is designed for communicators, educators, and community leaders who want to deepen their understanding of the science behind climate change and evidence-based, equitable solutions needed to address it. Participants will explore how climate systems function, how human actions influence climate, and how climate influences people and other parts of the Earth system. The course combines scientific readings, engaging videos, interactive simulations, systems thinking activities, and data visualizations to support a rich learning experience. While it does not focus on teaching strategies, it provides a strong scientific foundation to support confident, informed engagement with climate education materials. In addition to global climate science, the course incorporates California-based resources and data to ground concepts in real-world examples; while these materials are locally focused, they serve as valuable case studies that offer insights and applications relevant to participants from any region. Click HERE to register.
Dates: October 30, November 3-6, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: In the face of unprecedented global challenges, our 2025 virtual conference will highlight how we can move forward by harnessing our collective wisdom and diverse perspectives to create a more just and sustainable future. Environmental education is our foundation—it equips people with the tools to act, encourages new ways of thinking, and leads to positive change. As we confront environmental threats, misinformation, and division, our mission has never been more urgent. Progress depends on collaboration, innovation, and the collective power of educators, learners, changemakers, and communities. Our conference will bring together voices from across the field and around the world. Together we can support more educators, inspire more learners, and create lasting impact. Registration is now open.
Description: Filmmakers James Parker and Juliet Grable have discovered that assumptions about perceived divides often dissolve when people connect over what we share: the planet. In Our Nature investigates how EE proves to be one of the most effective tools for building community and finding common ground.
In this conversation, James and Juliet reveal how environmental education addresses several interconnected crises of our time: children’s increasing screen time, the loneliness epidemic, declining mental health, and widening social-political divisions. They dive into how meaningful connections—to each other, to place, and to the natural world—can be powerful antidotes to social disconnection. Through immersive, on-the-ground storytelling, they show how EE is uniquely positioned to rebuild trust across gaps in varying lived experiences and identities. Both filmmakers argue that in an age of digital isolation, the need for place-based, community-centered environmental education has never been more urgent.
Description: Why Seeds to Solutions? Students are witnessing environmental changes in their communities, like extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires. Yet, until now, teachers have lacked California-specific instructional resources to address these critical topics. Seeds to Solutions™ changes that, delivering the tools educators need to engage and empower. Seeds to Solutions™ is a set of free, solutions-oriented instructional resources for grades K–12 on California environmental issues. Developed in response to teacher and community demand, the lessons empower students to address real-world environmental issues, from food waste to water use to wildfire management. Age-appropriate, solutions-focused, and trauma-informed, Seeds to Solutions prepares students to be environmentally literate, engaged community members. Browse the units by grade level.
Description: CA Ag in the Classroom provides a variety of resources to teachers, after-school coordinators, and anyone educating students in grades K-12. The resources can be downloaded or one can order a set at no cost. Resources are listed by type such as Grab Bag, Lesson Plans, Learning About Ag, Fact Sheets, Farm to You, Ag-Bites, Great Reads, Farm to School, School Gardens, Early Childhood Ag, and more! You can also search by subject, keyword or grade level. These resources are valuable for all educators who want to teach their students about California agriculture, where we grow so much of the world’s food!
Description: Project WET activities are science-based. Content experts review the information, and educators and students field test the materials. They are Interactive. Engaging students through questioning and other inquiry-based strategies, educators involve students in hands-on lessons and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning by seeking answers to real-world problems, playing games to explore scientific concepts, and reflecting, debating and sharing by creating songs, stories and dramas. The activities are multisensory. Full-body activities engage the senses, which research shows enhance learning. The activities are also solution-oriented. Project WET believes in linking awareness and education to action and solutions. Explore their resources Here.
Description: Nature journaling offers numerous benefits, including enhanced observational skills, improved mental and emotional well-being, and a deeper connection to the natural world. It can also boost cognitive functions like critical thinking and creativity. Additionally, nature journaling can reduce stress and anxiety, and foster a sense of awe and wonder.
Join award-winning artist, author, educator and scientist, John Muir Laws, for a two-hour hands-on virtual class where he will share his best tips and tricks for nature journaling learned through his 40 years of teaching and illustrating (recorded on June 7, 2025).
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.
