The Natural History Museum of Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata offers a wide range of programs and activities. It is open to the general public and hosts standards aligned programs for schools. In addition to their in-museum exhibits which includes bees, birds, butterflies, coral and sponges, crabs, fossils, shell, and rocks and minerals, the museum also provides online exhibits that include the redwood forest, prehistoric animals, fossils, and plant history.
School visits to the museum allows K-12 students to discover their unique collection of fossils, rocks, and minerals, animal specimens, and interactive activities to supplement classroom lessons. Programs are designed to encourage scientific inquiry, and engage students in the natural world.
Kindergarten students learn to compare animal structures and adaptations. First graders focus on animal teeth and diet while second graders learn to classify minerals through observation of physical properties. Third graders study mammal fossils while fourth graders study rock types. Fifth graders learn about the flow of energy in a living system such as the redwood forest and sixth graders investigate plate tectonics and earthquakes. The museum offers other options for 7-12 grade students.
The Natural History Museum provides virtual programs for first through seventh graders. These programs include a 40-60 minute interactive virtual session with the class as well as activities for teachers to conduct with their students in advance. These programs are all aligned with NGSS standards. The Museum also offers a variety of Discovery Days with interactive hands-on activities for the whole family. Each Discovery Day has a theme including Rocks & Minerals, Anthropology, Zoology, and Astronomy. They recently held a Cool and Creepy Discovery Day. Summer Youth Camps are offered on a variety of topics. The camps include hands-on exploration, inquiry, arts integration, activities, and games. The camps are designed for ages 6-9 years.
Internship opportunities are available for Cal Poly Humboldt students. The museum staff works with Cal Poly Humboldt faculty to design internship experiences that meet the needs of the students and adds to the richness of the museum and community. Some internships are part of a class project while others are individual capstone projects for a major.
The museum offers a monthly Speaker Series that strives to offer thought-provoking and information evening lectures to the community at large with a wide variety of nature based topics from dinosaurs to dinoflagellates. Upcoming events include Favorite Fungi: Meet the Parasites & Slimes and Scientific Illustration. The museum also offers a number of rotating workshops that are hosted by local experts.
Teaching Boxes are available for teachers to check out from the museum for use in the classroom. They include hands-on materials and lesson plans and are designed to supplement curriculum through hands-on learning with the use of museum resources. Each teaching box contains accurate and up-to-date information on a particular topic, as well as specimens and materials that every student will be able to observe and/or touch. Each box contains a manual with factual information for background reading, developed experiential learning activities, and suggested extension activities. Current teaching boxes include birds, rocks and minerals, prehistoric people, insects, amphibians and reptiles, fossils, redwood forest, and fur. Teachers can request the boxes by calling the museum at 707-826-4479.
Date: November 3-6, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: NAAEE’s Annual Conference 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.
Date: November 6, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: This lecture series, hosted by Green Schoolyards America, discusses emerging topics and provides guidance for creating and stewarding high-quality green schoolyards and schoolyard forests. It serves as a continuation and expansion of our previous Schoolyard Forest Design Lecture Series. Sessions feature presentations by subject-area experts including Green Schoolyards America’s staff, along with time for audience Q&A. This month, GSA welcomes Dr. Mariana Brussoni, from the University of British Columbia. Register HERE.
Dates: November 12, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: Join NAAEE and the Natural Start Alliance for an inside look at Discover the Forest! The refreshed program inspires families and educators to connect young children (birth–age 8) with nature through everyday experiences. In this webinar, they will share the program’s new direction, explore the updated website and social media platforms, and highlight ways to get involved. They will debut resources that take the guesswork out of outdoor learning in early childhood, including expert guidance on how to get started, dozens of activities aligned to learning outcomes, and rich examples of the ways nature enhances learning and development starting at birth. Register HERE.
Dates: November 12-13, 2025 Location: Pasadena, CA Description: For the past three years, district leaders have hosted CAELI meet-ups at the GCSHE Summit 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.
Date: November 18, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: The Community-Based Partner (CBP) virtual Community of Practice brings program leaders and staff from environmental education organizations together to engage in collaborative learning and build capacity. Join colleagues from around the state to share resources, explore best practices, and build connections to strengthen our respective organizations and increase our collective impact. Register HERE.
Date: December 2, 2025 Location: Virtual Description: Calling all job seekers and employers! Join us for a virtual environmental education career fair. Site leaders will be grouped into breakout rooms, where they will make a pitch for their organization/worksite, share any current or upcoming employment opportunities, and end with Q&A. Job seekers will choose several rooms to attend. Interviews will not be conducted during the event, but if you make a connection you can exchange contact information and plan to follow up. Find your next dream job in environmental and outdoor education! Register HERE.
Thisis a comprehensive set of recommendations about the knowledge and skills or competencies educators use to provide effective environmental education. Environmental Educator Knowledge and Skills: Guidelines for Excellence outlines the experiences and learning that will help educators foster environmental literacy, plan environmental education programs, and implement them. These guidelines suggest a broad vision—a goal to work toward and a guide for personal, professional, and programmatic development. Free download available HERE.
Birds are such a fantastic way of connecting the local schoolyard or backyard with the wider natural environment. Birds are visible and identifiable and they provide learners with the opportunity to make connections with the ecosystem that they are part of. The Outdoor Learning Store offers some fantastic resources for helping your students learn through birding. View their resources HERE.
This is the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed literature about nature’s benefits for children. Each month, they review the latest research on children and nature, then choose and summarize the most relevant studies to add to the library. The sheer volume of research now available makes a compelling case that when children have access to nature, they are healthier, happier, smarter, and better stewards of the environment. Explore the library HERE.
What does it mean to fall in love with nature—and why does that love matter for the future of our planet? In this episode of The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast, host Gerry Ellis sits down with Sean Southey, CEO of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and longtime champion of nature-based education, to explore how love and connection form the foundation of lasting change. Join us as we hear from someone whose confidence in love’s ability to change the world and our relationship to it is both inspiring and activating.
Sean shares powerful stories about how nature-based education transforms not only classrooms, but also communities, shaping how we live, lead, and care for the world around us. This conversation reveals why fostering a culture of care begins with the simple act of helping people connect—and fall in love—with nature. Sean guides listeners through the stages of reflection from childhood memories of wild play to global movements like Nature for All and Outdoor Grannies, from that one teacher who planted seeds of connection with nature to the potential for a more caring and connected community spanning countries and continents. Listen HERE.
5. Children & Nature Network How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value
Nature-filled schoolyards – or green schoolyards – provide a wealth of well-documented benefits for children’s health, well-being and learning. A growing number of communities also recognize the role of green schoolyards in supporting climate resilience. And there’s another key benefit. A new report, “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value,” authored by former Federal Reserve economist Rob Grunewald, outlines the economic returns that can accompany investments in greening school grounds. Read the report HERE.
This groundbreaking study examines the Skills for Thriving development of over 5,000 young people in outdoor programs across multiple states, comparing their growth to peers in other programs. While all different types of programming promote these capacities, the results of this study are striking, showing that engagement in outdoor programs significantly boosts Skills for Thriving, particularly among male and Latine youth, who form deeper connections with peers and mentors.
These findings demonstrate the benefits of the outdoors in cultivating a Positive Youth Development culture that enhances growth. This has significant implications for out-of-school programs and highlights ways using the outdoors more intentionally could redefine youth development leading to better mental well-being, stronger relationships, and greater educational and employment engagement for youth today. Read the report HERE.
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.
