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CPB Feature for August 2026

Since 1989, Web of Life Field (WOLF) School has been dedicated to providing engaging and impactful educational outdoor experiences for California’s K-12th grade students and families. They believe in the transformative power of outdoor experiences, and are committed to designing immersive programs that connect youth with nature, empower individuals, and strengthen communities. Through lessons and activities that make learning fun, WOLF School gives teachers the opportunity to enhance classroom curriculum, and gives students the chance to gain knowledge, awareness, and respect of their environment, their community, and themselves. Education is one of their key values and they believe knowledge is power, and that by becoming a life-long learner and continuously educating oneself each individual can make a positive difference for the betterment of themselves and their world.

At Web of Life Field (WOLF) School, they believe that youth thrive outdoors! Their K-12th grade residential outdoor education and team building programs inspire California’s students to explore, discover, and learn through exciting field study activities, group building initiatives, fun songs, active games, and living together in a community. Programs are led by professionally-trained naturalists at stunning camps throughout California, are California State Standards-based, and support Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), giving students the opportunity to make hands-on connections between classroom learning and the world around them in a safe and positive outdoor environment.

WOLF School is unique in their ability to offer any of their educational outdoor programs at multiple professionally-maintained camps in beautiful locations throughout California. From the central coast’s soaring redwood forests to the majestic reaches of the Sierras, with campuses as far north as Sonoma County and south to the San Bernardino Mountains, educators can choose the site that best suits their group, and get ready for a remarkable experience! Their four campuses include Camp Monte Toyon in the Santa Cruz area, Camp Arroyo in the East Bay, Camp Sea Lab in the Santa Cruz and Monterey area, and Camp Loma Mar in the Bay Area.
During WOLF School’s Outdoor Science School program, educated naturalists lead students in scientific field studies where students can explore, discover, and learn about the natural world through fun activities on the trail and in remarkable outdoor environments. Their naturalists are experts at taking material taught in the classroom and creating supplemental curriculum for the outdoors, and field studies can be tailored to teachers’ particular subject interests or state standards for a specific grade. Let them know what your interests are and they will create an unforgettable California science camp experience for you and your students!

The Camp Sea Lab programs fosters lifelong excitement, scientific understanding, and stewardship of our coasts and ocean by providing quality marine-oriented programs that promote science, education, and adventure for youth. Located in Monterey Bay, Camp SEA Lab offers high-quality outdoor school and summer camp programs to educate and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards. Camp SEA Lab is dedicated to helping children explore the wonders of the marine environment from the top of the watershed to the bottom of the deep sea as they gain a greater appreciation for what science can teach them about our world and the importance of being good stewards for the ocean.
WOLF School offers wonderful programs with a very dedicated staff. Visit their website to learn more or to make your school’s reservations for the coming school year.

News & Events August 2026

1. Nature Journaling Through the Seasons


Dates: August 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
Location: Online
Description: Join Sonya Rokosh and weekly special guests for four sessions to explore nature journaling outside!  The first session will go over some quick and accessible journaling exercises – good warm ups for both adults and youth – and shift into season-focused exercises and activities in each session thereafter. 


For more information and to register, click HERE.

2. Connected to Place: Regenerating Nature, Community, and Local Economies Through Systems Change


Date: August 6, 2026
Location:  Online
Description: How can stronger connections to place help create healthier communities and a more sustainable future? Join Matt Biggar, Ph.D., for an eeWEBINAR exploring ideas from his new book, Connected to Place, and discover how place-based education and systems thinking can inspire meaningful environmental and social change. Biggar discusses place-based systems change as a real-world solution to our growing environmental and social challenges. At the core of our biggest problems lies a deeper crisis of disconnectedness. Dominant economic forces continually push us away from nature, community, and each other. Place-based systems offer an alternative model and are gaining traction in places around the world, both urban and rural. 

Register HERE.

3. Teaching About Bird Life


Dates: August 11, 2026
Location: Online
Description: Birds can be found in all learning environments, rural or urban. Join our panel of knowledgeable presenters who will share resources, both analogue and digital, for learning about birds in formal or informal education spaces. This workshop will also highlight the work of Joseph Pitawanakwat, Andrés Jiménez, and Junaid Khan to support the regathering and the education of Anishinaabe bird names and significant Indigenous bird knowledge. Included in this are their Anishinaabe Bird Names Nature Guide and Anishinaabe Winter Bird Names Nature Guide. While these resources are specific to Indigenous groups primarily located around the Great Lakes in Canada and the United States, there are valuable insights to be gleaned wherever you are joining from. 

Register HERE.

4. Growing Future-Ready Students: How Environmental Education Advances District Priorities





Date: August 19, 2026
Locations: Online
Description: School leaders are frequently asked to do more with less. What if one approach could help advance multiple district priorities at once? Join the Superintendents’ Environmental Education Collaborative and Project Learning Tree to explore how environmental education can be leveraged as a unifying strategy to help districts achieve strategic goals. No district succeeds alone. Join a growing network of education leaders committed to preparing future-ready students through innovative partnerships, shared learning, and practical strategies you can adapt in your own schools and communities. 

Register HERE.

5. CAELI COE Community of Practice


Date: August 27, 2026
Location: Online
Description: Now in its sixth year and growing, this community of practice (COP) brings together staff from a variety of roles in County Offices of Education (COE) across the state. We meet every other month for networking, professional learning, and focused discussions on self-selected topics.

Register HERE for one or more CoP meetings.

6.  CAELI Quarterly Meeting



Date: September 2, 2026
Location: Online
Description: We invite you to our next virtual statewide gathering which is a great opportunity to connect, share updates, and collaborate with environmental education leaders across California. Visit the CAELI website for more information.

7. AEOE eeCourse: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and EE


Date: September 2 to October 20, 2026
Location: Online
Description: This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in Traditional Ecological Knowledge and ways of knowing. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around how we can more intentionally and respectfully incorporate traditional Indigenous ways of knowing into our environmental and outdoor learning programming.

This six-week course takes approximately 15 hours to complete. Register HERE.

8. 30×30 Partnership 2026 Summit


Date: September 29-30, 2026
Location: Cal Academy, San Francisco, CA
Description: Energize bold action to accelerate progress.
Empower partners to turn goals into results.
Evolve strategies to meet the scale and urgency of 30×30.

This year’s 30×30 Partnership Summit will spark engaging presentations, foster rich discussion, and create space to connect with colleagues working to bring 30×30 to life across California and beyond.

Register HERE.

9. AEOE Regional EE Meetups


Date: October 25, 2026
Location: Throughout California
Description: Join environmental and outdoor education professionals from across your region to explore a local site and meet colleagues working in a variety of settings. The event includes networking activities, snacks, and a tour of the site. Make new connections and learn more about a local program in your region! Meetups are held in multiple locations throughout the state. For more information, click HERE.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources August 2026

1. California Outdoor Learning Coalition and Campaign



Description: The Coalition’s vision for Outdoor Learning is that every student in California has regular access to outdoor learning experiences that inspire curiosity, deepen connections to the natural world, and improve health, learning and personal growth. When outdoor learning is a regular part of the school day, students learn to solve real-world challenges, improve their lives and communities, and benefit from healthier, more equitable learning environments. The California Campaign for Outdoor Learning is currently supporting legislation to advance its goals. Read more about AB 2158, the Outdoor Learning and Environmental Literacy Act of 2026 and learn how you can sign on to support the legislation and become involved in the coalition.

2. From Intention to Action: Progress Update on Environmental and Climate Action in California’s TK-12 Schools


Description: This report released by Ten Strands as a part of their Data Initiative, analyzed data across three critical areas – facilities planning, staffing, and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) funding — to reveal where our state is making progress and where gaps remain. Read the report to see what the data show. 

This report also includes recommendations for state and local leaders to support districts to develop planning systems, build staff capacity, secure funding, and establish coordination structures to bring their environmental commitments to life — and help build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for California.

Read the full report HERE.

3. Outdoors for All


Description: Championed by Governor Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California created the Outdoors for All initiative to expand access to the outdoors. In partnership with a broad array of governments, community organizations and tribes, California is expanding parks and outdoor spaces in communities that need them the most, supporting programs to connect with people who lack access, fostering a sense of belonging for all Californians outdoors, and much more. We invite you to join the movement of an Outdoors for All. On their website, you’ll find links to public outdoor spaces at state parks and beyond, safety tips, grant programs, resources, a partner kit, and much more. If you’d like to stay connected and hear more about the work, success stories, and ways to get involved, sign up for The Trailblazer, the new Outdoors for All Newsletter.

4. UC Nature Sentinel Sites for Nature – California


Description: Sentinel Sites for Nature (SSN) is a multi-jurisdictional and collaborative initiative built on partnerships, and supported by the broader conservation community through the California Biodiversity Network and the Sentinel Site Network Roundtable. There are currently over 100 Sentinel Sites in California either already established or in the planning stages. SSN is a long-term monitoring collaborative established to create biodiversity baselines and to assess change over time. Sentinel Sites are managed by a network of partners committed to biodiversity exploration and conservation under the increasing pressures of climate and land-use change. The power of the SSN is grounded in a shared set of monitoring protocols and an emphasis on widespread data sharing and availability.

Dr. Roni Jones, Ten Strands Director of Curriculum, is one of the featured panelists.

5.  Joy Outside Podcast Series


Description: You are getting into your car for a drive and need something to listen to. Check out Justice Outside’s podcast series, Joy Outside, Season 2. These podcasts include special guests discussing a variety of topics. 
-January 2026: Sanjana Sekhar got us HEATED
-February 2026: Noor Qwfan, This Muslim Girl Goes Outside 
-May 2026: Mary Pelagio and Nanci Torres, Immigrant Justice is Environmental Justice
-May 2026: Sally Steele, Leave Anyway-Redefining Who Belongs on Public Lands 
Listen HERE.

6.  Planting the Seed. Farm to School Roadmap for Success



Description: Building on her commitment to ensuring California children have the best start in life, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom released a report, Planting the Seed: Farm to School Roadmap for Success, in February 2022. The report highlights policy goals to advance child well-being, economic growth, environmental resilience, and racial equity through farm to school systems that connect children to locally sourced, whole foods and produce in cafeterias, classrooms, and gardens. The report and its recommendations are the result of a collaboration — led by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross — among a number of state agency leaders, education professionals, and farm to school experts and practitioners.