Outdoor Education
Fostering a Love of Nature
“This is the best day ever!” A child shouts with joy as they return to the school bus after a long day of adventure on the trails.
Nearly every day during the school year you can visit Oak Glen, Whitewater, or Wind Wolves Preserve and be met with similar exclamations, with the sight of small groups of excited children, energy barely contained by their teachers and chaperones, gathered around a naturalist or docent who is guiding their exploration of the natural world. For many, our free Outdoor Discovery Program is their first experience connecting with nature that is not their own backyard or neighborhood park. And, for nearly 22,000 students a year—more than 400,000 since the Outdoor Discovery Program launched—this opportunity to explore and discover the natural world was a highlight of their year.
With schools’ distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, we were unable to engage students in the Outdoor Discovery Program for nearly two years. Knowing how important these learning experiences are for disadvantaged youth, our dedicated educators turned their focus to increasing free public programming so that they could continue to connect as many children as possible with the natural world. As the pandemic increased visitation across the preserve system, children still had a place where they could laugh, ask naturalists questions, and wonder at the Beauty around them.
While the enthusiasm never waned for public programs like Education Stations, Trail Exploration, EcoKids, and Behold the Beauty Hikes, everyone was excited to see school buses return to the preserves last fall. Slowly, the Outdoor Discovery Program calendar at each of the preserves began to fill. Last year, nearly 7,500 students participated in a field-trip program. This year, we expect to double that number. While we’re still shy of the number of students served each year prior to the pandemic, this resilient program, built by Wildlands’ passionate and creative educators, will continue to grow. And each year, we’ll be encouraged by the sounds of children experiencing the wonder and joy of nature.
With support from local communities, partner organizations, and donors like you, we hope to expand the Outdoor Discovery Program to Monterey County after our newest California acquisition is completed. More news on that project is coming soon . . . This will be the first new field trip program since Whitewater opened its gates in 2008. The Wildlands Conservancy is excited about the opportunities before us, working with partners and communities to connect youth with the outdoors, foster a love for nature, and inspire them to be stewards of the Earth.