Stories from the Field

Originally hailing from North Carolina and New Orleans, Sarah Sugarman has lived in Yosemite for the past five years, working as an educator for NatureBridge and the National Park Service (NPS). Sarah currently works at the NatureBridge Yosemite campus as an Educator, Crane Flat Site Manager and the WildLink Program Coordinator. “I love teaching, playing outside, and creating art in many forms,” Sarah says. Working with both NatureBridge and NPS affords Sarah many opportunities to engage in all three of those passions!

This post is part of NatureBridge’s 12 Days, 12 Ways countdown, in which we are highlighting ideas and practices for celebrating a more sustainable holiday season. Courtney Lane is a guest blogger and an Environmental Science Educator and Evening Manager at NatureBridge Yosemite.

NatureBridge recognizes and is grateful for the land upon which we are privileged to run our programs and the Indigenous peoples who continue to care for and have stewarded these places for thousands of years.

As a physician in Washington, DC, Laura knows all about the importance of the physical and mental health benefits of spending time outdoors. That’s why she has been on the board for our Mid-Atlantic Region (MARE) campus located in Prince William Forest for the last six years.

Mary visited us as a student back in 1977 when NatureBridge was known as the Yosemite Institute. Nearly 20 years later, Mary completed the cycle when she returned as a teacher, bringing her first group of eighth graders to our Yosemite campus.

For Environmental Science Educator Linnea Joy Pierson, the moments she cherishes most are the times when she can see the joy, curiosity and community developing in her students while exploring the Yosemite wilderness.

Elaine Schear has been driven by her desire to ensure young women have equal access and opportunity to experience the outdoors. Read about how Elaine learned about NatureBridge, the impact NatureBridge had on her family and why she continues to support us!

It had been over three years since we were able to gather for our annual fundraising event Evening on the Lake. After a heartbreaking last-minute cancellation in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 lockdown, we were determined to bring Evening on the Lake back stronger than ever—and we did!

NatureBridge was featured in an Op-Ed that was picked up by The Hill about the importance and impact of exposure to nature on mental health for young people. In the article, NatureBridge CEO Phil Kilbridge and associate professor in the Doerr School of Sustainability and a senior fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University Nicole Ardoin lay out the case for using outdoor education as a solution to things such as increased screen use, creating a relationship and sense of meaning with nature, effective social and emotional learning, and so much more.