About Us
In 1971, a high school teacher named Don Rees assembled a group of 50 high school students in Yosemite for a week-long adventure. That trip inspired the founding of NatureBridge, formerly Yosemite Institute, and five decades of overnight environmental education in our national parks.
Today, NatureBridge connects over 30,000 students and 700 schools each year to the wonder and science of the natural world, igniting self-discovery and inspiring stewardship of our planet. We operate in Yosemite National Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, Olympic National Park in Washington, and Prince William Forest Park in Virginia.
As the largest education partner of the National Park Service, we are proud to support their mission to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations.
Through the Decades
Today
For over 50 years, learning has come alive at NatureBridge. Our overnight, environmental science programs take youth out of the classroom and into national parks. Each of our locations gives students the opportunity to apply environmental science in a real-world settings while strengthening ties with one another and to nature. Scroll over our locations on the map to learn more.
Olympic National Park
Founded 1987
Boasting three distinct ecosystems—alpine ridges, temperate rainforest and rugged coastline—Olympic National Park is a NatureBridge classroom filled with opportunity for exploration and discovery.
Each year on the shore of the glacially-carved Lake Crescent, over 4,000 students learn from and connect with Olympic’s awe-inspiring landscape.
NatureBridge acknowledges that our programs take place in the ancestral homelands of Tribes, Bands and First Nations. For Olympic, that includes the Klallam/S'Klallam, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Skokomish, Hoh and the Queets tribes.
Yosemite National Park
Founded 1971
In the heart of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite National Park is home to the flagship campus of NatureBridge, originally known as the Yosemite Institute.
Every year nearly 12,000 students witness Yosemite's iconic views—towering granite domes, stunning mountain ridges and gushing waterfalls. Our multiple teaching sites allow for unparalleled access for students.
NatureBridge acknowledges that our programs take place in the ancestral homelands of Tribes, Bands and First Nations. For Yosemite, that includes the Mono Lake Kutzadikaa Tribe, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, Bridgeport Indian Colony, North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Founded 1977
Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area sits modern day Marin Headlands.
Each year over 10,000 students explore Rodeo Beach and the trails of the Headlands, challenge themselves physically, build meaningful relationships, and discover a caring relationship with the natural world.
NatureBridge acknowledges that our programs take place in the ancestral homelands of Tribes, Bands and First Nations. For Golden Gate, that includes the Coast Miwok, Graton Rancheria and Ohlone people.
Prince William Forest Park
Founded 2012
Prince William Forest Park is the largest green space in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.
NatureBridge provides nearly 2,000 D.C. youth the opportunity to discover the wonder of the natural world, just 35 miles from the city.
NatureBridge acknowledges that our programs take place in the ancestral homelands of Tribes, Bands and First Nations. For Prince William, that includes the Doeg/Monacan, Patawomeck and the Piscataway.
Learn more about our locations and history
From opening campuses across the country to launching our first Diversity Initiative to breaking ground on the National Environmental Science Center, NatureBridge has been hard at work for 50 years.
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Core Values
We bring our best self.
We express excellence and creativity in all that we do and we trust that our colleagues are bringing their best, too.
We learn, teach and grow.
Our most effective teaching comes from our desire to discover what we have not yet seen and for each of us to develop our own capacity to do what we are here to do.
We are inclusive.
We create an equitable, welcoming and empowering learning and working environment for all people.
We build open and honest relationships.
We communicate care for each other, seek collaborative solutions and address issues that might otherwise inhibit the atmosphere and effectiveness of our work together.
We inspire awe in the beauty of life.
Through the splendor of the natural world, we create “wow” moments that evoke joy, openness and connection.
We practice environmental stewardship.
We exemplify sustainable behavior by minimizing negative footprint and maximizing positive benefit in what we use, discard and the activities we do.
We are accountable.
By making clear agreements and setting attainable goals, we rely on our colleagues to do what they say they will do or speak up if an agreement or goal needs to be changed.
Stories from the Field
In Memory of Ty Cobb: A Visionary Leader of Resilience and Impact
Ty Cobb, former CEO of Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge), passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024 in Reno at the age of 84. Known for his visionary leadership, resilience, and ability to inspire collaboration, Ty guided YNI through some of its most difficult moments while building a foundation for its future growth and success.
WildLink November 2024: Woodlake High School
This November, Woodlake High School students and chaperones arrived in Yosemite for their first year as a WildLink school, and we are so excited to have them on the team! That means that the brave students who signed up for this expedition had virtually no idea what to expect before signing up for the trip, because none of their peers had experienced it before them! The week, although quite frigid, was full of lovely views, learning about Wilderness, spending lots of time by the river, and enjoying the beauty of Yosemite Valley and Wilderness. Their educators Sarah and Amelia were excited to help this group feel a sense of belonging in this place. They were also lucky enough to be joined by Ranger Lissie on their first day in the Wilderness!
Fall Reflections from NatureBridge Yosemite
As an environmental science educator, I spend a lot of time teaching about nature, but this season I’ve been finding that as it turns out, nature has a lot to teach us, too. Sometimes I can let the trees, the meadow, and the lichen teach for me. They show us how to respect each other’s boundaries, how to celebrate differences, how to work together, and how to lean on each other’s strengths in order to exist in a new place. These lessons felt incredibly relevant to me heading into the first week of November, a notoriously busy time at NatureBridge Yosemite. I wanted to focus on messages of kindness and inclusivity with my students, I wanted them to feel a sense of belonging in this new space, and I also hoped that they would share those messages with others.