Stories from the Field

A member of our Mid-Atlantic Regional Board, Catherine Scott has spent her lifetime protecting natural places. This goes hand in hand with her belief that connecting youth to their local natural places is vital for environmental stewardship. Read more about his commitment to NatureBridge students.

For decades, doctors and researchers have studied the impact of spending time in nature. Woven into the fabric of NatureBridge programs, the positive outcomes of nature can improve health, increase productivity and attention, boost mental and emotional well-being, foster stewardship and cultivate joy among both kids and adults.

Discover the impact of Project Pluton—a free program that NatureBridge has provided to the El Portal, Yosemite Valley, and Wawona schools—through the stories of alums Savanna Deger and Laura Shenk.

NatureBridge Educator Mara Dale shares three Alumni Impact Stories from our campus in Yosemite National Park. Discover how the impact of NatureBridge lasts for years and even comes full circle.

Middle school teacher Mary Patterson still has her field journal from the 1978 trip she took to NatureBridge (formerly Yosemite Institute) with her Cupertino classmates for a week-long environmental science program. Today, Mary ensures that all eighth grade students from Longfellow Middle School in Berkeley, California have the same transformative opportunity.

NatureBridge's Karli Cowman is in her fifth year of her "dream job" as TEEM Manager. She recently caught up with some of the TEEM participants from her very first year with the program. Find out how the TEEM experience shaped these individuals.

This year’s recipient of the Outstanding Affiliate Organization Award is the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE), an affiliate at which two NatureBridge members play a critical and influential role—Estrella Risinger and Reed Schneider.

Melissa Gayle, one of two NatureBridge leaders on the 2019 Armstrong Scholars program, reflects on the journey and the contributions of the Scholars during their time in Yosemite's backcountry.

After completing the Educator Development Program in Yosemite National Park this summer, Dana Delos Santos moved back east to be an educator at our Prince William Forest campus where she enjoys connecting city youth to the outdoors for the first time.