Stories from the Field

At NatureBridge, we work to increase access to our parks and provide safe, inclusive experiences for all of our students. But is it enough to increase access? Can we guarantee the safety of our black and brown students beyond the confines of our national park classrooms? Can we say, with confidence, that these are your public lands, that you can experience and enjoy them without fear? That in these spaces you will be regarded and treated equitably?

7th graders Jordan and Noah make the case for NatureBridge and why all kids deserve to have experiences in the outdoors.

Less than one year after California wildfires led to the closure of our Southern California campus, Boeing generously granted NatureBridge $120,000 to support environmental science education for Southern California kids at our campus in Yosemite National Park, enabling hundreds of transformative experiences.

NatureBridge Olympic board member Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger is a role model for not just girls in science, but all young people. As an Earth scientist, environmental consultant, former NASA astronaut and high school science and astronomy teacher, Dottie has continuously demonstrated how to overcome systemic obstacles and reach for the stars—literally.

Noah is a former TEEM participant and a senior at Redwood High School in Larkspur, CA. Having learned about climate change at school, he wanted to take action. He was introduced to the Citizens Climate Lobby, and spoke with Peter Joseph, the head of the Marin Chapter. On November 10, 2019, Noah flew solo for the first time to attend an advocacy day in Washington, D.C.

Today we celebrate our 50th Earth Day. With so much work still to be done, I find hope in the next generation, in the empathy exhibited daily by my two sons working alongside me in this pandemic, and in Earthrise.

At 76, Ingrid is NatureBridge’s oldest—and arguably most iconic—environmental science educator. As we celebrate Women's History Month, we're highlighting Ingrid's contributions to both the San Francisco and NatureBridge communities in which she serves.

Last fall, NatureBridge's Amy Osborne ventured to McMurdo Station in Antarctica to conduct field research with PolarTREC on Dr. Amy Moran's project. In this reflective essay, Amy writes of the journey that trip took her on and the importance of the celebration of women in science and the outdoors.

Educator Jasmin Gonzalez shares her perspective on inclusivity in the outdoors through the lens of a group of sixth grade students from Davis Middle School in Compton, California.