2019 Student of the Year Honorable Mention: Rylan Mamola
The impact of the NatureBridge program on Montessori Elementary & Middle School of Tracy sixth grader Rylan Mamola was immediate. The moment Dr. Pamela Zell Rigg, School Curriculum Director, picked him and several other students up at the end of their four-day Environmental Science program in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Rylan was enthralled with his newfound knowledge of the natural world.
Speaking a mile-a-minute as he got in the van, he simply could not wait to share his ideas for taking his enthusiasm and zest for environmental stewardship forward. Rylan spoke with gusto of his adventures through the Marin Headlands, sightings of baby birds and a red-tailed hawk and visits to the Marine Mammal Center to learn about seals, sea lions and otters. Though despite his eagerness to share the knowledge he had acquired during the program, Rylan was still thoughtful of his peers sharing their own experiences, Pamela explained.
“The communication was not about Rylan, but rather the solidarity of the group, appreciation of the educators and the incredible experience that Nature Bridge had provided,” said Pamela. “Rylan builds each student's confidence and supports each student's expression. The students have such joy in his presence.”
Just two months after attending the NatureBridge program, Rylan arrived back at school in August and quickly helped establish a school-wide food consumption mindfulness initiative. Thanks to his efforts, students now bring only non-disposable containers to eat from at lunchtime.
As a result of this effort the school has no trash from lunch and our composting and gardening are in full swing. Rylan not only feels and speaks with passion and commitment, he acts with commitment. Rylan has helped to change this aspect of our school culture and operations!Dr. Pamela Zell Rigg
Rylan credits his new outlook of the natural world to his educator Kim Orbik. Rather than looking at pictures of whales in a science book to learn about the dangers of littering, Rylan and his peers had the opportunity to spot two whales thriving in their natural environment.
This thrilled him to see because unfortunately, the group had earlier encountered a whale that had died from consuming plastic. This part of the program really resonated with him. Upon understanding all the ways in which plastic ends up in our oceans, Rylan made a promise to no longer let his balloons be released into the air since they do not make it to space like he had previously thought but instead, come back down into the ocean.
NatureBridge is a place of happiness. It is a place where anyone could be anything. NatureBridge changed the way I look at the Earth, all thanks to my educator Kim Orbik and the NatureBridge organization.Rylan Mamola
This year, in preparation for the next group of Montessori Elementary & Middle School of Tracy students to attend NatureBridge, Rylan has been called to serve as an ambassador and share his experience with each classroom. He himself is looking forward to a second NatureBridge program this coming June, this time in Yosemite National Park.
Stories
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.
An Incredible 10th Anniversary of Evening on the Lake
On October 25, the Amazon Meeting Center in downtown Seattle buzzed with celebratory energy as over 300 NatureBridge guests and supporters gathered for the 10th anniversary of "Evening on the Lake," our signature Pacific Northwest fundraising event for our Olympic campus.
"Science became fun" at NatureBridge for Alum Laura Lomeli Russert
Laura Lomeli Russert is a NatureBridge alum who grew up in Groveland, CA and now calls Washington, D.C. home. Laura’s journey with NatureBridge began when she attended the Golden Gate campus as a young student with her class from Tenaya Elementary. Laura credits NatureBridge with shaping not only her love for nature but also her passion for education and science. "Science became fun,” she recalls. “You weren’t learning from a textbook anymore, and it became so much more real." Her hands-on, scientific experiences at NatureBridge laid the foundation for her eventual pursuit of a Ph.D. in psychology. “I feel like I owe a lot to NatureBridge."