Sense of Place series: Welcome to Yosemite National Park!
What is Sense of Place?
All NatureBridge programs are structured so students develop a Sense of Place. Students connect with the place where their NatureBridge experience occurs and the people with whom they are sharing the experience. This creates a safe and comfortable environment that is conducive to learning and makes the experience relevant to students.
Welcome to… Yosemite National Park
Nestled deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park is known for its iconic views—towering granite domes, stunning mountain ridges and gushing waterfalls. Home to more than 400 species, Yosemite provides a breathtaking backdrop for young scholars to learn about a myriad of environmental sciences. Yosemite is the third oldest National Park in the United States.
The Human Story
Yosemite National Park is on the ancestral and present day homelands of 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. They have been living on this land for as long as 8,000 years.
By the time settlers entered the Yosemite area in the mid-19th century, the Valley was inhabited by peoples who called Yosemite Valley, "Ahwahnee," which loosely translates into "Place of a Gaping Mouth."
Fast Facts
- Yosemite is 747,956 acres (1,169 square miles), nearly 95 percent of which is designated Wilderness
- Nearly 800 miles of trails
- There are multiple vegetation zones in the park. From lowest to highest elevation they include: Foothill-Woodland Zone, Lower Montane Forest, Upper Montane Forest, Subalpine Forest and Alpine Zone
- More than 400 species of vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals call Yosemite home ( approximately 40 species have a special status under California endangered species legislation)
- Approximately 1,500 species of flowering plants
- Yosemite is home to glaciers, including those on Mt. Maclure and Mt. Lyell
- The Giant Sequoias that grow in Yosemite National Park are some of the biggest living things on the planet
- Two Wild & Scenic Rivers, the Tuolumne and Merced rivers, begin in the park and flow west to the Central Valley
- 18+ 12,000-foot peaks
- Yosemite Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America, is 2,425 feet high
A (very brief) Timeline of Yosemite National Park
- 1849 - The California Gold Rush brought miners to the Sierra Nevadas and in 1851, the first non-Indians entered Yosemite Valley in a state-sponsored militia, leading to the deaths of thousands of Miwok people
- 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant protecting the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley
- 1868 - John Muir visits Yosemite for the first time
- 1890 The land is officially designated a National Park
- October 1905 Yosemite National Park is expanded by adding Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley
- 1927 The Ahwahnee hotel opens, and remains one of America's most distinctive hotels
- 1960’s the last Indian village was removed from Yosemite Valley
- 1984 Designated a World Heritage Site
- 1971 The Yosemite Institute is founded by Don Rees
- 2013 Construction begins on the new NatureBridge campus
- 2016 President Obama visits NatureBridge 4th graders in Yosemite
NatureBridge campus and programs:
School & Group Environmental Science
Our overnight environmental science programs in Yosemite National Park offer students the opportunity to explore the deep valleys, grand meadows, and sequoia forests. We collaborate with each school or group to ensure their program experience meets their educational goals.
Armstrong Scholars
The Armstrong Scholars program seeks to inspire all young women, trans-inclusive, ages 15-18 to reach their highest potential, develop a stronger sense of self and explore their personal connection to nature during a 12-day wilderness backpacking adventure in Yosemite's High Sierra.
Family Camp
NatureBridge’s Crane Flat campus serves as base camp for family cohorts to explore Yosemite. Relax under a canopy of tall trees, go on educational hikes led by our experienced educators and explore the grandeur Yosemite has to offer.
Stories
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.