Yosemite

Our East Bay Teacher Night, hosted by NatureBridge and our friends at Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek, was a wonderful opportunity to connect with passionate educators and share the transformative power of outdoor education. We were thrilled to welcome teachers and community members from the East Bay who joined us to learn how a NatureBridge program in Yosemite National Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area can spark curiosity, inspire critical thinking, and foster a deep connection to the natural world.

We mourn the passing of Robert Redford—iconic actor, filmmaker, environmentalist, and passionate supporter of outdoor education. From 1984 to 1989, Redford served on the board of Yosemite National Institutes (now NatureBridge), where he championed immersive environmental science programs that continue to inspire generations of students in national parks across the country.

Venture Academy’s 2025 WildLink students arrived in Yosemite hungry for adventure and excited for the week ahead. After a long drive from home in Stockton the group arrived at the National Environmental Science Center (NESC) and settled into cabins for the first two nights. A delicious dinner led to an evening program under the clear night sky where the group gathered around a fire and looked up at the stars while getting to know each other. The next day the group woke up and spent the day in Yosemite Valley with their guides Sam and Cassie gearing up for the backpacking expedition ahead. Once everyone had everything they needed for the next four days, 3 nights in the backcountry, they enjoyed the rest of the day in Yosemite Valley before heading back to the NESC for dinner and one last night in the cabins.

NatureBridge is proud to partner with Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) in championing the Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) program, which ensures more young people can access nature via our public lands. Through EKO, every fourth grader in the U.S. can receive a free annual pass to public lands and waters—not just for themselves, but for their entire family. NatureBridge is committed to continuing our awareness campaign for all the fourth graders who come through our programs in the upcoming year. We want to get the pass into the hands of as many fourth graders and families as possible because we know how important outdoor learning is for young people.

Fresno Building Healthy Communities works with youth from all over Fresno bringing together a cohort of thirty plus interns every summer. Having had a successful trip for about half of their interns, they were invited to bring the rest to Yosemite for their own six day expedition. This time heading up to Yosemite's high country, the team ventured into the Poly Domes area.

Somehow, we are back into our day-to-day lives, with traffic and lengthy to-do lists and microwaves. This summer's Armstrong Scholars program, in retrospect, was so short, yet the impact of those twelve days in the backcountry with twelve amazing young women will forever shape our lives. We may have left the magic of the backcountry, but with the simple act of closing our eyes, we are taken to awe-inspiring wilderness, dirt-caked and deeply content.