Stories from the Field

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.

Learning outside in nature has been shown to have endless benefits. At NatureBridge, nature is our classroom. To give you the best tips on teaching outdoors, we compiled the insight and knowledge of our seasoned outdoor educators.

Harold Galvez of Vine Street Elementary School has been working toward making a NatureBridge trip a reality for his students for nearly 10 years. And on February 18, he’ll accompany 34 sixth grade students to Yosemite National Park—a first-time trip for almost the entire group. 

Next month, NatureBridge board member Todd Cota will be sharing his insight and actionable steps for the fight against climate change in the Pacific Northwest and globally at Patagonia’s downtown Seattle storefront. We spoke with him ahead of the event.

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.