School & Group Environmental Science

Morning: Gather in the dining hall for breakfast, pack backpacks and prepare for the day.

Instructional Day on Trail: Spend the day in small learning groups led by a professional NatureBridge educator. Students engage in collaborative, authentic scientific learning experiences in a safe and supportive environment. These experiences are designed to support Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and student’s social and emotional development.

Sample Activities

• Hike along the path of a waterfall and learn about glaciation.
• Study ecological relationships from the perspective of a 2,000-year-old giant sequoia tree.
• Discover winter adaptations of plants and animals while cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in high Sierra meadows.
• Participate in National Park Service research projects such as water quality monitoring and conifer removal.

Afternoon/Early Evening: Return to campus to reflect, relax and unwind while school chaperones supervise. Dinner in the dining hall gives everyone a chance to share their trail stories.

Evening: NatureBridge educators facilitate evening programs that could include a short night hike, a town-hall style debate about the Hetch Hetchy Dam or see a presentation about rock climbing in Yosemite. Students then return to the tent cabins or bunkhouses and get ready for bed.

Life Science & Ecology: Practice the skills of an ecologist, discover the organisms that call this landscape home and learn how they interact and adapt to their changing environment.

Watershed Studies: Yosemite Valley offers an incredible laboratory to learn about watersheds as students hike to waterfalls, assess water quality above and below confluences, and learn about how this watershed impacts the health of California’s agriculture.

Earth Science & Geology: Investigate how Yosemite’s iconic rock formations came to be, how erosion changed them over time and what could happen next.

Cultural History: Explore the rich cultural history of indigenous people, settlers and conservationists of the region and their ongoing legacy in Yosemite National Park.

Current Environmental Issues: Natural processes are constantly at work in Yosemite. Learn about climate change, what it is, how it affects Yosemite and how science helps us understand its present and future impacts on our environment.  

Fire Ecology: Engage with hands-on activities and NGSS-based investigations to help students better understand fire's role in the landscape and the forces that influence it. Take an active role in fire management in Yosemite by helping out with our conifer removal stewardship project. 

NatureBridge environmental science educators bring our programs to life. Our skilled and passionate educators provide inclusive and culturally responsive programming that challenges students to step out of their comfort zones and connect to themselves and one another. Our staff have a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work and training experience, cleared background checks and are certified to manage risk in the field. 

The energy and passion our educators have for engaging with youth and the natural world is a vital element of our success. 

Connect to SCIENCE + NATURE + SELF AND OTHERS: Students experience personal growth, build interpersonal skills, gain science knowledge, strengthen critical thinking skills and learn to act as environmental stewards. NatureBridge strives to create an impactful and lasting educational program for every student.