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Venture Academy’s second round of 2024 WildLink students arrived in Yosemite full of wonder, excitement, and on the lookout for bears. With a $10 per person pot, stakes were high to be the first to see the famous furry critters. Their fearless chaperones—Mr. Meza, a seasoned WildLink participant and expert whistler, and Ms. Dustin, a lifetime Yosemite visitor and lover—encouraged the students to bring their best selves. After settling into their cabins, the group met with their educator Katie for dinner and an evening of stargazing by the Merced River. The headlights of climbers spaced out like a constellation on Washington Column’s rock face after dark, far above the valley floor, and was a twinkling inspiration for these soon-to-be adventurers.

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.

On a chilly autumn afternoon, NatureBridge's National Environmental Science Center (NESC) in Yosemite National Park welcomed its very first school groups, marking a pivotal moment for NatureBridge. This state-of-the-art facility has been over 10 years in the making, and we are thrilled to announce that students are now officially on campus, laughing, learning, and engaging with all of the opportunities for immersive learning at the NESC.

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."

Another great WildLink trip to a beautiful Wilderness area is in the books! This October, a group of exceptional high school students from Health Careers Academy in Stockton, CA ventured out for a week of adventuring in the wild lands of Yosemite’s high country. There they found new friends, resilient parts of themselves, sweeping mountain views, and even a deer swimming across a frigid alpine lake for seemingly no reason! They were joined by National Park Service Wilderness Ranger Jacob and NatureBridge educators Sarah and Sophia.

We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Olympic Student of the Year: eighth grader Ames Black O'Neal.

Ames participated in a NatureBridge program with his seventh grade class from Portland, OR at our Olympic campus in spring 2024. As a self-described "nature nut," Ames was surprised by how much he learned at NatureBridge and how meaningful he found the hands-on, immersive experience to be. As he later reflected, "Learning is so much more impactful when you are surrounded by the subject matter."