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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.

This past November, we welcomed WildLink alumni and their families back for the annual WildLink Family Weekend—an event that continues to strengthen the bond between people and place. Held at the newly opened National Environmental Science Center (NESC), the weekend was a celebration of connection, both to the park and to the ever-growing WildLink community.

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."