Recently, we brought 73 kids outside to help care for trees and enjoy the local wildlife at Curry Canyon Ranch.
On average, kids only spend four to seven minutes a day on unstructured outdoor play, despite the immense benefits that nature provides.
Photo by Haley Sutton
We’re working to change this, and get kids connected with nature by hosting field trips for youth of various ages on our protected lands.
We’re proud to have pioneered a partnership with the Bay Area Community Resources CARES program.
Over the past few years, we’ve brought hundreds of middle and high school students to Curry Canyon Ranch through numerous field trips throughout the month of June.
Education Outside
Kids get a hands-on land stewardship lesson as they care for trees at Curry Canyon Ranch. Photo by Mary Nagle
Every educational program that we host teaches students about Mount Diablo’s flora and fauna, climate change, the history of local indigenous people, watershed ecology, and sustainable ranching.
Interpretive hikes are a big part of our programs. Through every hike, we invite more people to get to know Mount Diablo, and encourage them to learn from the nature they’re traveling through.
Looking for birds and California red-legged frogs at Curry Canyon Ranch’s pond. Photo by Sean Burke
Through their binoculars, the kids marveled at wildlife while hiking to search for California red-legged frogs and other amphibians at the Curry Canyon Ranch pond.
With Diablo’s raptors soared overhead, we trekked across the land, spreading the love of nature to the next generation.
East Bay Regional Park District Naturalist Morgan Guenther shares some natural history information about snakes with the kids. Photo by Mary Nagle
We were additionally joined by Morgan Guenther from the East Bay Regional Park District for one of the field trips. She shared some natural history about snakes and allowed the students to explore touching and holding a snake safely.
Stewardship
Protecting trees! Installing these tubes prevents young oak trees from being eaten by wildlife. Photos by Mary Nagle
These students worked hard, protecting a total of 303 trees!
Planting and protecting trees—which sequester carbon—is one of the many ways that we’re addressing the climate crisis and providing healthy habitat for Mount Diablo’s wildlife.
We’re incredibly grateful that these students came out with us to learn and give back to the land.
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