As part of our Climate Action Plan, we are committing to educating our communities about the importance of open space and fostering a positive relationship to the environment.
From partnering with local universities and funding scientific research, to getting kids outside in unforgettable outdoor field trips, we teach a variety of topics to inspire compassion and understanding of the greater environment.
Topics we cover across all of our educational programs include:
- The history and significance of indigenous people
- Climate change and the climate crisis
- Sustainable ranching
- Flora and fauna of Mount Diablo
- Watershed ecology
As such, we have the following programs to educate and inspire.
Discover Diablo Hikes and Outings
Discover Diablo is a free public outings program led by staff and volunteer naturalists that offers an annual schedule of various outdoor activities including guided interpretive hikes and rock-climbing, mountain-biking, and trail-running outings. These events are open to any and all trailblazers looking to get out in nature. All outings are free.
Conservation Collaboration Agreement (CCA) Program
Save Mount Diablo partners with local schools to teach students about stewardship and bring them outdoors for unforgettable experiences in nature.
After an in-class unit taught by Save Mount Diablo Staff, the students visit one of our properties, where they engage in some stewardship and restoration work and partake in a solo reflection while surrounded by nature.
Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program
In addition to co-founding Save Mount Diablo in 1971, Dr. Mary Bowerman was also an expert botanist who specialized in the flora on Mount Diablo. In her honor, Save Mount Diablo established the Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program in 2013.
The program offers small grants every year to researchers conducting studies on and around Mount Diablo and also provides a platform for researchers to share their projects and findings. Each December, Save Mount Diablo hosts the Annual Mary Bowerman Science and Research Colloquium where new knowledge and inspiring stories are shared across audiences.
BioBlitz
Save Mount Diablo hosts a BioBlitz survey every spring in the Mount Diablo area. Researchers and citizen scientists collaborate to tally as many different flora and fauna species as they can within a predetermined time range.
The results provide an illuminating snapshot of biodiversity and can help guide management decisions.
If you love the outdoors and love searching for and cataloging wildlife even more, participate in our annual BioBlitz!
