NatureBridge Brings Field Science Education to Over 30,000 Students Each Year

NatureBridge is the largest residential education partner of the National Park Service. Each year, 30,000 students and teachers learn and explore in NatureBridge campuses in Yosemite, Golden Gate, Olympic, Santa Monica Mountains, Channel Islands and Prince William Forest National Parks. For over 40 years, NatureBridge programs have changed the lives of more than one million students and teachers.

NatureBridge believes environmental field science education should be a part of every child’s life. The organization's priority is to open children’s hearts and minds to the wonder and science of nature and ignite in them the courage to take actions that make the world a healthier place.

Through hands-on environmental science education, children and teens build critical thinking skills, knowledge and self-esteem. Students are challenged to see their world in a new way. They conduct scientific research that drives well-informed choices and gives them a stronger understanding of our interconnections with the natural world.

NatureBridge has a local office based in Woodland Hills that offers programs in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Channel Islands National Park to students in grades 4 to 12. These programs are two- to five-day residential outdoor science programs led by experienced educators, customized to enhance school curriculums.

From the top of Sandstone Peak to the Arroyo Sequit watershed, students explore the Santa Monica Mountains' Mediterranean ecosystem and learn through academic and physical challenges how their actions impact the world. At Channel Islands, students leave everything familiar behind, studying isolated landscapes and seascapes, experiencing unique animals and plants and beginning to think differently about the world and their place in it.

NatureBridge is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, funded by donations and its programs. Annually, over $1 million in NatureBridge scholarships ensure that diverse youth from underserved urban and rural communities experience the magic of living and learning in our national parks. On average, 35% of NatureBridge's students receives scholarship assistance.

To learn more about local NatureBridge programs, visit www.naturebridge.org or call the Woodland Hills office at 818.914.7660.