I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide (her), it is not half so important to know as to feel . . . the natural world. (Rachel Carson)
While all classes can be adapted for different grades and ages, the options following are our suggested programs that complement school curricula while providing engaging, outdoor learning. Note : All programs can include a nature walk and a live animal demonstration.
Elementary and Middle School Programs
Forest Adventures (preschool- 2nd grade)
- Nature walk : Learn about the local landscape, wildlife, and plants on a nature walk.
- Animal Tracks : Learn about animal tracks and paint a plaster animal track to take home.
- Animals : Learn about our native wildlife by by exploring animal adaptations and examining fur pelts, skulls, and other hands-on materials.
Eco Art (2nd – 3rd grade)
- Nature Journal : Students combine art and nature by creating nature journals and filling them with creative observations from the natural world.
- Monarch Life Cycle Necklace : Students will learn about the life cycle of a monarch butterfly while creating a necklace that represents each stage.
Gold Fever (3rd-5th grade)
- Learn and relive a formative period in California’s history and pan for gold.
World of the Tongva (3rd-5th grade)
- Tongva Village : Students learn about the culture of one of Southern California’s early Indigenous peoples through storytelling and reproductions of traditional cultural items.
- Pine Needle Brooms : Experience traditional Tongva crafting by making a hand-held broom using pine needles.
- Rock Art : Inspired by Indigenous storytelling tradition, students will create rock art with yucca paint brushes to share and illustrate their own stories.
Water Ecology (6th-8th grade)
- Practice the scientific method by testing water quality in a forest watershed.
Geology (Kinder – 8th grade)
- Assemble a nine-piece rock collection and learn the basics of local geology. This class can build on the 2nd grade program through introducing additional concepts, such as how the forces of plate tectonics effect geographic formations.
High School Programs
Water Ecology Lab
- Water Quality : Get hands-on using chemical kits to determine the water quality in our creeks.
Macroinvertebrate Lab : Explore biodiversity and watershed health by discovering the macroinvertebrates that live in our streams!
Geology Field Lab
- Review advanced geologic processes while creating a rock board and utilizing field observations.
Plant Identification Field Lab
- Act as a botanist and map out a section of a landscape to study the unique characteristics of our chaparral habitat. Students will get to identify different plant species and record their observations.
San Gabriel Bioblitz
An extra large wasp that pays little attention to humans and loves nectar. What can possibly be the harm in that? Nothing unless you happen to be a tarantula. While not carnivorous as adults, female tarantula hawks seek out the large spiders, paralyze them with a powerful sting, then drag them to a burrow where they lay an egg on the paralyzed spider. The still-living spider provides the growing larva its nourishment.
California ebony tarantulas are most often seen during fall months, September through October. That is when mature males, ordinarily nocturnal by nature, go looking for a mate. Some may travel miles in search of their prize. This native tarantula is docile and shy, not a threat to humans. It has the unique distinction of being able to flick spiky hairs from its abdomen at its tormentor when threatened.
Teacher Prep Materials