We believe that healthy people and places are integrally tied and must be managed in tandem to ensure Northwestern California’s future economic and ecological sustainability. As a key part of our efforts to build community for conservation, we work closely with teachers and educational leaders to provide land-based educational experiences for local youth.
Our field trip programs emphasize compatible land use for healthy people and places by highlighting the success of coexisting fish habitat and sustainable agriculture at our demonstration property, Freshwater Farms Reserve. The goal of our educational programs is to empower youth to assess their role and responsibility as stewards of the land, while gaining direct experiential knowledge of sustainable food production, biodiversity, restoration, native species, and ecologically and culturally important places.
If you are a teacher or youth leader interested in more information about any of our education programs, please fill out our Teacher Interest Form and someone will contact you.
Please contact NRLT’s Education Manager, Nadia Van Lynn at n.vanlynn@ncrlt.org with any questions or comments regarding education programs.
Current Offerings
- For 3rd-5th grades
- Multi-day: 3 hour field trip, plus pre- and post- classroom lessons
- Available Fall (Aug.-Nov.) and Spring (March-June)
- Cost: Free
- Bus Scholarships Available
Our leading field trip program to Freshwater Farms Reserve in Eureka serves upwards of 700 students annually. What began as a partnership between NRLT and Friends of the Dunes in 2014, has grown into a multi-day program by NRLT centered around the question: can farms be part of a healthy environment? We think Yes! But that is for the students to discover through independent observations, scientific inquiry, and hypotheses derived from our inclusive and updated curriculum.
Day 1*: Pre-Lesson in classroom (approx. 1 hour)
- Introduction to NRLT and Freshwater Farms Reserve
- Where does our food come from? Class discussion
- Hypothesis Formation Practice
- Field trip overview and reminders
Day 2*: Field Trip to FWFR (approx. 3 hours)
- Welcome and Orientation
- Botany: Observation walk and micro-hike plot sampling
- Hydrology: dip-netting for macroinvertebrates and using indicator species and other observations to predict stream health
- Snack Break (15 min)
- Soil Science: observing soil composition and qualities to predict agricultural outcomes
- Fisheries: salmon life cycle lesson and habitat game
Day 3*: Post-Lesson in classroom (approx. 1 hour)
- Field Trip Reflection
- Hypothesis Formation: Can farms be part of a healthy environment?
- It’s all connected: Watershed Model Demonstration
- Call to action: how students can improve the health of their environments
*Program days are often spaced apart over the span of 1 to 3 weeks
We are now booking for the 2023/24 school year! Please fill out the Teacher Interest Form and someone will contact you.
You may also directly contact NRLT’s Education Manager, Nadia Van Lynn at n.vanlynn@ncrlt.org.
- For 3rd-5th grades
- Single Day Virtual Field Trip
- Available Year Round
- Cost: Free!
- For High School students
- Single Day Field trip, with long term project extension option
- Available Spring (April-June)
- Cost: Free!
- Bus Scholarships Available
In this program, local high school students collect data on the vegetation, wildlife, and soils of the restored salt marsh and salmon habitat at FWFR. In fall 2009 this site was restored to provide 35 acres of native brackish and freshwater marsh habitat. Data from successive years is used to evaluate and predict biological and chemical changes resulting from restoration activities at the site. Students receive hands-on training in ecological monitoring and contribute to a real-world study that informs future habitat restoration efforts. This program grew in collaboration with former Six Rivers Charter High School teacher, Shannon Morago, and is now available to any interested local high schools. We expect to offer a Teacher Training in Spring 2024 to empower teachers to bring this program to their own classes! Please fill out the Teacher Interest Form and someone will contact you with more information.
- For families and individuals
- Self paced guide for the Freshwater Farms Reserve Nature Trail
- Earn a collectible patch!
- Available during daylight hours every day
Follow Bailey the Barn Owl along the Freshwater Farms Reserve Nature Trail. Along the way, you will learn about wetlands, wildlife, and agricultural heritage in this coastal habitat near Eureka. Bring your answer to the final quest question to the Northcoast Regional Land Trust office at 901 Samoa Blvd. in Arcata during business hours M-F to receive a collectible patch commemorating your journey! Quest brochures in English and Spanish can be downloaded below or are available at the trailhead seasonally.
We can customize environmental education programming for your school or youth group! We love to show off the compatibility of agriculture and wildlife habitat at our ambassador property, Freshwater Farms Reserve, and can curate on-site activities for your group. We also have limited capacity for outreach events elsewhere, including classroom visits, or tours to our other property, Martin Slough in south Eureka.
If you are interested in a specialized youth program, please contact NRLT’s education manager, Nadia Van Lynn at n.vanlynn@ncrlt.org.
“This is a wonderful way to introduce my class to their local ecosystem. The class is still talking about it!”
Cows and Cattails Participating Teacher, Fall 2022
