NatureBridge
Encyclopedia
| Motto | Connecting Youth to the Natural World |
| Established | 1971 |
| President and CEO | Susan Smartt |
| Board Chair | Stephen Lockhart, M.D, Ph.D. |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| Campuses | Yosemite Institute, Headlands Institute, Olympic Park Institute, Santa Monica Mountains Institute |
| Homepage | www.naturebridge.org |
NatureBridge, formerly Yosemite National Institutes, was formed in 1971 as Yosemite Institute, and has since grown to include four campuses: Headlands Institute in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
, Olympic Park Institute in Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
, Santa Monica Mountains Institute in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or SMMNRA, is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California...
, and Yosemite Institute in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
.
Naturebridge campuses provide residential field science and environmental education programs for elementary, middle, and high school students in the National Parks. Serving over 40,000 participants annually, NatureBridge is the largest nonprofit residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. Since 1971 it has introduced almost one million students to national parks through field science education programs for schools and youth leadership organizations. In 2010 Naturebridge was listed as number 20 on Outside Magazine's "Best Places to Work" list.
Mission
NatureBridge is dedicated to teaching science and environmental education in nature's classroom to inspire a personal connection to the natural world and responsible actions to sustain it.Yosemite Institute
Yosemite Institute has operated within Yosemite National ParkYosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
since 1971. Programs are offered in Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...
as well as Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne Meadows
Tuolumne Meadows is a gentle, dome-studded sub-alpine meadowy section of the Tuolumne River, in the eastern section of Yosemite National Park. Its approximate location is . Its approximate elevation is 8619 feet .-Natural History:...
and surrounding parts of the park. Yosemite Institute offers year-round residential field trips for grades K-12 as well as specialized summer backpacking programs for high school students. Instruction focuses on personal growth, stewardship, and inquiry based academic concepts.
Headlands Institute
Headlands Institute is located in the Marin HeadlandsMarin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, which is itself located within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
. It offers residential field trips for school groups grades K-12 as well as summer camp programs for children in grades 1-6 and family-oriented hikes and nature programs. Headlands Institute also operates an on-site conference center with meeting spaces, lodging, and dining facilities. Headlands Institute programming is designed to inspire passion for nature and the desire to care for the environment.
Olympic Park Institute
Established in 1987, Olympic Park Institute operates within Olympic National ParkOlympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Olympic Peninsula. The park can be divided into four basic regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west side temperate rainforest and the forests of the drier east side. U.S...
and offers residential outdoor education programs to school groups grades 4–12. Olympic Park Institute also offers professional development and training programs for teachers and other educators as well as conference and retreat facilities. Programming at Olympic Park Institute aims to educate the next generation of environmental stewards.
Santa Monica Mountains Institute
Established in 2010, Santa Monica Mountains Institute is the newest campus of Naturebridge. It is located within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation AreaSanta Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area or SMMNRA, is a United States National Recreation Area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California...
, and operates in the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
as well as the Channel Islands of California
Channel Islands of California
The Channel Islands of California are a chain of eight islands located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California along the Santa Barbara Channel in the United States of America...
. Santa Monica Mountains Institute offers residential outdoor education programs to school groups grades 4-12. Instruction at Santa Monica Mountains Institute intends to demonstrate that science is the key to unlocking nature's treasures and to translate passion for the environment into lifelong stewardship and conservation.
National Office
Naturebridge's national office is located on Geary Street in San Francisco, California. National staff support programming at all four campuses and work to develop partnerships with corporations, non-profit organizations, schools, teachers and community members. Current strategic partners include Clif BarClif Bar
Clif Bar & Company is an American company that produces organic foods and drinks marketed towards active people. Their flagship product, CLIF BAR, was created in 1992 by owner Gary Erickson. The company's headquarters are in Emeryville, California....
, intel, Klean Kanteen, National Geographic Education Foundation, National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association is the only independent, membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System...
, Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
and REI
Rei
-People:*Rei, the Biblical term for those who retained their allegiance to King David when Adonijah rebelled, as mentioned in 1 Kings 1:8*Rei Hiroe*Rei Igarashi*Rei Kawakubo*Rei Kikukawa*Rei Mikamoto*Rei Munakata*Rei Okamoto*Rei Omishi...
.