FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Paula Maxfield
831-246-0425
paula@millermaxfield.com

BAY AREA RESIDENTS NEEDED TO TEACH CHILDREN ABOUT NATURE

Nature Education Classes for Volunteer Docents Starting at Audubon Canyon Ranch's Bolinas Lagoon Preserve

March 3, 2008 - Stinson Beach, CA - Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), a leader in conservation science, regional habitat protection and restoration and hands-on environmental education programs, today announced volunteers are needed to serve as docents for its 2008/2009 Elementary School Environmental Education Program at its Bolinas Lagoon Preserve.

Orientation meetings to learn more about the Bolinas Lagoon Preserve Docent Training Program will take place on May 28 and August 27. ACR's docent training classes begin in September 2008 and continue for 22 weeks through March 2009. Topics covered include birds, insects, pond life and teaching techniques. Three units of college credit are available.

After training, docents visit schools in San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley and Marin to introduce 4th and 5th graders to the Preserve's natural history and diverse ecosystems. The classes then visit the 1,000-acre Bolinas Lagoon Preserve where docents lead small groups of children on nature walks. Last year, more than 3,000 school children learned about the preservation of area habitats and the biology of its flora and fauna.

The cost of the docent training courses is $120 to cover training materials. Scholarships are available.

ACR's Bolinas Lagoon Preserve is located 30 miles north of San Francisco on Highway 1, (3 miles north of Stinson Beach).

For more information and to register for the ACR Docent Training orientation, call 415-868-9244 or email acr@egret.org.

About Audubon Canyon Ranch

The mission of Audubon Canyon Ranch is to protect the natural resources of its sanctuaries while fostering an understanding and appreciation of these environments. Through ACR's preservation, education, and research programs, Audubon Canyon Ranch educates children and adults, promotes ecological literacy that is grounded in direct experience, and conducts research and restoration that advances conservation science.

Audubon Canyon Ranch properties include the Cypress Grove Research Center on Tomales Bay, the 535-acre Bouverie Preserve in Sonoma and the 1,000-acre Bolinas Lagoon Preserve in Stinson Beach, which is home to one of the San Francisco Bay Area's largest Great Egret and Great Blue Heron nesting sites.

Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) is an independent non-profit organization with 501(c)3 status. ACR is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society. Audubon Canyon Ranch programs are made possible thanks to the contribution of thousands of hours of volunteer service, and donations from caring individuals, foundations and businesses. For more information, call (415) 868-9244, email acr@egret.org or visit www.egret.org.