• Education Program
• Audubon Canyon Ranch believes a conservation ethic and a love of nature can be instilled in those who have the opportunity to personally experience the wonders of wildlife up close.

At our preserves, Audubon Canyon Ranch offers a hands-on, environmental experience for elementary schoolchildren, the visiting public and volunteers.

Elementary School Environmental Education Program

Each year, about 7000 elementary school children (3rd through 5th graders) from throughout the diverse communities of the Bay Area participate in a multi-facetted environmental education program. This experiential immersion in a preserved nature setting is a unique experience for many of these children, which provides an opportunity for them to learn about local native habitats, and to develop an appreciation for the natural world and a desire to protect it.

There is no charge for the elementary school education program. Transportation scholarships are available for schools that lack funds to provide transportation to the sanctuaries.

The are many components to ACR's Elementary Environmental Education Program, such as:

• a free workshop for teachers;
• a free packet of teaching materials for classroom preparation and follow-up;
• a classroom visit by trained docents, who present a slide show and original hands-on materials and activities;
• a field trip to a Preserve, where individual docents lead students in small groups of six on an exploration at the nature preserve.

At Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, the program is designed for 4th and 5th grades, and focuses on the extraordinary heronry, the redwoods and coastal habitats at the Bolinas Basin. The schoolchildren participating in the program at Bolinas Lagoon Preserve are from the diverse communities of San Francisco, Richmond, Oakland, Berkeley, and Marin County. Teachers interested in applying for their class to participate in the Environmental Education Program at Bolinas Lagoon Preserve should contact the Administrative Director at Yvonne@egret.org or 415-868-9244.

At Bouverie Preserve, the curriculum is designed for 3rd and 4th grades, and we focus on habitats and adaptations of organisms found in the rich chaparral, oak woodland, and riparian ecosystems. The schoolchildren participating in the program at Bouverie Preserve are from the urban and agricultural communities of Sonoma County.

Teachers from Sonoma County that are interested in applying for the program at Bouverie Preserve should contact the Administrative Coordinator at nancy@egret.org or 707-938-4554.

Audubon Canyon Ranch provides natural history training to adults through the Docent Training Program and Ranch Guide Training Program.