Feather River Land Trust reports that a core pillar of its work as a land trust is to foster a love for the land with the next generation. This summer, FRLT hosted — in partnership with a local teacher — a series of art workshops at the Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center for local kids to get inspired by nature while school was not in session.
Working with a variety of mediums, including paper collage, watercolor and pastel, and across a range of subjects such as trout, flowers, owls and landscapes, hands were busy and minds were engaged with nature-inspired artwork, said FRLT. Organizers offer thanks to teacher Megan Davin for a wonderful season of art on the land for kids and their grownups alike.
As the school year picks back up, FRLT said staff are excited to welcome local teachers and their students for field trips at the Sierra Valley Preserve Nature Center. Field trip topics and themes are specific for each grade level, corresponding with California and Nevada state standards.
Local K-12 teachers and students will also be taking learning outside in their Learning Landscapes outdoor classrooms. Learning Landscapes is FRLT’s K-12 conservation and education program, in which the land trust conserves and provides access to outdoor classrooms within a 10-minute walk from every school in the Feather River watershed.
“While the Sierra Valley Preserve and Nature Center is a bit further from that walkable distance, it provides a rich experience for all who enter — with exhibits, trails, wildlife lookouts and hands-on learning,” says FRLT. “By helping local schoolchildren connect with the ground beneath their feet, FRLT is helping to foster that sense of curiosity and care that comes with tending to a place you love.” The land trust points out that this experience creates the next generation of land stewards, and means that wherever students eventually settle they carry a deep love for the land with them.
