Cultivating Curiosity: Outdoor Education in Siskiyou County

Many of us remember school days consisting of hours sitting at school desks, listening to the teacher, studying, reading, sometimes struggling to pay attention, perhaps daydreaming and almost certainly anxiously awaiting the next 20-minute recess.

Today, K-12 education has evolved to include many ways to learn, including outdoor classes that, according to the California Department of Education, improve mental health and physical fitness, increase student engagement, improve cognitive function and provide unique opportunities for team-building. “Swedish scientists have found that children who explore and play in natural environments tend to be less competitive and more cooperative,” says Kayla-Marie Figard, community education coordinator for the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center and assistant outdoor specialist for the Siskiyou County Outdoor School. “Time in nature helps us focus on the present moment, build awareness using all of our senses, increase physical activity, and helps us slow down and develop a deeper understanding of concepts from multiple perspectives. It regulates our nervous systems and emotions and provides points of access for kids who learn differently.”

Kids and teachers alike love the classroom aquarium incubator program in which teachers guide students to incubate trout and salmon eggs to fry stage and then release them in the wild.

Siskiyou County Leads the Way in Outdoor Science Education

Although many schools are just beginning to introduce outdoor education curriculum, Siskiyou County schools have been way ahead of the curve. “In the late 90s the Siskiyou Eisenhower Science and Math grant spearheaded the idea of doing science and natural resources instruction out in the field and in the classroom,” says Jason Singleton, a science specialist who works with the Siskiyou Office of Education (SCOE) to provide outdoor science classes and field trips to schools throughout Siskiyou County.

Inspired by this grant, Jason and his co-worker sought additional grants to expand the program to include more schools, more fully connect field trips to classroom science lessons and teach NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) in the classroom and out in the field. The outdoor education program now includes a watershed education program, specialized outdoor education programs, an aquarium incubator project, the Wehmeyer Environmental Educational Area and the Siskiyou County Outdoor School at Kidder Creek (day and residential camps held each spring.) “We currently contract with 19 schools of the 24 districts and two charter schools in Siskiyou County,” says Barry Barnhart, deputy superintendent of Siskiyou County Office of Education who also oversees the Educational Services Department. “We also provide science days to our special needs education department.”

Science specialists Christian Burke, Stacia Anderson and Jason Singleton are dedicated to providing science enrichment to Siskiyou County schools through fun, engaging Next Generation Science Standards outdoor and classroom science programs and projects. Photo by Pamela Newman.

Day and Residential Camps Teach Land Stewardship, Provide Student Mentorship Opportunities

“Kids are so pure and have a lot of enthusiasm,” says science specialist Stacia Anderson, who is also in charge of the Siskiyou County Outdoor School day and residential camps. “There are so many cool things you can do and ways to experience the world and engage in nature.” Spring camps offer two adventure courses featuring ziplining, a ropes course and laser tag, and four field study camps that include stream studies (water quality and macroinvertebrates), geology (stream tables) and forest study.

“In the overnight camps we have high schoolers that volunteer to work as mentors and are in charge of cabin groups,” Stacia says. “Team-building activities teach about stewardship of the land and the impact we have on the environment.” Students go on night hikes and enjoy evening programming and star gazing. An equestrian program rounds out this fun and engaging educational experience.

Aquarium Incubators Seamlessly Coordinate Outdoor and Classroom Science

Combining outdoor science education with classroom science, teachers are trained to raise trout eggs in the classroom with permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Classrooms are equipped with 10-gallon aquariums that have gravel and stones in the bottom to mimic a riverbed. A filter, water circulator and heating element reproduce the stream flow and maintain optimum water temperature.

“Female fish lay their eggs and cover them with gravel and sand,” Jason explains. “To simulate this, the aquarium is covered with a box to block out the light and incubate the eggs for six to eight weeks through three stages. When they reach the fry stage, students take them to designated release spots.”

The Legacy of Larry Wehmeyer

One of the first outdoor education specialists in Siskiyou County, Larry Wehmeyer helped institute science education in the county in the early 1980s. “The curriculum he developed was very high quality and we still use some of it today,” says Stacia.

Larry spearheaded the purchase by SCOE of a beautiful 10-acre parcel of land in Mount Shasta near Lake Siskiyou. “What’s cool about it is that it has five distinct ecosystems: wetland, pond, creek, forest and meadow,” says Christian Burch, science specialist who currently oversees the Larry Wehmeyer Education Center. “Public schools can take field trips there, we take the kids we teach there and it is also open to the public.”

SCOE has partnered with the California Conservation Corps to rebuild bridges and trails. “The engineering that went into these causeways is just amazing,” says Barry. “Our next step is to work with Tom Hesseldenz, one of the founders of the Siskiyou Land Trust who is an expert in aquatic areas, to help us get this project over the finish line by seeking grants and drawing up construction plans for a pier on the pond so kids can take water samples further out in the pond.” Pit toilets are also in the works.

Filling in the Science Teacher Gap

“We are only in a particular classroom once a week or once every two weeks, providing enrichment,” Jason says. “What’s happening in the gap between our visits?” To answer this question, SCOE is instituting a pilot science teacher mentorship program in which each science specialist mentors a teacher. The data-based program provides training and instruction models for the science specialist to train and mentor the teachers with the goal of making teachers more comfortable teaching science in their classrooms.

Engaging Students, Cultivating Curiosity

How do we get kids engaged in school? Barry replies, “I like to quote Pedro Nogera, Dean of the Rossier School of Education at USC, who said, ‘Engagement is the path to achievement, so cultivate curiosity.’ This outdoor program is about cultivating curiosity.” Kayla-Marie adds, “Outdoor education opens doors through art, play and exploration, providing pathways for children that are often left behind in a school setting.”

The outdoor science program has provided a model for an arts program in which an arts teacher visits schools throughout Siskiyou County, providing arts lessons and hands-on arts projects. (See our article about this innovative program in our January 2025 issue at northstateparent.com) “Many of our teachers teach a multigrade classroom and cover all subjects,” says Barry. “To have an arts or science teacher come in and say, ‘Don’t worry, we have the hands-on materials and the lessons and we’ll do all the cleanup’ is a tremendous service to these teachers.”

Outdoor education is revolutionizing K-12 learning. “Time and time again, I’ve seen students who struggle in the classroom completely transform at outdoor school, when given time to play and explore and feel supported by nature,” Kayla-Marie says. “Connection to nature builds both individual and community resilience.”