Resource Guide
"A Wise Investment in Earth's Future"

Models of Site-Based Environmental Education

Riverside County, Banning Unified School District, Banning High School
100 West Westward, Banning, CA 92220. In the Environmental Sciences Program (grades 10-12), students become involved in local community projects such as replanting native species in environmentally damaged areas, so as to benefit the area and practice models of community response to issues of environmental concern. Field trips are taken to study the fauna and flora in the local mountains and learn from hands-on experiences as to how the environment is affected by its residents. These students learn how to present their information and communicate their results to the public by participating in the local and regional science fairs.
Contact Larry Ellis, science teacher, (909) 922-0285.

Riverside County, Lake Elsinore Unified School District, Elsinore Middle School
1203 Graham Avenue, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. 7th and 8th grade students explore the chronic algae problems plaguing Lake Elsinore, and the related history, geology, biology, and hydrology of the area. For this work, teacher Art McMahon has created a 20 lesson, five week ecosystem study, showing the relationships between algae and dissolved oxygen, pH, nutrition from rain and soil run-off. Current data is compared with student records from the past.
Contact Art McMahon, science teacher, (909) 674-2118

Riverside County, Moreno Valley Unified School District, North Ridge Magnet
25101 Kalmia Avenue, Moreno Valley, CA 92557. Environmental Education is integrated into every aspect of the school's K-5 science, math, and technology program, a concept it has pioneered since 1990. Approximately .75 acre has been dedicated as the "Model Environmental Study Area (MESA)" where students participate daily in the care and maintenance of gardens, a large pond, drought tolerant landscaping, and developing trees. Technologies, including computer multimedia and telecommunication are utilized daily. See Mrs. Van Hala for programs on composting, recycling, and worm cultivation.
Contact (909) 485-5874.

San Bernardino County, Apple Valley Unified School District, Apple Valley Middle School
12555 Navajo Road, Apple Valley, CA 92308. Students grades 6-8 maintain a garden of local native plants. An extensive marine collection is also used for study. The Associated Student Body also initiated and currently manages a campus-recycling program.
Contact Jeff Lovat, science teacher, (760) 247-2623.

San Bernardino County, Apple Valley Unified School District, Yucca Loma Elementary
21351 Yucca Loma Road, Apple Valley, CA 92307. The staff has created a fenced outdoor study area between classrooms. K - 5 classes collect data and observe the physical and biological aspects of their 250 square foot pond, measure the growth rates of various plant species, compost school waste, and maintain a red worm bed. A weather station is used by students to monitor air quality.
Contact Mark Spencer, teacher. (760) 247-2623.

San Bernardino County, Barstow Unified School District, Lenwood School
34374 Ash Road, Barstow, CA 92311. Maintaining a 1200 square food garden, grape vines, and fruit tees, all drip irrigated, teachers use these resources to support lessons from supplementary curriculum, Life Lab, Project WILD, and Project Learning Tree. Utilizing the support of a California Environmental Education Grant, the school has developed an energy efficient Solar Aquatic Green House.
Contact Arlene Tyler (760) 253-7713.

San Bernardino County, San Bernardino Unified School District, Kimbark Elementary
18021 Kenwood Avenue, San Bernardino, CA 92407. Kimbark maintains an award winning fully integrated Environmental Education program for grades K-6. Coordinated by a science resource specialist, several gardens, a pond, a mist house, native plant arboretum, and Environmental Education center were developed to bring meaning to environmental terms. Multimedia technology in each classroom integrates computers and telecommunication to enhance learning-all with the environment as focus.
Contact Dave Goodward, resource specialist, (909) 537-6641.

San Bernardino County, San Bernardino Unified School District, North Verdemont Elementary
3557 West Meyers Road, San Bernardino, CA 92407. North Verdemont maintains a science resource specialist to coordinate the environmental science and technology program. Students K-6 participate in outdoor experiences, including regular use of a student-made nature trail, pond, and garden. Hands-on science activities and the extensive use of technology and electronic weather monitoring are included in their program. Utilizing rich community resources, the study of Native Americans is included, and Family Night Programs feature local Native Americans as guest speakers, artists, musicians, and dancers.
Contact Christina Allen, resource specialist, (909) 537-6730.

San Bernardino County, Snowline Joint Unified School District, Pinon Mesa Middle School
9298 Sheep Creek, Phelan, CA 92371. A 5-acre Outdoor Classroom provides the teachers with a natural environment to teach curriculum from all disciplines. One acre has been fenced and developed into a preserve where students study and work in and around the organic garden, pond, and weather station, while maintaining a nature trail complete with species identification tags. The remaining four acres are used for collection and natural habitat studies throughout the season.
Contact Dave Martell, science teacher, (760) 868-3126.

San Bernardino County, Upland Unified School District, Hillside High School.
1558 West 9th Street, Upland, CA 91786. Field Biology students participate in a unique partnership with the Upland Rotary Club providing trees to all the 4th grade students during the cities annual Arbor Day celebration. The students also travel in teams to the local elementary schools as "gardening ambassadors" throughout the year, providing expertise on composting and garden care to those sites with gardens. They also provide a "carry out garden" to schools that can be brought in at night for safekeeping. Students serve as trail teachers" in a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service on Mt. Baldy. These activities may serve as models for cross-disciplinary "service learning" programs.
Contact Eric Grober, biology teacher, (909) 949-8400.

San Bernardino County, Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District, Yucaipa High School
33000 Yucaipa Blvd., Yucaipa, CA 92399. Students in the Advanced Biology and Integrated Science Courses (grades 10-12) regularly visit the Crafton Hills Conservation Area adjacent to their school to observe, study, and identify the plants and insects that exist in this remnant of their natural environment. Students are trained in the use transect techniques for sampling and data collection. Chemistry students collect and test water samples from the adjacent Yucaipa Lakes Regional Park for physical properties and to survey and record the aquatic life present throughout the seasons.
Contact Rick Piercy, biology teacher, (909) 797-0106.

San Bernardino County, San Bernardino City Unified School District, Urbita Elementary
771 South J Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410. Interested upper elementary school children participate in Earth Savers, an after school club in which students learn about concepts such as conservation and recycling. Urbita elementary is deeply involved with the San Bernardino Public Services Department's Blight Buster program and Urbita students created the official beautification project for the program. Additionally, Urbita has an active school garden and garden club comprised of at-risk students. Urbita has developed active community partnerships with the Riverside County Museum and Valley College to enrich students' knowledge of the environment. Recently the school received funding from the Whale Tail Grant program to allow for the entire school to learn about the ocean through the area connection of the Santa Ana River system.
Contact Jan Donohue or Linda Gregory, Earth Savers Advisors and Teachers, (909) 383-6488.

Back to Resource Guide