EV Blogs

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ENVIRONMENTAL VOLUNTEERS Blogs

Welcome to the Environmental Volunteers blog, where we share inspiring stories, educational resources, and updates from our mission to spark curiosity and passion for nature. Whether you’re an educator, student, volunteer, or nature enthusiast, our blog offers engaging content designed to connect people of all ages to the natural world and encourage environmental stewardship. Dive into our latest posts to discover tips for exploring local ecosystems, insights from our programs, and ways you can make a difference!

EV Volunteers

Volunteer Spotlight: Arush Kumar

Visiting from Kenya, Arush chose to spend his summer vacation volunteering at the EcoCenter. His enthusiasm, goofiness, and willingness to jump in wherever he was needed have been a memorable part of the EcoCenter this season!

EcoCenter Program, Partnerships

Meet the EV EcoCenter

In 2026, we’re excited to share updates about the EcoCenter, the home of Environmental Volunteers located right here in the Palo Alto Baylands. The EcoCenter has a long and colorful history spanning over eighty years. From its beginnings as a boathouse in a...

EV Volunteers

2025 Brownlee Award Winners

We’re excited to announce the recipients of this year’s Brownlee Award for Outstanding Service – Sally Tomlinson and Helena Wee! Both are amazing volunteers, and our organization is better because of their efforts.

Education, EV Interns

EV Interns Summer 2025

Summer 2025 was full of energy as we worked with 6 amazing interns through our Sprout Up program! Their knowledge as current Sprout Up instructors and leaders at their University chapters has been invaluable. We’re so grateful for their efforts to support in-person projects and events at the EV EcoCenter, update curriculum, improve chapter resources, and plan for our Sprout Up Leadership Retreat. To learn more about them, check out their takeovers on the Sprout Up Instagram!

EV Events, EV Volunteers, Events

An Energizing Earth Month at EV

We are so excited that Environmental Volunteers was represented at 15+ Earth Month events in 2025! Our EV volunteers, staff, and board members engaged hundreds of families and kids with fun activities, recruited new volunteers and continued to spread the love for...

EV Events

WUTN 2025 Was a Great Event!

Thanks to the generous support and the collective efforts of so many, we are thrilled to share that we have raised over $240,000!  These funds will go a long way in helping us reach more schools, expand our corps of volunteers, and provide even more students with...

EV Volunteers

Special Volunteers Honored in February

Almost 20 years ago, the Environmental Volunteers received a special annuity from the Robert Brownlee Foundation, establishing The Robert Brownlee Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. This award recognizes outstanding volunteer service to the EV that impacts...

Education

Virtual Resources Available for Schools

Environmental Volunteers is committed to supporting schools, classes and students with quality environmental education experiences, even when normal life is disrupted, or in-person instruction isn’t possible. Using the curriculum originally developed during...

EV Interns

2023/2024 EV Intern Blog

One of my favorite memories from this internship was the teach-backs we did during training. We had the chance to act like elementary school students, goofing around and acting silly. 

EV Interns

A year with our Cristo Rey CWSP Intern

Cristo Rey is a private Jesuit high school. It is part of a network of dozens of other Cristo Rey schools nationwide. CRSJ was established in 2014, and its first graduating class was in 2018. The graduating class of 2024 will be the 7th.

EV Events

Fall BioBlitz

In October, EV  hosted our Fall BioBlitz public program sponsored by the City of Palo Alto. For the last couple of years EV hosts multiple bioblitz events to raise awareness, promote community engagement, and collect biological data in the Baylands. Next summer the...

Nature

EV staff field trip to Los Trancos

We offer an Earthquake Field Trip to Los Trancos to our school and homeschool groups so they can learn more about Earthquakes on location. Teachers, learn more about this program here! Our staff took a field trip to Los Trancos to train to support this program!...

EV Interns

New Year, New Education Intern Adventures

New Year, New Education Intern Adventures Developing Weather & Climate models with Eo Eo teaching students about landfills As an intern you have the unique opportunities to teach children and also learn how the EV develops their curriculum material. This year...

Education, EV Volunteers

Environmental Actions

Environmental Actions by: Natalie AmbrosioThey come in all shapes and sizes, but the important thing is that they keep coming in whatever form feasible. Here at the EV we watch what happens when children are inspired to learn, engage and share about the environment...

EV Volunteers

Ways to Get Involved

Ways to Get Involved Volunteer At Environmental Volunteers, we connect passionate people with opportunities to share their love of science and nature with others. You don’t need experience to join the team; our training and mentoring programs provide you with all...

Nature

Why Does Wildlife Matter?

Why Does Wildlife Matter? by: Allison Cheng“Each species is a masterpiece, a creation assembled with extreme care and genius.”E.O. WilsonDid you know that tiny krill can have as much of an impact on the environment as their massive whale predators? Or that removing...

Nature

Why do wetlands matter?

Why do wetlands matter? by Allison ChengCharleston Slough, Mountain ViewWhy Do Wetlands Matter? Today’s public opinions on wetlands are as diverse as the plant and animal species they shelter. Opponents of wetlands may believe they have little to no value. By...

Local Adventures, Nature

Slime Mold

Slime Mold By: EV StaffImagine taking a Bay Area winter hike and seeing this: Photo by: Kelly Graham (“eggs”) What you’re looking at are unrelated eukaryotic organisms informally called Slime Mold, a brainless, single-celled organism. There are over 900 species of...

EcoCenter Program

Native Gardens

Native Gardens At the EcoCenter in Palo Alto, CA In November, 2021; Environmental Volunteers had the pleasure of Juanita Salisbury, a California Native Garden residential and commercial landscape architect help design and facilitate the new native gardens at the...

EV Volunteers

Gifts from the Kitchen

Gifts from the Kitchen As we navigate what-is-safe with our family and friends this holiday season, we can all agree the next best thing to a hug are yummy treats from the kitchen. Enjoy EV’s selection of packable and gift approved recipes.Click here to download a...

Local Adventures

Birding at Foothills Nature Preserve

Birding at Foothills Nature Preserve BY DIANE MCCOY AND EVE MEIER View from Foothills Nature PreserveA lake for winter ducks and summer swallows, a panoramic vista for soaring hawks and cruising vultures, redwoods and oaks for woodpeckers, juncos, and bluebirds,...

Hike

Minimalist Backpacking

Minimalist Backpacking by: Emma CieslikHello! My name is Emma Cieslik and I am an Education Intern this year! I am a Junior at Santa Clara University and I love hiking and spending time outside. Studying Environmental Science has not only allowed me to observe and...

Hike

Cooley Landing Trail Loop

Cooley Landing Trail Loop Nestled behind the Palo Alto Airport hides a gem of an outdoor opportunity for all ages; the EcoCenter in Palo Alto Baylands. This public nature center can be the jumping off point to the Cooley Landing Trail Loop.EcoCenter in the...

Nature

It’s an Entangled Life for Fungi

It’s an Entangled Life for Fungi The “Entangled Life” by Merlin Sheldrake is a book about fungi and its effect in the world. As many people learn when they take biology in high school, nature and ecosystems are truly connected. In his book, Sheldrake brilliantly...

Events

Low Tide Ecology

Low Tide Ecology On June 27th, children, parents, walkers, hikers, bikers, and nature lovers flocked to the Environmental Volunteers’ Low Tide Ecology event in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve. It was a perfect clear-blue morning as participants embarked on a...

Nature

Nature Poetry and beyond

Nature Poetry and beyond Hi everyone! My name is Maya Xu, and I’m a current senior at Crystal Springs Uplands School. I started at Crystal when I moved to the Bay Area from Hong Kong in 9th grade, where I’d been trying to increase climate awareness at my middle...

Education

Plastic Contamination: A Social-Cultural Issue

Plastic Contamination: A Social-Cultural Issue People and businesses use plastic items every day for convenience, but a social-cultural study proves that using too much plastic has negative effects on people and their communities. It is important to explore the...

Education, EV Interns

Learning to Learn (and Teach) Online

Virtual School Program on Plants and their Parts for 1st grade A little bit about me Hello! My name is Morayo and I am the Education Intern this year! I’m a Junior at Santa Clara University studying Political Science and Environmental Studies. I was born and raised...

Education

Sustainable Art

Sustainable Art Photo by Roland Hipkins 1935 The environment has always been a prominent subject in all forms of art. Landscape paintings and wildlife photography are forms of art which capture what we see, or even feel, in nature. Performance art such as music and...

Education

Unexpected Upsides of Virtual Programs

Unexpected Upsides of Virtual Programs Photo by Montserrat SuarezI think most of us can agree that we’d prefer to work with students in person – that’s one of the main reasons we got into the field of Environmental Education in the first place, after all! Having to...

Nature

VESPER FLIGHTS – book by Helen MacDonald

VESPER FLIGHTS – book by Helen MacDonald Vesper SparrowThis past year, author of H is for Hawk, Helen MacDonald published her latest book, Vesper Flights. It is a diverse collection of 41 essays about the human relationship to nature. From Mars to murmurations,...

Education

Soil health – watch and learn

Soil health – watch and learn “Kiss the Ground” summary: Kiss the Ground discussed the topic of climate change and how the Earth’s soil is able to draw tons of atmospheric carbon out of the air. It goes deep into the ways tilling, pesticides, and other...

Nature

The wide world of deer

The wide world of deer As we continue into this holiday season, I am amazed by the effects that the weather takes on our surrounding wilderness. What better animal to kick off the festivities than our beloved reindeer? Although these animals are not local to the...

EV Volunteers

Thanksgiving Recipes from the EV

Thanksgiving Recipes from the EV This holiday season, we wanted to share a collection of squash recipes from our amazing volunteers. We all worked hard as a team to bring you the healthiest and most flavorful meals you can experience with your family during your...

Local Adventures

Fall Birding at the Emily Renzell Ponds

Fall Birding at the Emily Renzell Ponds GadwallThe fall birding season is shaping up at Emily Renzell Ponds. With, thankfully, blue skies and cooler temps there’s lots to see. Hundreds of ducks will greet you as you arrive at the north pond and the surrounding...

Local Adventures

Outdoor Adventures at Fremont Older

Outdoor Adventures at Fremont Older Calling all hiking enthusiasts! If you live in West San Jose near Miller Middle School or Lynbrook High School, I recommend hiking in the Fremont Older park. In this park, there are endless trails and there are signs indicating...

Education

Science is No Heap of Stones

Science is No Heap of Stones I remember a rather passionate discussion I had with my mother (a former school teacher) early in my career about curriculum design. The question: are there certain specific facts that every student needs to know? She felt passionately...

Education

Foundations

Foundations As environmental educators, one could argue the EV is duty-bound to teach about climate change. It is a crisis unfolding before our eyes and we need to be acting on it now. However, widely accepted guidance for teaching about environmental crises is to...

Education

New Field Trip Programs

New Field Trip Programs Lichen found on a park survey The world of education, and especially outdoor field trips, has obviously changed quite a bit over the last 6 months. Schools are starting the year in full distance-learning mode, and in-person groups have to...

Nature

Assembling California by John McPhee

Assembling California by John McPhee View of San Andreas Fault from Monte Bello Preserve. Photo by Judy KramerEV Book Club selection, July 2020This is the story of how the land we live on came to be. Migrating oceanic and continental plates, over millions of years,...

Education

Taking the EcoCenter Outside

Taking the EcoCenter Outside The EcoCenter is many things; the Environmental Volunteer’s main office building, a historic landmark in the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, and a nature interpretive center! Every Friday and the first and third Saturdays of the...

Education

Educational Resources for Equity and Inclusion

Educational Resources for Equity and Inclusion The following resources may help you build your understanding about being more equitable and inclusive. Why jokes can be harmful: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/the-joke-isnt-funny-its-harmful/...

EV Volunteers

EV Special Project Days

EV Special Project Days Volunteer Photo by Christine ZackScissors? Check. Glue gun? Check. Laminator? Check. Chocolates? Check. It’s Special Project Day – Morning at the EcoCenter! Volunteers get to clean, fix-up, re-stock, repair and/or replace items in the school...

Education

Backyard Circle Space Observation

Backyard Circle Space Observation Photo by EV staffAn activity I’ve used in the elementary classroom focuses attention in a defined area. Using a jump rope, outline a circle area outside on the ground – grassy area or garden area with lots of small plants. Ask...

Education

Solar and Wind Update: Kit and Otherwise

Solar and Wind Update: Kit and Otherwise Solar Panels on top of the EcoCenter. Photo by Brittany Sabol.Our favorite advantages/disadvantages kits were created over five years ago, so I, the lucky intern, got the privilege of conducting research to see if any of the...

Nature

Birding By the Book

Birding By the Book By Larry Spivak How did I become a birder? Well, quite simply, I spent most of my younger life in the woods. Vacation meant camping all over California. Summer meant three months at my grandparents on a 60-acre parcel in the redwoods with my...

EV Volunteers

Squid Empire Book Review

California Market squid – NOAA One of the many popular EV kits used for school services is “Squid Dissection.” For those of you who shy away from presenting this kit or have a hard time getting past the usual fifth graders’ reactions of “yuck” and nervous...

Events

6th Grade Science Day

February 26th and 27th dawned unexpectedly warm and sunny, which turned out to be just perfect for the large groups of 6th-grade students that arrived at our EcoCenter. As part of the larger Mountain View Whisman School District Collaboration, the EV partnered with...

EV Volunteers

Volunteering and So Much More

Photo by Molly Landrith One of the joys of being the Volunteer Coordinator at the EV is that I get the privilege of watching volunteers not only learn how to teach kids about the environment, but also make strong friendships along the way.  Individuals come to...

Education

The Awesomeness of Biodiversity

Photo by Christine Zack Over the last several years, the Environmental Volunteers Education Committee has taken on the somewhat daunting task of updating all of our curriculum to better support the new “Next Generation Science Standards.” This process has not only...

Nature

King Tides in the Baylands

Extra High Tides Winter 2019-2020 All tides over 9.0’ Can you imagine being warned that if you need to get out of the building, you need to go soon, or else you might be stuck for a couple of hours? This happens several times a year at the EcoCenter because the...

Education

The most important step in teaching science…

Picture this: a science classroom with rows of desks all facing the blackboard. Students receive a set of instructions. They dutifully complete steps 1, 2, and 3. They get the predetermined result. They read a paragraph explaining what happened.  Have you ever done...

Events

Human Resources for our Nature Resource

Several months ago Molly Landrith and Hazel Watson joined forces to put together the first-ever Silicon Valley Volunteer Fair. The idea was to bring together several environmental organizations that use volunteers in one event so that interested volunteers could...

Education

June News

The school year has wrapped up and it has been another great year. Here at the EcoCenter, we get excited as our last school program volunteer spots fill up and we reach the end of the school year without having to cancel any programs. Our year by the numbers...

Education

Environmental Volunteers Impact Map

Check out our the interactive maps for a glimpse of schools we serve in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, as well as Field Trip Fund recipient schools, and Field Trip Fund education sites. Our traditional school programs reach more than 10,000 students per year...

Nature

Barnacles barnacles BaRnAcLeS

Like its crustacean relatives, crabs and lobsters, barnacles have a hard exoskeleton and multiple segmented legs. These legs, however, no longer function as legs but have become specialized feeding and respiratory appendages. In addition to the exoskeleton,...

Education

A Curriculum that Cultivates Stewards

  When it comes to the field of environmental education, the Environmental Volunteers is a leader in providing high-quality, hands-on curriculum for schools. The EV’s Educate for Depth program for elementary schools now has extensive quantitative evidence...

Local Adventures

Being in the Woods: A Huddart Park Story

Woodside California On a bright spring morning, 2nd graders from Addison School in Palo Alto traveled to Huddart Park for a field trip with Environmental Volunteers. They were bursting with excitement for their 2-hour nature hike, where they would discover the...