Education

Environmental Actionsby: 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 and...

Slime MoldBy: EV Staff Imagine 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...

Low Tide EcologyOn 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...

Plastic Contamination: A Social-Cultural IssuePeople 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 diverse...

Sustainable ArtPhoto 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...

Our Current Efforts to Deliver New Environmental Education Initiatives to StudentsHuddart Park Nature Walk 2021Happy Spring!  All of us at Environmental Volunteers very much appreciate your support as volunteers, donors, and friends. We wanted to take a moment to...

Unexpected Upsides of Virtual ProgramsPhoto 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...

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 industrialized...

Science is No Heap of StonesI 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...

FoundationsAs 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...

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 stay...

Educational Resources for Equity and InclusionThe 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/...

How Many Species Do You See? – Distance Learning the EV Way.Photo by Brittany Sabol Photo by Brittany SabolOk, even focused on the stick, the actual number is not the important takeaway. Of course, when you start thinking about resolution of the photograph we can’t...

Backyard Circle Space ObservationPhoto 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 students...

Solar and Wind Update: Kit and OtherwiseSolar 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...

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 5...

Warm Wishes from the staff and board at Environmental Volunteers. May you and your family enjoy the wonders of Nature and the California winter nearby and far away. Dear Friends of the EV Just a few days ago, I had the chance to speak with a large audience of our...

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...

Enhancing visitors’ experience and bringing local communities together through new interactive, multi-sensorial, and bilingual educational signs. Palo Alto, CA:  Environmental Volunteers, the City of Palo Alto, and the Friends of the Baylands announce a project...

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 at...

  Ismael, 4th grader at Costaño Elementary School was asked, "Why do you like art?" He replied: "Hace paz. It's relaxing to just paint and draw. It's nice and quiet." Each spring, Environmental Volunteers partners with the Ravenswood School District to host a...

  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...

  March 2016 On a path along the bay, six students are standing in a row, peering intently through binoculars. They watch as an avocet careens over the marsh. They are captivated by the bird's quick, smooth flight. Lowering their binoculars, the students chime...

  February 12, 2016 Take a peek inside some of the Environmental Volunteers' programs in the month of February! If you'd like to join us in inspiring a love of science and nature, please take a moment to check out our many volunteer opportunities. Kid Powered at...

  "Is it science day yet?” “How many more days till we have science?" This fall, the EV is partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula to bring hands-on science and nature education to 3rd graders in their after school program. The students at...

November 2013, Sunnyvale By Kristi Wilson Frosty’s slow and steady voice could barely contain the children’s excitement as they lined up to explore their schoolyard. “When we get back to the classroom, we are going to draw pictures of what we see,” she said. “Are we...