Located on the south side of Morro Bay, Montana de Oro is a wild place where the land meets the ocean in dramatic ways.
There are no showers. Shuttle time to Morro Bay is twenty minutes: Tent camping at Montana de Oro State Park with a camp kitchen and trail/ picnic lunches.
Students discover the unique natural and human history of the area, develop group cooperation through a shared experience, enhance leadership abilities, and learn basic outdoor skills. The Naturalists at Large program is designed to give the students a “sense of place.” This will be accomplished by introducing them to the natural and cultural history of the area while they explore the various habitats. The program will emphasize a basic introduction to the diverse environments of the Central Coast. NAL will take responsibility for evening activities for the group. Evening activities will include an all-class evening program, star walks, night hikes, campfires, and other programs developed with the school.
NAL instructors will conduct outdoor education hikes and related activities. In addition, they will be encouraged to solve physical and intellectual challenges posed by the NAL instructors.
Natural History themes can include the coastal chaparral community, north coast forest, fire ecology, the oak woodlands forest, shoreline geology, tidepools (very extensive along this shoreline), basic astronomy, and environmental influences on plant size and diversity during an examination of the pygmy forest. Emphasis will be tailored to complement the schools goals.