Programs

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.

Natural History themes for your outdoor education experience 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.

Sites of Interest:

• El Morro Elfin Forest – dwarfed oak woodland in a coastal environment
• Montana de Oro State Park – Located just south of Morro Bay, this extensive park has tidepools, wave cut marine terraces, sea otter, marine mammals, extensive coastal hiking, and great vistas.
• Morro Dunes Natural Reserve – active sand spit.
• Sweet Springs Nature Preserve has salt marshes and freshwater ponds that provide interesting contrasts.
• Point Piedras Blancas – great marine mammal viewing – sea lions in season.
• Pismo Dunes – largest coastal dunes in southern California.
• San Simeon – Hearst Castle adjacent state beach with good tide pools.
• Hiking at most of the above sites plus trails to the top of the numerous volcanic plugs in the San Luis Obispo area.