North Coast
Serving Humboldt, Del Norte, Lake, Mendocino, and Sonoma Counties

Regional EE Projects

Ecological Preservation Restoration and Education Program (Eco-PREP)

At-risk youth enjoy an Eco-PREP backpack adventure in Canyon Creek in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. (courtesy of Patrick Oliver)

Pacific Coast High School students learn about careers in marine biology during an Eco-PREP field trip to the HSU Telonicher Marine Laboratory. (Courtesy of Patrick Oliver)

The Ecological Preservation Restoration and Education Program (Eco-PREP) is a non-profit environmental education service that promotes career opportunities in natural resources and science to at-risk youth in four Humboldt Community Schools. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to learn of vocational and career options, involve students with natural resource work in the field, and introduce students to local natural resource professionals.
Eco-PREP facilitates field trips to biologically significant areas of Humboldt County;  coordinates with local professionals who speak to youth about career and vocational opportunities in natural resources and science; and facilitates weekend backpacking adventures for at-risk youth through a partnership with volunteers from the Humboldt State University LEAP, Leadership Education & Adventure Program. The California Department of Education recently recognized Eco-PREP as one of 10 exemplary programs in the state.

Redwood Energy Education Project

Through REEP, students learn about the importance of energy conservation as well as alternative forms of energy. In the picture above, Eureka High School students make smoothies with a pedal-powered blender.

The Redwood Community Action Agency is joining in partnership with AmeriCorps, local educators and other community partners in developing the Redwood Energy Education Project (REEP), an innovative program designed to promote energy conservation and efficiency in homes, schools and communities. REEP develops and coordinates age-appropriate, hands on activities in energy. School-wide energy audits, solar cooker-making workshops, energy career job-shadowing and solar race-car activities are all examples of programs available for local students. Integral to REEP is the involvement of students in developing cross-age presentations on energy, utilizing the "Kids' Flex Your Power Energy Challenge." The Energy Challenge includes a fun and quick mini-home energy audit that 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th grade students do at home with their families. Families can then pledge to increase energy conservation in their homes. For more information, or to host activities or cross-age presentations, please contact Morgan King or Debbie Hart-Harris at 269-9590x207/208, or energy@rcaa.org.

HSU's Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT)

Students are learning how to make cob (a mixture of sand, clay, straw and water) at CCAT, a demonstration home pictured on the right.
Cob is a material used for building homes and furniture.

Humboldt State University’s Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) is an internationally recognized demonstration home and educational center for sustainable living. CCAT is a working home and landscape that produces almost no waste and uses less than five percent of the energy consumed by the average American home. Among the many appropriate technologies demonstrated are solar and wind electric systems, a solar hot water system; a composting privy; a gray water system; solar food cookers; a rainwater catchment system; pedal-powered appliances; a bio-fuel refinery; organic herb, vegetable and native plant gardens. CCAT also demonstrates alternative building techniques using materials such as straw-bale, cob and bamboo. CCAT provides hands-on experiential learning opportunities to students, classes and the general public, and acts as a forum for the examination of the ethical and social consequences of technology. Each year hundreds of primary and secondary school students come to CCAT for tours and activities as a means of enriching their environmental education experience. Students and the public are also encouraged to get involved in the one to two free workshops held each week, and to peruse the extensive library of books and videos on topics relating to appropriate technology and sustainable living. If you would like to schedule a tour or activity for your class, please contact us at (707) 826-3351, e-mail ccat@humboldt.edu, or go to www.humboldt.edu/~ccat. CCAT is located on the Humboldt State University campus in Arcata, California.

Schatz Energy Research Center

Scientists at the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) promote energy and environmental awareness through interactive lectures, hands-on activities, educational games, and physical demonstrations. K-12 students acquire first-hand experience with electric circuits, solar technologies, hydrogen, and fuel cells in their classrooms or at the Center. SERC is an educational institute affiliated with the Environmental Resources Engineering department at Humboldt State University. SERC was founded with the mission of promoting the use of clean and renewable energy. For more information call 707-826-4345 or email serc@humboldt.edu, and check out the website at http://www.humboldt.edu/~serc/.

Del Norte Schools Environmental Science Education Program

Del Norte Schools have developed a K-12 Environmental Science Education Program based on state content standards in science, social studies, language arts, math, and the district's American Indian Matrix. Designed in an Into-Through-Beyond format, this program endeavors to get students out into the natural environment at least once per year. Partnerships with Redwood National and State Parks, U.S. Forest Service, several Native American Rancherias and others ensure that students gain primary source information and top-notch field experiences. Culminating activities at each grade level involve students in environmental service learning projects. For more information, contact Natalie Schaefer, M.S., Environmental Science/Service Learning Director, at 707-464-0730, or nschaefer@delnorte.k12.ca.us

Headwaters Fieldtrip

Backpacks laden with field guides, binoculars and activity cards accompany students through the incredible sights and sounds of such places as the Headwaters Forest (shown above with Emily Evans, BLM), Mad River Fish Hatchery, Trinidad Beach and Ferndale. Students in Humboldt County are the benefactors of a Toyota Tapestry grant entitled the "Family Fieldtrip Program." Jeff Self, science teacher at Washington Elementary School in Eureka, CA, developed partnerships with Humboldt State, the Arcata Natural History Museum, Eureka city schools and others to design fieldtrips to immerse families in Humboldt's environmental treasures. For more information, contact Jeff at jself@humboldt1.com.

Pt. Arena School and Steelhead

Students from Arena Schools participated in steelhead fish release on the Gualala River. Fish are "rescued" from drying tributaries in the summer and raised in ponds over the summer until first significant winter rains arrive. Fish are released by gradually introducing water so as to not shock the fish with drastic temperature change. Because fish populations in the Gualala are listed as endangered, the hard work and efforts of Gualala Steelhead Project volunteers are going a long way to keeping the Gualala fishery alive. For more information contact Kim Swenson at kswen@mcn.org.

AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project

Under the guidance of resource professionals, AmeriCorps members perform service on watershed restoration and conservation projects such as the Humboldt Fish Action Council, the Freshwater Creek instream and upslope watershed restoration program, and the California Department of Fish and Game Salmonid Restoration Project. AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Project members help build communities through environmentally-based public outreach activities including assisting in the organization of community stream projects, delivering presentations to community members and service groups, and staffing public information booths at environmental fairs and other public events. Members also promote watershed awareness in K-12 classrooms by developing and presenting one day to six-week long "Real Science" environmental curricula in schools, and tutoring K-12 grade students in math and science.For more information contact AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Program at fishhelp@northcoast.com, or check out their website at http://www.northcoast.com/~fishhelp.

We want to know what's going on! Let us know of your on or off school site environmental education projects. Help us share your project ideas with others in the region/state!

To be listed on this page, contact
Allison Poklemba
North Coast CREEC Coordinator
P.O. Box 1126
Arcata, CA 95518
Phone: 707-445-4321 x104
E-mail: Allison Poklemba