NatureTrack is starting off its twelfth field trip season with more than 60 excursions scheduled in September alone, the nonprofit recently announced.
“We have 69 trips on the books so far,” founder Sue Eisaguirre announced to a group of NatureTrack docents during the official opening of the foundation's new Buellton office held on Sept. 6. The new office is located at 290 Valley Station Road.
By design, the K-8 program tailors outdoor trips to the curriculum requested by the teacher, free of cost, and also provides transportation to and from the local trails and beaches.
“Our trips are more than just learning about nature, it’s about developing a love for our natural world," Eisaguirre noted.
Eisaguirre launched NatureTrack after working at the UCSB Sedgewick Reserve as the outreach and K-12 coordinator to provide a cost-free outdoor field trip program for students that would supplement classroom studies.
Since its launch in 2011, more than 30,000 students have experienced a NatureTrack docent-led hike on local trails and beaches throughout northern and southern Santa Barbara County, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit said.
Some areas covered include trips up and down the coast, from Guadalupe Dunes to Carpinteria State Beach and inland to Nojoqui Falls, Midland School Trails and Sedgewick Reserve.
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According to the spokeswoman, the foundation has one docent for every five students to better offer individualized learning.
Additionally, the foundation's new Freedom Trax program has made the outdoor program more inclusive, offering students, teachers, and docents who may need to use a wheelchair the opportunity to participate in outdoor exploration.
Freedom Trax has so far made tracks in the sand at Pismo Beach, San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura County and numerous Santa Barbara state and county beaches, the spokeswoman said.
According to reports, kids 8 to 12 years old spend six to eight hours per day on entertainment media and only six to eight minutes in unstructured outdoor play. And numerous studies have shown that time spent in the outdoors influences a healthier lifestyle.
NatureTrack is recruiting docent volunteers to lead field trips. The program is structured to work around docents' schedules. There is no set number of hours or days required to volunteer.
For more information, contact Sue Eisaguirre at 805-886-2047 or via email at Sue@NatureTrack.org
