Just before winter break, Junior Land Stewards students were out exploring Coastside open spaces together. High school students stepped into leadership roles as field guides for 4th graders, leading field-based nature journaling activities such as sound mapping, my secret plant, bird observations, ecosystem inspections, and reflective prompts like I notice / I wonder / It reminds me of.
Favorites included sound mapping, where students slowed down to listen and map the sounds of nature, and “my secret plant,” where careful observation and detailed drawings helped peers locate a hidden natural object. Each trip also included learning the story of the land—from the protection of Rancho Corral de Tierra at Farallone View, to El Granada’s Ocean Shore Railroad and the community effort to save Quarry Park, to Wavecrest’s agricultural history and coastal prairie grasslands.
Guided by their high school mentors, students had time to explore these places deeply, building curiosity, confidence, and a sense of ownership and belonging in the open spaces that surround them.
Thank you to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Cabrillo Unified School District, Granada Community Service District, and everyone who contributed during Coastside Gives for their generous support of this program.
If you would like to help this program continue to grow, please consider making a donation to support the Junior Land Stewards and the ongoing protection and stewardship of our precious open spaces.