Coastside Land Trust’s Junior Land Stewards (JLS) program continues to grow - alongside the educators behind it.

Last week, 4th grade teachers from across Cabrillo Unified School District gathered for the second JLS teacher workshop of the year. Led by JLS Program Manager Haley Peterson and Nature Journaling Educator Elexis Padron, the group spent an immersive afternoon exploring one of El Granada’s most special (and often overlooked) natural spaces: the local monarch overwintering site.

Tucked within a eucalyptus forest and doubling as a seasonal wetland, this remarkable place hums with biodiversity. Frogs, snakes, raptors, songbirds, and native plants all find refuge here. Careful observers can even spot the distinctive sap wells created by a yellow-bellied sapsucker etched into the bark of towering trees. And yet, despite its ecological richness, the site remains unprotected and is currently owned by the district — a detail that made the visit feel both meaningful and urgent.

Over the course of 90 minutes, teachers fanned out and followed their curiosity. One knelt beside nearby vernal pools, absorbed in close observation. Another carefully documented the shape and texture of oxalis leaves. A third spent the entire time sketching a cluster of mushrooms. One stood still beneath the canopy, pencil poised, recording every bird call drifting through the trees. The morning’s bird list was a delight: spotted towhee, ruby-crowned kinglet, yellow-rumped warbler, Anna’s hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, chestnut-backed chickadee, and even a great horned owl.

This is the heart of nature journaling - there’s no wrong way in. Whether you’re a data collector, an artist, a listener, or simply a wonderer, the journal becomes a tool for genuine connection with the natural world. These are the habits of attention and curiosity teachers will carry back to their classrooms and share with students through the Junior Land Stewards program.

But the workshop offers something beyond pedagogy. It provides a rare opportunity for educators to slow down together — to step away from lesson plans and rediscover their own sense of awe. That kind of renewal matters, not just for teachers, but for the young people they inspire.

We’re grateful to Haley, Elexis, and every teacher who showed up with open eyes and a pencil. The Junior Land Stewards program is stronger because of the educators who believe in it — and because of the wild places, like this quiet eucalyptus grove in El Granada, that remind us what’s worth protecting.