Environmental Education
Our facility is nestled in 200 acres of a coastal redwood forest in Sonoma County, a short drive from the Pacific Ocean. Dutch Bill Creek, a Coho salmon habitat, flows through our campus and provides unique, hands-on learning opportunities.
Students may get the opportunity to explore structure & function in our microscope lab!
program descriptions
daytime programming
Forest Ecology
Students strengthen observational skills while conducting investigations on this all day redwood adventure. Students may focus on topics such as food chains, biodiversity, or redwood anatomy while exploring plant and animal communities. Typically a full day program with lunch on the trail.
Watershed Ecology
Students will explore our local watershed which includes a salmonid-bearing stream. They will carry out an investigation focused on determining the health of the watershed while learning about aquatic habitats, water chemistry, and benthic macro-invertebrates. Half or full day program.
Be The Change
Teacher Naturalists help students connect what they have learned back to their life at school. This program ends with a meaningful closure to the student’s experience at Westminster Woods. Final day closing program.
Marine Ecology (off-site)
Students will investigate marine communities by exploring estuary habitats, marine mammal ecology, or intertidal adaptations on the world-famous Sonoma County coastline (Goat Rock Beach, Shell Beach, or North Salmon Creek Beach). Tidepooling is available during low tides only. Please check ahead of time that your bus company is authorized to drive on Highway 1 or Goat Rock beach.
evening programming
Campfire
This classic campfire program blends educational and entertaining skits, songs, and stories in our redwood amphitheater. When able, we combine schools to develop camp community and create a lively campfire atmosphere.
Night Ecology
Teacher Naturalists will guide students on an exploration of the forest at night. Students may gain comfort in the nocturnal world, learn about animal adaptations, or marvel at the night sky.
Biomimicry
Biomimicry supports NGSS by welcoming students to explore structure and function. In small groups, students create new products and technologies based on designs inspired by nature. This program concludes with students presenting their product ideas through creative performance.
Watersheds
Students deepen their understanding of watersheds by viewing a locally produced video exploring our local watershed community. Students will then engage in an interactive activity focused on the water cycle.
