Walking in the outdoor learning lab

Binocular lessons

New wetland to study

Field trips to the Refuge are scheduled through May for K through 8 grades for students attending Alturas Elementary and Middle School. Trips to the River Center during April created curiosity and prepared students for the Refuge trips. The students tried out the new floor and loved it!

The River Center, Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, Alturas Elementary School, and Modoc High School's Natural Resources Academy are joining forces to adopt an area in the Pit River Watershed. This project is designed to educate students and adults in our community about watershed health and management while giving students in our district an opportunity to complete a hands-on, place-based learning project.

The selected area is located south of the Refuge entrance and is known as the Sub-Headquarters. It provides easy access for buses and is close to town.

The long term vision for this project is that each grade level at Alturas Elementary School, Modoc Middle School, the outlying schools, and Modoc High School's Natural Resources Academy will visit the adopted site or the Pit River on a yearly basis. Each year the visit will include a service project and educational activities designed by River Center staff that will address the grade level state standards. Natural resource specialists from the River Center, the Modoc NWR, the Pit River Watershed Alliance and the Modoc National Forest will work with students the day of the field trip.

Projects may include; stream bank restoration, plant activities, animal and plant observation and inventories, water quality monitoring, soil sampling, and other enhancement projects. The students will create a portfolio that will follow them through the grades showing activities, monitoring projects, and reflection pieces created each year.

We hope this program will give students a sense of pride in their community and an opportunity to visit and watch the positive changes that they will help create. If you have any questions please contact Laura VanAcker at (530) 233-4656 or (530) 233-5085.

"Taking students into the field is a great way to learn. The kids are very impressed that this is all in their own backyard."
Mrs. Chandler K-3, Arlington Elementary School

Taking water to newly plated trees	New trees planted by students
Hands on tree planting	More hands on planting
Learning teamwork	Sandhill Cranes flying - observed by 35+ students