Category: CAPP Resources

CAELI Partner Portal Resources February 2026

1. PORTS


Description: PORTS stands for Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students. Bring CA State Parks into the classroom, digitally. Over 55 parks in all corners of the state, they have free resources for you! Nature, Science, History, Culture. You name it, they’ve got it. Check out the PORTS website for program offerings.

2. Nature Journaling Curriculum by John Muir Laws



Description: Nature Journaling is a powerful adjunct to teaching science and should be a standard part of every classroom. Journaling is an ideal way to explore the Next Generation Science Standards. 
How to Teach Nature Journaling is the comprehensive guide for educators, parents and those who wish to mentor others to develop journaling skills. It is available both as a printed book and a free PDF download. Order or download it here. 
The second edition of the acclaimed curriculum, Opening the World through Journaling: Integrating art, science, and language arts, is also available as a free download. Download the curriculum here.  

4.   Life Lab School Garden Resources   


Description: Are you looking to build a new garden or reinvigorate your already existing school garden this spring? Life Lab offers numerous school garden resources for educators including lessons, activities, recipes, art in the garden, planting tips, and webinars. They also provide resources in Spanish. Additionally, Life Lab offers educator workshops including virtual offerings. Check out the Life Lab website for school garden educator resources.

5.  Green Schoolyards America: Outdoor Learning in All Types of Weather


Description: Outdoor learning on a sunny day is a relatively straightforward undertaking. However, very few places in the United States can count on constant sunshine and moderate weather. So the idea of bringing learning outdoors often leads to this question: What happens when it is cold or hot or stormy? With planning and preparation, it is possible to carry on outdoor learning in a variety of types of weather. Depending on the season and region, weather challenges may include heat, cold, wind, rain, and snow that range from mild to moderate or severe. Schools in all regions will need to have multiple plans for addressing the variability of weather throughout the seasons and on any given day. Check out the resources and recommendations provided at the Green Schoolyards America website on weather considerations.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources December 2025

1. CNRA Educational Portal


Looking for resources to help expand your understanding of the natural world around you? Check out these learning tools below from across CNRA’s departments, bringing nature, culture, science, and learning for all! Topics included are conservation, biodiversity, forestry and fire, oceans, science and environment, tribal, water, energy, and fish and wildlife. Visit the educational portal HERE.

2. Monterey Bay Aquarium Free Science Curriculum

Want to make science meaningful and relevant for your students? Check out the inquiry-based curriculum from the Monterey Bay Aquarium that will engage your students with hands-on learning and supports Next Generation Science Standards through classroom or field experiences. Topics include plastic in the water column, schoolyard quadrat investigations, shark anatomy, dishplan tide pool, and much more! Sort by grade level, by exhibit or a combination of both. To view the lessons, visit their website HERE.

3. BEETLES: Lead Outdoor Science Experiences


Better Environmental Education Teaching, Learning and Expertise Sharing (BEETLES) provides three types of resources for teaching science outdoors. Check out the instructor support materials where you will find handouts and reading materials to increase your understanding of teaching and learning science outdoors. Visit the BEETLES website HERE.

4. Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Program for Teachers and Educators




It’s that time of year for western monarch butterflies to migrate and overwinter in forested groves along the coast of California. We know from butterfly counts that their population numbers are drastically down. How can you help? Pollinators are an accessible and easy-to-understand gateway to the larger natural world. You can explore the role of pollinators in virtually any landscape and share the ecology of these fascinating animals with youth and community groups of any age and any background. Learn to identify the common groups of pollinators in your region, contribute to grassroots science, and become a community leader by sharing the pollinator conservation message. You can learn about invertebrates, pollinators, and contribute to meaningful data collection. Visit the Xerces Society website HERE.

5. In the Americas with David Yetman


If you are interested in expanding your geological knowledge of the Sierra Nevada, check out these two videos that feature host David Yetman. 

California’s Sierra Nevada is the largest and highest mountain range in the continental US. Both episodes feature renowned tectonic specialist Eldridge Moores.
Episode #205 – Ice, Rock, and Water: The Sierra Nevada
Episode #304 – Sierra Nevada and the Making of California

CAELI Partner Portal Resources November 2025

1. NAAEE Environmental Educator Knowledge and Skills: Guidelines for Excellence


This is a comprehensive set of recommendations about the knowledge and skills or competencies educators use to provide effective environmental education. Environmental Educator Knowledge and Skills: Guidelines for Excellence outlines the experiences and learning that will help educators foster environmental literacy, plan environmental education programs, and implement them. These guidelines suggest a broad vision—a goal to work toward and a guide for personal, professional, and programmatic development. Free download available HERE.


2. Outdoor Learning Store: Birding Tools & Resources



Birds are such a fantastic way of connecting the local schoolyard or backyard with the wider natural environment. Birds are visible and identifiable and they provide learners with the opportunity to make connections with the ecosystem that they are part of. The Outdoor Learning Store offers some fantastic resources for helping your students learn through birding. View their resources HERE.

3. Children & Nature Network Research Library

This is the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed literature about nature’s benefits for children. Each month, they review the latest research on children and nature, then choose and summarize the most relevant studies to add to the library. The sheer volume of research now available makes a compelling case that when children have access to nature, they are healthier, happier, smarter, and better stewards of the environment. Explore the library HERE.

4. NAAEE Podcast: Love as the Root of Impactful Nature-based Education with Sean Southey


What does it mean to fall in love with nature—and why does that love matter for the future of our planet? In this episode of The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast, host Gerry Ellis sits down with Sean Southey, CEO of the Canadian Wildlife Federation and longtime champion of nature-based education, to explore how love and connection form the foundation of lasting change. Join us as we hear from someone whose confidence in love’s ability to change the world and our relationship to it is both inspiring and activating. 

Sean shares powerful stories about how nature-based education transforms not only classrooms, but also communities, shaping how we live, lead, and care for the world around us. This conversation reveals why fostering a culture of care begins with the simple act of helping people connect—and fall in love—with nature. Sean guides listeners through the stages of reflection from childhood memories of wild play to global movements like Nature for All and Outdoor Grannies, from that one teacher who planted seeds of connection with nature to the potential for a more caring and connected community spanning countries and continents. Listen HERE.

5. Children & Nature Network  How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value


Nature-filled schoolyards – or green schoolyards – provide a wealth of well-documented benefits for children’s health, well-being and learning. A growing number of communities also recognize the role of green schoolyards in supporting climate resilience. And there’s another key benefit. A new report, “How Green Schoolyards Create Economic Value,” authored by former Federal Reserve economist Rob Grunewald, outlines the economic returns that can accompany investments in greening school grounds. Read the report HERE.

6. YMCA: The Nature of the Outdoors: Stronger Youth Development Through Exploration



This groundbreaking study examines the Skills for Thriving development of over 5,000 young people in outdoor programs across multiple states, comparing their growth to peers in other programs. While all different types of programming promote these capacities, the results of this study are striking, showing that engagement in outdoor programs significantly boosts Skills for Thriving, particularly among male and Latine youth, who form deeper connections with peers and mentors.

These findings demonstrate the benefits of the outdoors in cultivating a Positive Youth Development culture that enhances growth. This has significant implications for out-of-school programs and highlights ways using the outdoors more intentionally could redefine youth development leading to better mental well-being, stronger relationships, and greater educational and employment engagement for youth today. Read the report HERE.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources September 2025

1. A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy



Description: This month marks the 10 year anniversary of the publication of A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy. Educating Every California Student In, About, and For the Environment.

The Blueprint for Environmental Literacy sparked a statewide movement to integrate environmental literacy into the heart of California’s education system. CAELI carries the vision and the work forward today. We are celebrating a number of major milestones and the impacts we’ve made over the last ten years. Read all about them in the Ten Strands newsletter.

2.Seeds to Solutions: Wildfires, 5th grade unit



Description: In the fifth grade unit on Wildfires, students begin by observing that there are more fires now than in previous decades, prompting them to wonder about the best ways to prevent wildfires. They investigate the natural and human causes of wildfires and the solutions humans have to contain wildfires, from hand crews to helicopters. Students investigate how factors like temperature, dry fuels like shrubs and grass, and wind can cause fires to spread quickly, while factors like rain can lower the spread of fire. Students explore how forests in California have been managed over time, including the cultural practices of Indigenous Californians and prescribed burns. This sparks wondering about California’s ability to use prescribed and cultural burns. Students explore solutions to mitigate wildfires, culminating in an action plan. Resources and guidance are provided for teachers to help students manage emotions around wildfires, as well as how to engage indigenous experts about fire in California. Learn more by exploring this Seeds to Solution fifth grade unit on Wildfires.

3. NAAEE eePro



Description:  eePro is the global online community for everyone who cares about education and creating a more fair and sustainable future. Connect with other EE professionals, participate in discussions in eePro groups, and find and share resources, events, and opportunities. You can even post or look for a job!
Join eePro today.

4. AEOE – California eeGuidance for Equitable Pay and Hiring in Environmental Education



Description: Environmental education, like many other sectors, endeavors to answer the calls to examine its history of institutional racism and discrimination, adopt more inclusive hiring practices and address inequities in compensation and benefits packages to make our field more equitable, welcoming and sustainable. Using the findings from a landscape analysis they conducted, this report provides recommendations and highlights some best practices for environmental and outdoor education organizations. Once applied, these standards and resources will help improve employee retention, attract more diverse talent, create a sustainable career path, and establish our field as a viable profession.

5.  California Coastal Commission – Resources for Educators


Description:  The California Coastal Commission will hold its annual Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, September 20th. Their website offers teachers and other educators numerous resources and streaming videos for students of different grade levels. Video topics include community engagement and coastal management, climate change, environmental justice and redlining, marine and coastal biodiversity, and general ocean information, marine debris, and ocean acidification. Now is a great time to learn more about our coastlines and oceans.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources August 2025

1. NAAEE Podcast Series: The World We Want, Episode 11: Through the Lens: EE Efforts from the South Side to San Antonio




Description: Filmmakers James Parker and Juliet Grable have discovered that assumptions about perceived divides often dissolve when people connect over what we share: the planet. In Our Nature investigates how EE proves to be one of the most effective tools for building community and finding common ground. 

In this conversation, James and Juliet reveal how environmental education addresses several interconnected crises of our time: children’s increasing screen time, the loneliness epidemic, declining mental health, and widening social-political divisions. They dive into how meaningful connections—to each other, to place, and to the natural world—can be powerful antidotes to social disconnection. Through immersive, on-the-ground storytelling, they show how EE is uniquely positioned to rebuild trust across gaps in varying lived experiences and identities. Both filmmakers argue that in an age of digital isolation, the need for place-based, community-centered environmental education has never been more urgent.

2. Seeds to Solutions




Description: Why Seeds to Solutions? Students are witnessing environmental changes in their communities, like extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires. Yet, until now, teachers have lacked California-specific instructional resources to address these critical topics. Seeds to Solutions™ changes that, delivering the tools educators need to engage and empower.
Seeds to Solutions™ is a set of free, solutions-oriented instructional resources for grades K–12 on California environmental issues. Developed in response to teacher and community demand, the lessons empower students to address real-world environmental issues, from food waste to water use to wildfire management. Age-appropriate, solutions-focused, and trauma-informed, Seeds to Solutions prepares students to be environmentally literate, engaged community members. Browse the units by grade level.

3. CA Foundation for Ag in the Classroom Teaching Resources




Description:  CA Ag in the Classroom provides a variety of resources to teachers, after-school coordinators, and anyone educating students in grades K-12. The resources can be downloaded or one can order a set at no cost. Resources are listed by type such as Grab Bag, Lesson Plans, Learning About Ag, Fact Sheets, Farm to You, Ag-Bites, Great Reads, Farm to School, School Gardens, Early Childhood Ag, and more! You can also search by subject, keyword or grade level.
These resources are valuable for all educators who want to teach their students about California agriculture, where we grow so much of the world’s food!

4. Project WET Teaching Resources


Description: Project WET activities are science-based. Content experts review the information, and educators and students field test the materials. They are Interactive. Engaging students through questioning and other inquiry-based strategies, educators involve students in hands-on lessons and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning by seeking answers to real-world problems, playing games to explore scientific concepts, and reflecting, debating and sharing by creating songs, stories and dramas. The activities are 
multisensory. Full-body activities engage the senses, which research shows enhance learning. The activities are also solution-oriented. Project WET believes in linking awareness and education to action and solutions. Explore their resources Here.

5. Children & Nature Network: Learn to Nature Journal with John Muir Laws


Description: Nature journaling offers numerous benefits, including enhanced observational skills, improved mental and emotional well-being, and a deeper connection to the natural world. It can also boost cognitive functions like critical thinking and creativity. Additionally, nature journaling can reduce stress and anxiety, and foster a sense of awe and wonder.

Join award-winning artist, author, educator and scientist, John Muir Laws, for a two-hour hands-on virtual class where he will share his best tips and tricks for nature journaling learned through his 40 years of teaching and illustrating (recorded on June 7, 2025).

CAELI Partner Portal Resources July 2025

1. Call to Action Green Careers Report: Educating for a Green Economy


Description: This report is a Call to Action to provide universal access to quality green career education. California needs a statewide strategic plan—a “California Roadmap to Educating for a Green Economy”—and coordinated statewide implementation of this plan to meet the demand for a skilled green workforce and realize our state’s potential for enhanced economic mobility and equity through green jobs. Visit the CAELI website to download the report.

2. AEOE Job Board and NAAEE eeJobs Board





Description: With a flurry of activity this year related to funding cuts and the elimination of jobs, some folks may be searching for new employment opportunities in environmental and outdoor education. If you’re in the hunt for employment or a new career pathway, check out the AEOE Job Board and the NAAEE eeJobs Board.

3. CASE Journal of Science Education, Special Edition on Climate Change: PK-12 Education as a Pillar of the Solution for Bending the Global Warming Curve





Description: Climate change is an urgent problem. Because it is causing new weather extremes and fatal catastrophes, climate change is better termed climate disruption. Bending the curve to flatten the upward trajectory of pollution emissions responsible for climate disruption is essential for protecting billions of people from this global threat. Education must become a pillar and an integral part of the solution. Great article by Dr. V. Ram Ramanathan, a Distinguished Professor of Climate and Atmospheric Sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

4. CA Natural Resources Agency: Outdoors for All. Providing Equitable Access to Parks and Nature


Description: California is known around the world for its iconic and beautiful outdoor places. People travel from far and wide to spend time outdoors here, from national and state parks to beaches, mountains, forests, deserts, lakes, and rivers. These diverse environments support health and wellbeing, and the varied climate supports a year-round outdoor lifestyle that has become part of California’s identity. Yet for too many Californians, these places, recreational activities, and their benefits remain out of reach. The Outdoors for All strategy charts progress on equitable outdoor access to date, highlights work underway, and identifies additional actions to realize the promise of a California for All. This strategy outlines pathways that governments, community organizations, philanthropy, private sector, and residents across California can take together to continue increasing access to the outdoors and nature. 

5. Project Learning Tree: All About Wildfires: Causes, Effects, and Educational Activities


  


Description: Wildfires in the United States have become steadily more common in the last few decades. And while some wildfires naturally occur and help keep forest ecosystems healthy, an astounding 84% of wildfires are caused by human-related activities. Wildfires not only devastate lives and destroy property—they also accelerate climate change. There is an important link between wildfire frequency and intensity and varying forest management practices. Whether you are in peak fire season in North America (summer), or any other time of year, it’s always a great time to make your students aware of the differences between healthy and damaging fire, the natural and unnatural ways fires start and spread, the effect of wildfires on the environment, and how to manage and prevent them. This article from PLT covers these topics and includes classroom activities for all grade levels that will give your students a deeper understanding of wildfires.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources June 2025

1. Seeds to Solutions



Description: Seeds to Solutions™ is a set of free, solutions-oriented instructional resources for grades K–12 on California environmental issues. Developed in response to teacher and community demand, the lessons empower students to address real-world environmental issues, from food waste to water use to wildfire management. Age-appropriate, solutions-focused, and trauma-informed, Seeds to Solutions prepares students to be environmentally literate, engaged community members. Seeds to Solutions includes everything needed to teach the topic and guide student investigations. It aligns with CA standards and Environmental Principles & Concepts. It transforms classroom learning into discussions that go beyond school, and it empowers students to explore environmental solutions with confidence. Browse the units by grade level at Seeds to Solutions. 

2. California Urban Tree Canopy Viewer and Change Analysis Tool


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Description: CAL FIRE and the USDA Forest Service are proud to announce the release of the California Urban Tree Canopy Viewer and Change Analysis Tool. This interactive mapping tool shows California’s urban tree canopy and how it has changed over time, using 2022 high-resolution (60cm) urban tree canopy for all 2020 Census-designated urban areas in the state of California, as well as canopy-related change between 2018 and 2022. The mapping tool overlays the tree canopy layer with other information, including census data, urban heat severity, and the extent of the wildland urban interface and intermix. These layers provide context to help us understand differences in tree canopy across communities. Understanding the extent and location of existing tree canopy and how it has changed over time can help a community design and implement sound management practices to maximize services such as prioritizing tree planting locations in areas with extreme heat, protecting existing tree canopy to offer community-wide benefits, and identify which tree species protect homes in the wildland-urban interface.

Check out this NEW tool to see how you can use the data with your students!

3. 2025 California Green Ribbon School Awards


A green and white card with text and stars AI-generated content may be incorrect.		Description: The California Green Ribbon Schools (CA-GRS) recognition award honors K–12 schools, school districts, and County Offices of Education that demonstrate exemplary achievement in three key areas: resource efficiency, health and wellness, and environmental and sustainability education. This recognition is part of a broader statewide effort to identify and promote effective practices that enhance student engagement, academic performance, graduation rates, and career readiness.

Twelve of the 39 honorees for 2025 participate in the California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), a clear demonstration of the strength, innovation, and collective impact of this statewide network. Laguna Beach Unified School District and the San Mateo County Office of Education received Green Achiever recognition, the highest possible. Congratulations! 

Click HERE to see the list of all the honorees.

4. Wordlink – Story.Earth: A New Tool for Planetary Learning



Amazon Region: Mammal Species Richness		Description: Story.Earth brings learning to life through stunning planetary visualizations, interactive digital tools, and NGSS-aligned lesson plans. Students use real-world data to observe patterns of change, think critically, and explore solutions for a sustainable future. With its global perspective, Story.Earth cultivates systems thinking, futures thinking, and environmental literacy. By engaging with maps and globes, students learn core scientific concepts and develop inquiry and analysis skills that are vital for their future roles as informed citizens and planetary stewards.

Ready to explore? Visit Story.Earth and join the movement to educate, empower, and inspire the next generation of changemakers.

5. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan





The Backyard Bird Chronicles		Description: Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

“With this book as your guide, embark into the bird world Amy Tan. This is an intimate view, a sort-of love affair with the birds and their behavior, that Amy has come to know over several years. Within the leafy universe of her own backyard, she has quietly beheld, patiently observed, and taken in-depth notations of an extensive array of bird species. In colorful detail, she describes various bird’s behavior, while capturing their beauty in exquisitely rendered illustrations. Species include fearsome predators and watchful prey, long distance migrants and hometown residents. Through her unique insight and gift as an author and artist, Amy exposes a world of intrigue, beauty, even humor about the birds we all share this world with.”
—Keith Hansen, author of Hansen’s Field Guide to Birds of the Sierra Nevada

“Amy Tan’s bird journals can change the way you see the world. They show that stories, mysteries, humor, and beauty are all around us if we take the time to pay attention. They remind us that we never stop learning and growing, and if we put in the work, we can learn and master new skills. These journals invite us to look out of our own windows with fresh eyes and wonder.”
—John Muir Laws, author of The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds

CAELI Partner Portal Resources May 2025

1. ELA Superheroes Podcast


ela superheroes podcast icon     		Description: This podcast collection highlights stories of California TK-12 educators who teach reading, writing, listening, and speaking through the lens of environmental literacy and justice, giving a glimpse into what this type of work might look like in TK-12 classrooms. Each superhero podcast includes a short podcast teaser, a full podcast, and a snapshot of the episode.

Episodes in Series 2: 
Grade band TK-8 – Conversations about Food Waste: A teacher-librarian provides meaningful environmental literacy and language opportunities for multilingual learners with Lorena Sanchez.
Grade band 6-8: Falling in love with nature and fighting for it: Inspiring argument writing through everyday encounters with nature with Jodi Bonk.

Click Here to learn more.

2. Children & Nature Network Research Digest – Therapeutic use of Nature


Research Digest    		Description:  Nature-based therapy, an emerging field in psychology, is based on research findings suggesting that contact with nature enhances various aspects of human well-being and can alleviate and/or prevent some mental health disorders or concerns. The June issue of Research Digest focuses on therapeutic uses of nature and the outcomes documented with various populations. Learn about Nature-Based Therapeutic Approaches and Outcomes, how it is effective with Special Populations, and its role in Prevention and addressing health concerns.

Click Here to learn more.

3. May is Water Awareness Month – Department of Water Resources


Image of California Aqueduct     		Description: DWR offers K-12 teachers free activity books and worksheets to download that are focused on water issues such as water conservation, drought, floods, California’s waterways, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, how water works and why, the water cycle, agriculture and food, and more.

Visit DWR’s K-12 Education Materials page for free downloads.

4. Arbor Day Foundation – Tree Resources


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Description:  Are you wanting to teach your students more about trees or do you want to learn more about trees yourself?  Perhaps you are interested in planting a tree for Mother’s Day. 

The Arbor Day Foundation provides a wide range of Tree Resources. Check them out!

5.  Project Learning Tree – A Guide to Teaching and Learning About Forests

Project Learning Tree – A Guide to Teaching and Learning About Forests
       		Description: PLT’s Forest Literacy Framework translates the language of forests and sustainable forest management into concepts for everyone at any age. The framework offers 100 forest concepts for grades K-12, organized into the following four themes: 1) What is a forest? 2) Why do forests matter?  3) How do we sustain our forests? 4) What is our responsibility to forests?

Whether you are a teacher interested in connecting your students to the trees in your schoolyard, or a forest professional looking for guidance on community outreach to youth, including career days or field site visits, this Forest Literacy Framework helps to lay out age-appropriate concepts, knowledge, and skills surrounding forests and related topics. The framework presents a conceptual structure to increase people’s understanding of forests and it empowers them to take actions that benefit forests and all of us.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources April 2025

1. Earth Day 2025


Description: The theme for Earth Day 2025 is Our Power, Our Planet, invites everyone around the globe to unite behind renewable energy, and to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030.

The EarthDay.org website offers numerous resources on climate education with curricula, toolkits, advocacy packets, calendar of events, and teacher’s guides. There is a Primer: How Climate Change Impacts the K-12 Learning Experience and Solutions.

2. National Environmental Education Foundation EE Resources


Description: Why Environmental Education is Important. People care about what they know and fight for what they love. Environmental Education allows people to connect to the natural world through immersive learning experiences in the outdoors, creating environmental stewards for generations to come. The National Environmental Education Foundation provides numerous resources for teachers, students, and parents. Celebrate Earth Month with fun and engaging activities.

3. Take Me Outside Podcast. Educator WellBeing: Connecting Teacher Wellness with Outdoor Learning with Dr. Astrid Kendrick




Podcast Description: Dr. Astrid Kendrick is currently the Director of Field Experience at the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. She was a K-12 classroom teacher for 19 years specializing in Physical Education, English and Language Arts. One of Dr. Kendrick’s main research areas focus on compassion fatigue, burnout, and emotional labour in Alberta educational workers. Dr. Kendrick is the co-producer of the Ed Students in Conversation podcast series on voicEd Radio Canada and developer of the HEARTcare Educators website. She was the recipient of the 2020 Online Teaching Award from the Werklund School of Education as well as an Emerging Scholar Award from The Learner research network in 2019. Listen to the podcast Here.

4. Foundation for Environmental Education Eco-Schools Early Years Handbook



Description: The Foundation for Environmental Education announces its Eco-Schools Early Years Handbook. Eco-Schools for Early Childhood Education inspires exploration, fuels curiosity, and nurtures children’s natural desire to ask questions about the world around them.  Using the Eco-Schools seven steps framework and themes, children will connect what they learn with the real world. This approach is a crucial basis for building the emotions, attitudes, values, behaviours and skills which will help them build positive relationships with their environment and each other.

Read and download the Handbook Here.

5.California State Parks Resources: Exploring Nature in Your Neighborhood: Activities for Kids & Families


Description:  Want to get out and explore nature right in your own neighborhood? It is as easy as 1-2-3. Here are some activities that you can download for use with family and friends to get you started on some Neighborhood Nature adventuring. Activities include nature journaling, poetry, learning about the food web, using your senses, go buggy in your backyard or neighborhood, looking for feathers, or looking up at the stars. There is something for everyone.

Download your favorite activity Here.

CAELI Partner Portal Resources March 2025

The CAELI County Office of Education Innovation Hub developed this introductory tool to support county offices of education, districts, and schools to understand the requirements of AB 285

1. AB 285 Toolkit



The CAELI County Office of Education Innovation Hub developed this introductory tool to support county offices of education, districts, and schools to understand the requirements of AB 285 and begin taking next steps for implementing grade-appropriate climate change curriculum. What Is California Assembly Bill 285? The bill amended Sections 51210 and 51220 of the California Education Code to require that courses of study for science in grades 1–12 include material “on the causes and effects of climate change, and on the methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Appropriate coursework including material on the causes and effects of climate change and methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change shall be offered to pupils as soon as possible, commencing no later than the 2024–25 school year.” Click HERE to read the Toolkit.

2. Children and Nature Network – The Benefits of Nature Toolkit 


In a new toolkit from the Children and Nature Network, access research that shows the health benefits and stewardship outcomes for kids who spend time in nature. Help make the case for the benefits of nature.Kids need to be outside. A joyful childhood, a healthy adulthood and a thriving planet depend on it. Spending time in nature makes kids healthier, happier and smarter. It also helps them become good stewards of the environment. These statements are based on a solid and growing body of research. This toolkit will help you access that research and other resources to “make the case” for equitable access to nature.To learn more, access the Toolkit HERE.

3. NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence


The National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, initiated by NAAEE in 1994, developed a series of guidelines that set the standards for high-quality environmental education. Each of these publications was developed by a diverse team of professionals, and each has gone through a substantive review by thousands of professionals prior to its publication.

Through the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, NAAEE is taking the lead in establishing guidelines for the development of balanced, scientifically accurate, and comprehensive environmental education programs and materials. Quality environmental education programs help develop an environmentally literate citizenry that can compete in our global economy; has the skills, knowledge, and inclinations to make well-informed choices; and exercises the rights and responsibilities of members of a community.

The Guidelines for Excellence series includes the following titles: Community Engagement, Early Childhood, EE Programs, EE Materials, K-12 EE, and Professional Development. All are downloadable for free. Learn more about the Guidelines for Excellence in this video featuring Bora Simmons, Director of the National Project for Excellence in EE.

4. NAAEE Webinar- Building Resilience: Strategies for Personal Well-Being




Webinar Recording (2/27/25): Drawing from a decade of experience supporting conservation professionals, Dr. Vik Mohan, a practicing physician and resilience expert, shares evidence-based approaches for thriving in a changing world. This interactive session offers practical tools for navigating workplace challenges, understanding stress responses, and cultivating sustainable support systems. Dr. Mohan combines his medical expertise with real-world insights to help participants develop strategies for maintaining energy and focus while pursuing meaningful and important work.

In this session, Vik shared: evidence-based techniques for managing change, uncertainty, stress, and overwhelm; tools and suggestions for coping with current challenges, and for taking positive action in support of our goals and our own well-being; concrete steps to maintain motivation and purpose in demanding roles; methods for building and strengthening support networks; and ideas to enable us to think differently about and feel more empowered to tackle the challenges we face.

Click HERE to watch the recording.

5. BEETLES Project Resources 




Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning & Expertise Sharing or BEETLES, infuses outdoor science programs with research-based approaches and tools to improve science teaching and learning. Their professional learning resources are designed for program leaders to use with field instructors. They provide experiences and rationale about outdoor science instruction designed to inspire instructors to improve their teaching. The student activities inspire students’ wonder and curiosity about the natural world, support their innate tendencies for exploration and guide them to make explanations based on evidence.
BEETLES student activities engage students directly with nature, encourage a scientific mindset, ignite wonder and curiosity, and help students “fall in love” with nature. The activities are student-centered (not instructor-centered), include student discussion of science ideas, help instructors to be “guides on the side,” and empower students to continue exploring and wondering about nature after they leave an outdoor science program. BEETLES activities create opportunities for students to make and share connections to their lives. This makes instruction relevant for students and helps instructors better understand students’ lived experiences and cultural identities. 

BEETLES student activities are learning cycle-based–structured to facilitate students flowing through phases of learning. The activities are written to be “educative” for instructors. That’s why, along with clear step-by-step instructions, there’s information about pedagogy, science background, adjusting for different students, and connections to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). BEETLES materials are aligned with the vision of NGSS to provide students with “3-dimensional” instruction (combining science practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas) in science learning experiences in the outdoors.

Click HERE to review many of the activities provided.