Each spring our Pleasant Valley Fifth graders have an incredible and unforgettable time in the woods of Alliance Redwoods located in Occidental, CA. During this four day overnight excursion students spend their days hiking, exploring ponds and streams, swinging through the air, jumping from poles 26 feet above ground, and persevering through many challenges. They learn about forest ecology, spend time with an 855 year old tree named Walter, hold critters of the forest, and take on the banana slug challenge. In the evenings students go on night hikes, participate in campfire songs and skits, and have a blast dressing up their chaperones in animal adaptations.
Students bunk in cabins of 5 – 6 along with a parent chaperone or teacher and enjoy the beautiful campus, complete with a full indoor cafeteria. The program comprises a variety of Environmental Science classes, Challenges Course activities, Team Building Initiative classes, beach field trips, night hikes, and camp fire/skit nights that fit the Curriculum for CA State Standards for Outdoor Education. All group naturalists are college graduates with extensive outdoor science and environmental education experiences.
We could not provide this special opportunity without the immense help of our great parent chaperones!