Sierra Nevada Journeys Earns Firewise Certification

Every year, wildfires burn across the United States, and a growing number of people are living where wildfires are a real risk. Plumas County is surrounded by woodlands and wildfires and recently experienced the devastating impacts of the Dixie Fire, the second-largest in California’s history at 963,309 acres.

That’s why Sierra Nevada Journeys and the lower grizzly community became a Firewise Site of Excellence.

The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Firewise USA® program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent possible losses in the future. 

In order to receive designation as a Firewise Community, Sierra Nevada Journeys and neighboring homeowners completed a risk assessment of the Lower Grizzly Creek area. Together they developed an action plan to address the identified risks, areas of successful wildfire risk reduction and areas where improvements could be made. This effort earned Sierra Nevada Journeys and its neighbors the designation as a Firewise Community, demonstrating our commitment to protecting the community from wildfire. The designation also helps guide our future activities.

“Sierra Nevada Journeys strives to be a leader in environmental stewardship, and being named a Firewise Community is just another way we demonstrate our commitment to supporting our local ecosystems,” says Adam Yarnes, Camp Executive Director, Sierra Nevada Journeys. “We want children and others who use our facilities to feel safe and know that we are committed to taking all safeguards while protecting the environment.”

Yarnes says the preparation Sierra Nevada Journeys put into being named a Firewise Community can be shared with organizations who train at camp, including the Feather River College Environmental Studies program. The college sends students to the camp to practice hands-on forestry maintenance.

“Fire prevention and mitigation are key to maintaining forest health for future generations, and the students from places like Feather River College will benefit from seeing and learning first-hand how to protect woodland and wildland areas,” Yarnes says.

Some steps for preparing your buildings and land for wildfires include:

  • Vegetation management, limiting the amount of vegetation around building and ignition zones;

  • Trimming branches that overhang near buildings, thinning of trees and removal of plants that contain resins, oils and waxes;

  • Use gravel instead of flammable mulches;

  • Use fire resistive construction materials for roofs, decks and siding; and

  • Prepare for emergencies with clearly marked addresses, clearance around driveways and detailed evacuation plans.

To learn more about why fires start and how to stay safe, you can find educational information at nfpa.org.

Community Agreements - Toilet Paper Rolls

Discipline: Team Building and Community Agreements*
Age Range: 10+
Estimated Time: 20-30 minutes
What you need: Empty toilet paper rolls; scissors; string, tape or rubber bands; markers, pens, or paint and paintbrushes; stickers; and any additional art supplies you would like for decorating; and tape (optional)

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*Community agreements are created as a way to establish a mutual understanding or make a set of expectations for all members of a community to abide by. They can be based on many things, such as how to support each community member and how to make everyone feel included. Please see What is a Community Agreement? blog post before starting this project.

Instructions:

1. Collect crafting materials and remove any excess toilet paper from rolls.

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2. Use a different toilet paper roll and cut into segments — one segment for each community member. Feel free to use multiple rolls if you have a large community!

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3. Give each community members their toilet paper roll segment. Have them add their name and decorate it to highlight their individuality within the community.

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4. Designate one toilet paper roll for your community name and values. Collaborate with community members to decorate this community roll and add words or pictures that represent your agreement

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7. Option A: Have an adult use scissors or another sharp object to poke small holes in the main roll and each individual’s segments. Pull string or other hanging material through the hole in the main roll and individual roll and tie a knot to secure the end.

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Option B: Use tape or glue to attach string ends to the main roll and individual segments.

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6. Enjoy your final product!

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Community Agreements - Friendship Bracelets

Discipline: Team Building and Community Agreements*
Age Range: 10+
Estimated Time: 20+ minutes
What you need: Scissors, string or thin yarn a binder clip or tape

*Community agreements are created as a way to establish a mutual understanding or make a set of expectations for all members of a community to abide by. They can be based on many things, such as how to support each community member and how to make everyone feel included. Please see What is a Community Agreement? blog post before starting this project.

Instructions:

1. Have each community member choose a string that will represent what they bring to the community, or what they would like to see in their community.

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2. Cut strings long enough to fit as a bracelet and tie them together in an overhand knot at the end. Two feet should be a good length with which to start.

3. Clip or tape the strings onto something stable, such as a clipboard or chair.
4. Put the strings in the order that you want the colors to be in. The string furthest to the left will make the first row.
5. Take the first string (light blue in the picture below) and put it across on top of the second string (red) so that it looks like the number 4. Be sure to cross ​OVER​ the second string, not under it.

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6. Wrap the tail end of the string (light blue end on the right) around the second string (red) and pull through the window you just made. Tighten the light blue string and ​move the loop up to the top of the bracelet​ while holding the second string (red) taught. Make a second loop by pulling the first string (light blue) around the second (red), the same way the first knot was tied.

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7. Continue step 6 with each color of string, tying two loops around the strings to the right of the color you’re working on.

Example:
Light blue -> Red (2x), Green (2x), Dark blue (2x)
Red-> Green (2x), Dark blue (2x), Light Blue (2x)
Green-> Dark blue (2x), Light blue (2x), Red (2x)...etc.

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8. Continue this process with the rest of the colors until the bracelet is long enough!

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9. Wear the bracelet to remind you about what your community represents to you.

Helpful Hints: If you are having trouble following along with these instructions, there are many online videos that may be helpful! Here are a few:

DYI: 4 Easy Friendship Bracelets | Jada Draper

DIY Friendship Bracelets for Beginners | Craft Factory

Community Agreements - Using Construction Paper

Discipline: Team Building and Community Agreements*
Age Range: 10+
Estimated Time: 10-20 minutes
What you need: Construction paper; markers, pencils or paint; scissors; and tape or glue

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*Community agreements are created as a way to establish a mutual understanding or make a set of expectations for all members of a community to abide by. They can be based on many things, such as how to support each community member and how to make everyone feel included. Please see What is a Community Agreement? blog post before starting this project.

Instructions:

1. Start with construction paper and grab some fun colors!

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2. Choose two colors. Trace out a tree trunk and a tree top in any color you like.

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3. Combine on to a background. Glue or tape tree on a larger piece of construction paper.

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4. Add to the tree. Trace and cut out apples, fruits, treen nuts, squirrels and any other things that you might find on a tree.

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5. Add values. Have everyone who is part of your community agreement add different values they believe are important for your community.

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What is a Community Agreement?

Discipline: Team Building and Community Agreements
Age Range: 10+
Estimated Time: 20-60 minutes
What you need: Any crafting supplies you want to use. You can be really creative and use whatever feels the most inclusive for the group with whom you are working. Are you low on art supplies? See the community agreement project posts for ideas on how to create a community agreement using your computer or everyday household items.

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Introduction: Community agreements are created as a way to establish a mutual understanding or make a set of expectations for all members of a community to abide by. They can be based on many things, such as how to support each community member and how to make everyone feel included. Some communities may struggle to get along with each other when there are shifts in normal dynamics. For example, those sharing living spaces may currently be experiencing increased tension or conflicts due to spending much more time together in a confined space. A community agreement can be beneficial to help dissolve these problems, as it allows everyone to freely express their wants, needs, and expectations in a group setting.

Instructions:

There is no one right way to design these agreements. Please see our example blog posts for further details on creative ways to engage all community members in the making of your agreement. What are the steps to create your own community agreement? Follow these steps:

1. Determine who is in your community. A community is defined as a group of people who share something in common. Some examples may include:
- Your family
- The people who with you
- A sports team you are on or club you are in
- A classroom with students and teachers
- A workspace including bosses and coworkers

A community can be small or large; it depends on how you define it!

2. Allow everyone in your community to have space to contribute what they want in the agreement and be heard. One method could be to share values or expectations in a circular format, allowing each person involved to bring up one thing they want to be included in the agreement at a time.

 3. Time to get creative! Depending on what you have in your space, you can get crafty with paper, paint, rocks, string, beads, etc. If craft supplies are limited, try keeping it simple and reuse household items for your visual representation. Try repurposing toilet paper rolls, tissue boxes, glass or plastic containers, etc. We will provide some examples in the following blog posts if you are feeling stuck!

4. Display your agreement somewhere where it is easily seen so that each community member can be reminded of what they agreed to regularly. You can refer back to it when you feel like your community may not be fulfilling the agreement, or when you think you are following it very well! Positive reinforcement is a great way to highlight your agreement, so remember to give appreciation to those in your community who are actively working to follow it.

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The Positive Impacts of Bringing Engaging Science Lessons to Dual Language Learning Programs

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Victorina teaches Our Amazing Earth to dual language learner in fourth grade at Las Palmas Elementary School.

According to a story on NPR, nearly 5 million students are Multilingual Language Learners. The article about the benefits of bilingual education, states that studies have found that “compared with English-only classrooms, dual-language students have somewhat higher test scores, better attendance and fewer behavioral problems. There is evidence that it also helps kids gain comfort with diversity and different cultures.”

Recently, Sierra Nevada Journeys brought its Classrooms Unleashed program to a couple of dual-immersion classrooms in the Sacramento area. With it, also came some rave reviews of the experience from teachers.

“Science has been a challenging subject to sell to students this year. Thank you for your amazing lesson! I think students were very touched to see you show up authentically as Venezuelan, Latina, and a scientist. They really enjoyed the lesson but you presenting the lesson also led to so much engagement from the students. We are so honored to have had you join us,” said Lynn Elisea Ayala, teacher with the Two-Way Bilingual Emersion class at Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School in Davis, California. Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School is part of the Davis Joint Unified School District and students who are part of their Two-Way Bilingual Immersion program students are biliterate by the end of sixth grade – they speak, read and write in both English and Spanish.

Venezuelan, Latina and scientist perfectly describes Victorina Arvelo, a core educator with Sierra Nevada Journeys. This past spring, Victorina taught watershed lessons in Spanish at Marguerite and Las Palmas, as part of Our Amazing Earth program where students become geologists and learn about patterns of change found on the earth's surface.

Las Palmas Elementary is part of the Twin Rivers Unified School District (TRUSD) and is one of two TRUSD schools that has a Dual-Immersion Program that also participated in our Classrooms Unleashed program.

Sierra Nevada Journeys has been partnering with TRUSD since 2017, where all fifth-grade students would attend outdoor school at Grizzly Creek Ranch. With the transition from distance learning to in-person learning as we transition out of the pandemic, Sierra Nevada Journeys has brought a variety of environmental education programs directly to the schools. “We’ve been working hard to meet the needs of the students and teachers,” said Sarah Barnes, Education Director with Sierra Nevada Journeys. “This past school year, we’ve shifted some of our focus to address learning loss, social-emotional learning and getting back to the core sciences lessons to help students be successful with the state science standards for their grade level.” Our Amazing Earth for their dual-immersion students is just one example of how we became creative with our programs with TRUSD.

There are similar positive impacts of dual language programs and environmental education programs like ours. Some examples include: helping students learn in new and effective ways; increased problem-solving skills, improved communication, and enhanced cultural awareness and diversity. By engaging students in a hands-on science lesson using Spanish language, students become more invested and the information is even more relevant to the students.

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Community and Youth Outdoor Education at The Nature Conservancy’s River Fork Ranch Preserve

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We’re partnering with The Nature Conservancy and River Wranglers who are doing boots-on-the-ground conservation at River Fork Ranch. Sierra Nevada Journeys has built three Family STEM Night station that connect the conservation work being done at the Ranch. We’re hosting two, Family STEM Nights at River Fork Ranch on June 9, 2022, and September 15, 2022. Events are free and run from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at River Fork Ranch Preserve, 381 Genoa Lane, Minden, Nevada.

For Nevada Teachers: If you are looking for some environmental science lessons, there’s a series designed for fifth graders about the Carson River that we recommend. They’re part of our FREE Teacher Resources. Thanks to supporters like The Dream Tags Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of Western Nevada, we are able to create content specifically tied to our region and ecosystem.

Visit Free Teacher Resources to find a series of lessoned designed using Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and focused on Northern Nevada and Northern California regions.

The lessons are one of the education components to a bigger initiative – a restoration project to improve the riparian vegetation habitat for Mule Deer and other wildlife at the 805-acres at The Nature Conservancy’s River Fork Ranch Preserve. It is located at the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Carson River. This location is one of our field locations for programs we host in Carson City for students and families through Classrooms Unleashed and Family STEM Nights.

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An Incredible Lineup of Guest Speakers is Planned for Girls in STEM Camp 2022

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We’re gearing up for an incredible weekend with Girls in STEM Camp happening May 13-15, 2022. We have a powerhouse lineup of guest speakers from industries across the region. Take a look at this list of experts from across the regions who will be inspiring the next generation of female scientists:

  • Dr. Alison Murray is Biological Oceanographer and NASA Ocean Worlds & Europa Lander Co-Chair with Desert Research Institute.

  • Anne Heggli, is a Hydrologist and Snow Science & High Risk Weather expert at Desert Research Institute.

  • Jesse Mazar is an expert in ecologically grown produce and co-founder and co-director at the Lost Sierra Food Project.

  • Seena Drapala, Engineer and Storyteller will be sharing her robotics knowledge, President at Society of Women Engineers.

  • Dr. Vera Samburova is Director of Atmosphere Sciences, Graduate Program & Biomass Conversion at Desert Research Institute.

  • Dr. Kathleen Rodrigues, skilled Geoscientist and in Luminescence with Desert Research Institute.

  • Dr. Mary Cablk, expert and sharing information on Remote Sensing, K9 Detection, and Landscape Design and is from Desert Research Institute.

  • Kaitlin Constantine is an Engineer with Wood Rodgers and sharing her experience in Land Surveying and Engineering.

  • Cynthia Scholl is the Education Coordinator at UNR’s Museum of Natural History and cofounder of the nonprofit Nevada Bugs and Butterflies.

  • Avari Tawater-Tiedemann is Program Director Camp Fire Central Puget Sound. She is an expert on honey bees and teaching young adults survival skills..

  • Karen Weiss is the Outreach Coordinator at Friends of Nevada Wilderness and expert in resource conservation.

  • Shawnee Dunagan is an Engineer at Wood Rodgers and specializes in infrastructure design (think storm drains, streets, and sewers).

  • Patricia E Maloney, is a Researcher University of California and is a Plant Pathology expert.

  • Arielle Koshkin, Hydrologist at the University of Nevada, Hydrologic Science, knows a thing or two (actually a lot of things to be precise) about snow, water resources and mountain environments.

 

Thank you Tesla for making this happen for young women in Nevada through the Nevada K-12 Education Investment Fund.

About Sierra Nevada Journeys

Sierra Nevada Journeys is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that delivers innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. Through multiple points of contact, our classroom and virtual-based programs, overnight science camps, professional development for teachers, and parent engagement opportunities surround students with resources they need to succeed. All programs are designed to foster higher cognition and build long-term student achievement. Of the 24,000 children that annually participate in our programs, 74 percent come from communities that face financial barriers and 70 percent are BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Also, 13 percent of the individuals who attend our programs, are living with a disability.

Sierra Nevada Journeys Appoints Sean Hill as Incoming CEO

Sierra Nevada Journeys announced that Sean Hill has been appointed by the Board of Directors as the new CEO of the organization. As an experienced nonprofit leader, Hill will succeed outgoing CEO, Eaton Dunkelberger, and assume responsibilities on April 1, 2022.

After 10 years leading Sierra Nevada Journeys, Eaton Dunkelberger, has taken a new role as President and CEO with the Community Foundation of Northern Nevada. Hill and Dunkelberger have worked together for more than a decade creating an ideal transition for Sierra Nevada Journeys.

Sean Hill, CEO, Sierra Nevada Journeys

Hill has been with the organization for more than 12 years and leads fundraising and development. Originally joining the organization as a credentialed high school science teacher, he has played multiple roles at Sierra Nevada Journeys, including educator, coordinator, manager, fundraiser, and ultimately director and vice president.  Hill’s deep operational and program knowledge combined with his strong relationships with staff and the community provides a natural succession at CEO.  

“Sean has been growing Sierra Nevada Journeys’ fundraising and relationships with tremendous success. He’s a natural leader and integral part of the nonprofit’s success in the many roles he’s held since 2009,” says Dan Klaich, Board Chair, Sierra Nevada Journeys. “Sean is a natural fit to lead Sierra Nevada Journeys and inspires us all with innovation and foresight that the informal STEM education field is known for.”

Hill received a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University, a Master of Science in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University, a State of Nevada Teaching License in Secondary Biology, and a Wilderness First Responder through the Wilderness Medicine Institute (NOLS). He sits on the Advisory Council of the University of Nevada, Reno College of Science, as well as the Executive Advisory Board for the Nevada Teach program.  As a published author on STEM programs and evaluations, Hill is an advisor to many education and environmental agencies on a local and national level.

Sierra Nevada Journeys team joined by Janette Moynier with River City Bank, celebrate the purchase of Grizzly Creek Ranch at last fall’s celebration event. Thank you Eaton for your leadership and instrumental role in this key milestone in Sierra Nevada Journeys’ history. Left to right: Sean Hill, Eaton Dunkelberger, Janette Moynier, Adam Yarnes, Achini Bandara, Krissy McGill and Andy Stephens

About Sierra Nevada Journeys

Sierra Nevada Journeys is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that delivers innovative outdoor, science-based education programs for youth to develop critical thinking skills and to inspire natural resource stewardship. Through multiple points of contact, our classroom and virtual-based programs, overnight science camps, professional development for teachers, and parent engagement opportunities surround students with resources they need to succeed. All programs are designed to foster higher cognition and build long-term student achievement. Of the 24,000 children that annually participate in our programs, 74 percent come from communities that face financial barriers and 70 percent are BIPOC, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Also, 13 percent of the individuals who attend our programs, are living with a disability.

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Sierra Nevada Journeys Recently Participated in the Creation of the Informal STEM Learning Environments Evaluation Guide

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The study was commissioned by the Nevada STEM Networks and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation & Technology.

“Our committee set out to create an evaluation guide to support informal STEM providers, like Sierra Nevada Journeys, to create or improve systems to evaluate programs and in turn, improve outcomes,” said Sean Hill, Vice President of Advancement with Sierra Nevada Journeys. “We wanted to support the improvement of statewide impacts through these programs over time, and I’m thrilled to share this report with other providers.” Hill participated on the Nevada STEM Advisory Council’s Informal STEM Learning Environments (ISLE) Subcommittee along with several other Nevada-based educational organizations.

“One of the critical features of this report is information for evaluating the cultural relevance of programs and organizations. Students in Nevada that have historically been denied access to high quality STEM programs deserve no less, added Hill.

At Sierra Nevada Journeys, pre- and post-assessment of participants is part of every program. Additionally, follow-up evaluations are conducted with teachers who are responsible for bringing the program to their students. Most recently, Sierra Nevada Journeys also conducted a community needs assessment to better understand where there were opportunities to improve elementary programming with youth who have the least access to high-quality STEM education, namely, Black, Latinx, Indigenous, English Language Learners, and students with intellectual and physical disabilities.  

You can find the entire evaluation guide here. Or, learn more about Nevada STEM Networks and the Nevada Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology (OSIT). Also, OSIT has a number of reports covering a variety of STEM topics such as analysis of STEM occupations and top paying STEM jobs in Nevada.

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