PROGRAMS
FOSTERING CONNECTION
West County Nature Club is an outdoor, all-weather program immersing youth in nature connection, education, and stewardship. Our mission is to live and breath the natural world around us, and to identify with that inner compass that is deeply connected with land, water, plants, and animals. We do this by engaging the senses, walking our edges, expressing gratitude, and by making the experience rewarding and playful.
We build relationships and understanding at every level. We are not JUST a club. We are also a community, united by our love for nature and our never ending thirst for understanding and caring for the natural world which sustains us.
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CURRICULUM
We follow our wonder, sharpen our senses, and use our skills of observation to learn about and connect with each other and our surroundings.
Play is very important to us. We mix all of our learning with a huge dose of fun.
We engage our curriculum concepts through wandering, quiet observation, journaling, nature sketching, sense awareness games, group discussion & reflection, open-ended questioning and storytelling. These practices help us integrate our experiences.
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Through this process we hope to create the next generation of resilient naturalists that feel a strong connection to the Earth, the regions we are close to, and a desire to protect and care for it.
LAND
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Connection to Place
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Natural History
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Land Stewardship
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Mapping
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Conservation
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Indigenous History
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Ancestral Skills
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Medicine Wheel
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Minimalist Survival
WATER
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Water Cycle
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Laguna de Santa Rosa
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Local Watersheds
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Russian River from
Headwaters to Sea -
Ocean Ecology
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Freshwater Ecology
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Intertidal Zone
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Seaweed Harvesting
PLANTS
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Taxonomy/ID
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Plant Terminology
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Intro to Botany
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Local Medicinal &
Edible Plants -
Wild Foraging & Harvesting Practices
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Weaving
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Gardening
ANIMALS
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Taxonomy/ID
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Mammals
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Insects
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Reptiles & Amphibians
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Bird Language
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Animal Mapping
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Hunting & Archery
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Homesteading
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Tracking & Migration
PROGRAM DETAILS
West County Nature Club currently offers two days per week of programming, offered year-long in sessions, with breaks between each session.
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TUESDAYS full day
10 am - 4 pm
Ages 5 - 12*
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THURSDAYS afternoon program
12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Ages 5 - 12*
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*Currently we offer two age ranges in our youth programs. Programs differ based on the abilities of children and their developmental needs.
SCHEDULE
2024
Year Long Program Begins
Session 1
Tuesday Program: January 16 - March 26
Thursday Program: January 18 - March 14
Spring Break: April 1 - April 12
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Session 2
Tuesday Program: April 16 - June 25
Thursday Program: April 18 - May 30
Summer Family Camp: Friday, June 28 - Sunday, June 30
Summer Break: July 1 - September 9
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Session 3
Tuesday Program: September 10 - November 19
End of Year Gratitude Celebration November 19
PRICING
TUESDAY Each Session = 11 Program Days - $1,040
THURSDAY Session 1 = 9 Days - $468, Session 2 = 7 Days - $364
*10% added admin fee for families using heartwood funds
Program Discounts
5% discount for siblings
10% discount for multiple sessions
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