The future starts today.
When we create a relationship with a place, we start to care about it. Care turns into love, and love turns into action to ensure the longevity and abundance of gifts it has to offer.
At the Blue Mountain Land Trust, our focus is more than just preserving land. It is about creating community connections, relationships, and experiences with the natural world. Moments become memories, forging a newfound kinship with the outdoors. We’re committed to sharing positive environmental education experiences for all. Our programs are designed to help you find community, pathways, and purpose with the land and fellow conservationists.
Learning should be fun
Classrooms are home to desks, chalkboards, and lengthy curriculum. It’s a place to share knowledge. But, maybe more importantly, it holds hope for the future. Our youth environmental education programs go beyond the classroom and are designed to encourage curiosity, creativity, and investigation outside in the field.
Since 2017, our Nature Kids and Farm Kids educational series has encouraged children to explore, play, learn, and take action for the environment. Built from the ground up, these series help local youth understand food systems, the importance of waterways, and the diverse ecosystems within the Blues Mountain region. Through partnerships with the Tri-State Steelheaders, Walla Walla Conservation District, U.S. Forest Service, Welcome Table Farm, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we can make a bigger impact and reach the ultimate goal: learning should be fun.
Future changemakers
This summer, we hosted the Blue Mountain Field Science (BMFS), a week-long course for students interested in learning about the natural sciences through hands-on field study. While out in the field, instructors and students made sense of the nearby river habitat and discussed the need for cooler temps, meandering pathways, and areas of slow pools for fish to spawn and feed.
At the beginning of the week, students’ reactions started with ‘Ugh, not biology class?!’ and quickly changed to excitement of ‘YES! Do we get to collect insects?!’…..the doorway now opened to the world of possibilities.
When students walk away from experiences with a fresh perspective, it provides the hope we need for the future. BMFS and our youth programs inspire students to explore the possibility of a career in environmental sciences and natural resources – a profession that will increase in need to ensure the longevity of the land, plants, animals, and people.
“Every day, I think about how we can connect the next generation to nature.”
— Katy Rizzuti, BMLT Education Director