With an educator’s mindset, we provide learning experiences that prepare people of all ages to tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our time.
Conservation education programs like STRAW, intern training, and other public programs transform Point Blue’s science into knowledge, skills, and actions that foster stewardship of our planet. That’s because we believe there’s no substitute for hands-on learning and exposure to science-in-action when it comes to inspiring people to be leaders in conservation.
A note from Steve Herman, PhD / professor, Evergreen State College: “I feel very strongly that Point Blue is a leading champion of science-driven conservation, and the many students I have sent there have benefited uniquely from their experiences. I first sent a student to (then PRBO) in 1974, most recently in 2014. I have called the organization ‘my finishing school.’”
STRAW Program
Founded by a 4th grade class in 1992, STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) continues as a collaborative network spanning 15 California counties, annually engaging approximately 4,000 K-12 students, teachers, and young adults in integrated watershed science education and hands-on, professional habitat restoration opportunities that are free of charge to participants. STRAW provides full-service restoration project management and implementation to our partners, including site selection, climate-smart project design, volunteer education and training, implementation, maintenance, monitoring, and reporting. Partnerships across diverse groups, including students, teachers, ranchers, and scientists are central to the program’s success.
With its community-centered restoration model, STRAW has decades of proven success providing in-class lessons and field studies for students, as well as professional development for teachers that brings greater understanding, meaning, and commitment to habitat restoration. Through our Community College Conservation Internship (CCCI), a training program for Black, Indigenous and other people of color, and our apprenticeship program, we are working to broaden the conservation field and inspire and support the next generation of conservation leaders.
Point Blue’s scientific research enables STRAW to address climate change through innovative restoration practices that students implement through cutting-edge restoration projects proven to increase ecosystem health and resilience. With each restoration, STRAW builds nature-based solutions to climate change by empowering local community members, especially children, to heal damaged landscapes, generate cleaner water, sequester carbon, and revitalize wildlife habitats.
Please help support and further our work with a donation to STRAW by clicking here. Thank you!
Bird Science in Action
Point Blue offers educational field trips to our Palomarin Field Station to observe science-in-action and connect with our field biologists as they safely band and release songbirds. Every year, approximately 1,500 students and community members learn how decades of data on bird populations uncovers evidence of climate change in our backyard, and beyond.
Early Career Training
Our Intern & Apprentice Programs equip conservation scientists in training with the skills to safeguard nature for wildlife and people, expertise that is foundational to their career development. Each year, approximately 55 interns & apprentices gain immersive field experiences in science, from the Sierra to the Pacific Ocean and Antarctica. Working side-by-side with our scientists and educators, interns & apprentices are mentored in this unique educational opportunity, catapulting them into careers in conservation.
Since 1965, our early career training program has had a global influence, having prepared over 1,500 interns & apprentices from 22 countries for careers in conservation science, with approximately 80% of alumni developing careers these fields. In fact, many of Point Blue’s leadership staff and current biologists began as interns!
To learn about current internship & apprenticeship opportunities, visit our Careers page.
Get Involved
You can help the environment and support our work in lots of ways: becoming a conservation volunteer, attending our events, or following and sharing our blogs and newsletters.
Consider making a donation as well. Give Today