San Francisco Nature Education
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San Francisco Nature Education is a non-profit environmental education organization in San Francisco, California that provides interactive environmental education programs for the development of leadership and stewardship in youth and adults. It was founded by Nancy DeStefanis, who serves as its executive director.
San Francisco Nature Education provides educational programs that focus primarily on students from underserved communities. The programs expose students to nature and educate them about local and migratory birds, recycling, and conservation. Local parks, such as Golden Gate Park and Crissy Field, part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, are used as natural classrooms to observe local and migratory birds and to provide inspiring and engaging natural experiences. San Francisco Nature Education supports and augments the State of California's Content Standards by teaching Kindergarten through 5th grade students through science, language arts, creative arts, and theater.
Science and Nature for Underserved Youth, serves over 1,200 elementary school children each year from the San Francisco Unified School District. School programs are fee-based. Partial scholarships are available. Through in-class activities and field studies, students develop observation skills, critical thinking, and teamwork.
The third grade school year culminates in San Francisco Nature Education's annual Bird Calling Contest. Teams of students choose a local bird, learn its call and plumage, and make their own costumes. They also research interesting facts about their bird and weave the facts into a skit. San Francisco Nature Education naturalists teach the contestants the calls and natural history of the birds.