Education and Community Outreach

SCVAS is dedicated to educating the Bay Area community about our diverse local bird ecology through our many programs for both children and adults.

Your membership, time, and financial support are crucial to the success of these programs. Please consider joining our chapter, making a donation, or joining our volunteer team.

Educational Classes
We are proud to offer our members and the general public opportunities to learn about birds, nature, and ecology. Our multitude of education classes, lectures, General Meetings, and field trips cater to people with differing birding experience and interests, and to people of all ages from youth through adult. See the next offerings in our Upcoming Events calendar.

Audubon Adventures
This environmental education program was originally developed by National Audubon Society for 4th to 6th graders. Our program is offered to classrooms in Santa Clara County. Teachers receive a teaching guide with extensive background material and suggestions for classroom activities. Individuals can purchase this program for their own classrooms. Scholarships for classes may be available from SCVAS.

Wetlands Discovery Program
The Wetlands Discovery Program teaches young students the value of local wetlands . Our volunteers introduce students to wetland habitats, wildlife, and ecology through engaging classroom activities and then guide them in exploring nature during a two-hour field trip at a local wetland. Also adapted for other grade levels, this curriculum was developed to meet 4th and 5th grade science standards. Financial assistance may be available for transportation of classes to and from field trip areas. Kids, come explore the wetlands through our virtual tour with Avery the Avocet!

Nature Walks for Scout Troops
If you are interested in participating in a "In the Flyway" Bird and Nature Walk with your scout troop, please read the Guidelines and Scheduling Procedures. Read this even if you have participated before since we are constantly updating it. After reading this introduction, view the available program dates in our "In the Flyway" Calendar to view available dates for this school year. Note: dates are available on a first-come-first-served basis and it is not scheduled until you receive a confirmation message from our Programs Coordinator.

Young Audubon Program
SCVAS engages children and their families in nature exploration outside of the school setting in our Young Audubon Program which offers field trips, hands-on workshops, and kid-friendly events. Activities include field trips, whale watching, creek explorations, and Wildlife Education Day, our annual fall festival. View the Kid's Calendar for announcements about Young Audubon events. It's easy to sign up to join our Young Audubon group. Also, you can schedule a guided birding trip for your own small group by contacting our Programs Coordinator at (408) 252-3740 or by email.

Teacher Resource Center
Educators can benefit from using our Teacher Resource Center, which houses worksheets, lesson plans, games, activities, videos, posters, and much more. Teachers may also borrow our mounted birds, fully scripted slideshows, and Education Kits that offer one-hour units for classrooms and small groups. Also, our extensive nature library contains books and other resources for teachers.

Nature Library
The SCVAS Library contains over 1300 donated books, CDs, DVDs, and videos related to birds and bird ecology. We also subscribe to a dozen birding periodicals, including American Birds, Bird Watchers Digest, Birding, and of course, Audubon Magazine. The library also contains files of bird checklists for many different areas. Our members may check books out, and are encouraged to borrow birding guides to take on vacation. Book donations for this library are gratefully accepted. Come visit the library at our McClellan Ranch office!

Nature Exploration at McClellan Ranch
SCVAS welcomes scout troops, homeschool and other youth groups to explore our headquarters at McClellan Ranch Park in Cupertino. SCVAS staff or volunteers can guide children around the trail through this historic site and nature preserve. Contact the Programs Coordinator by email or at (408) 252-3740 to schedule your guided visit. Groups and individuals can also venture out on their own with our handy trail guide.

Last modified in February 2010.