Community Partners

Mt. Pisgah Arboretum

Mt. Pisgah Arboretum has a mission to build positive relationships between people and nature through interactive learning and stewardship. They believe that being inspired by and in nature creates a bond that can influence respect, compassion, and protection for the land. The Mt. Pisgah Arboretum was founded in January 1973, and is run by support from members, donors, and volunteers to care for the trails and facilities that provide learning opportunities for all.

In partnership with Mt. Pisgah Arboretum, the Wild Wanderers team deepened student and personal relationships with nature, which fostered reciprocity while expanding ecological knowledge of the Southern Willamette Valley. Working with Mt. Pisgah was a dynamic process that required communication to execute educational, fun, and safe field trips as other events were going on or being planned. Getting on the trails each week to educate students about biodiversity and seasons while trying to foster environmental stewardship helped both us and the students gain a heightened connection with the land. This strengthened reciprocal relationships with nature among the team. Moreover, conducting place-based environmental education, the team learned an abundance of local plant identification and the science behind related processes.

90 by 30

90 by 30 is a volunteer-based, preventative program that aims to educate and raise awareness to stop abuse before it starts. Their mission is to reduce child abuse and neglect in Lane County 90% by the year 2030. The organization intentionally creates spaces that allow parents to learn from one another, build stronger families and communities, and provide educational opportunities for all community members. They focus on reducing violence caused by identity-based discrimination, such as race, class, disability, and gender. 90 by 30 has grown out of a forum through the University of Oregon. 

Through 90by30, the Wild Wanderers team received specific training on facilitating respectful and productive conversations among community members based on thoughtful, personal, and impactful prompts. We worked closely with the organization to create and execute Parent Cafes--spaces where families can share experiences and learn from one another by participating in peer-led conversations and community building. A completely new addition to the outputs for the Wild Wanderers team, the Parent Cafe titled "Nature Nurtures" was created using research-backed information on how getting students outside strengthens communities. This hands-on experience working with a community partner on event creation and hosting gave us insight into adaptability, communication, and outreach strategies.

Adams, Chávez, and Oakridge Elementaries

Adams and Chávez elementary schools are within 4J, a K–12 public school district in Lane County, Oregon. The district spans 155 square miles throughout the southern Willamette Valley. Most of the city of Eugene, about 85 percent, lies within the boundaries of 4J, as does the town of Coburg and a small part of Linn County. The third school, Oakridge, is within Oakridge School District located in Oakridge, Oregon.

Intending to build connections with local communities, the Wild Wanderers team collaborated closely with three schools. The team met with the entire first and second grade to teach three in-class lessons before a field trip to Mount Pisgah Arboretum. This provided a chance to build interpersonal relationships with students before getting outside to conduct place-based environmental education. Through working with these elementary schools, the Wild Wanderers dove into the realm of classroom education, and learned how to identify, communicate, and adapt to different logistical needs of each teacher and school individually. 

Additionally, with the help of 90 by 30, the Wild Wanderers hosted a Parent and Community Cafe titled "Nature Nurtures" at the two Eugene schools, Chávez and Adams. This collaboration allowed the team to build on their community and relations they had developed previously with the students and their families within the familiar space of the elementary school.