In 2015, Napa-Solano Audubon Society (NSAS) created a small, part-time college internship program for 10 hours/week to support our education activities in the Napa Valley Schools. In succeeding years, grants from the Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission and other agencies awarded to NSAS helped us to create a half-time Education Coordinator position. This position has been held for the past 5 years by Tammy Saunders who has had significant experience developing education programs for Parks and Recreation Departments in Toledo, Ohio and now in Napa. Currently, Tammy is a half-time employee by NSAS and works part-time for the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation where she also provides educational programs and leads community Birding and Natural History Walks. In order to build continuity as well as expand our education programs, Tammy and others have trained additional instructors to support Napa-Solano Audubon’s work in our schools.

Last year, Tammy and our other instructors taught multi-week programs in 20 classrooms in 10 schools, serving more than 1200 students. In addition, we worked in 14 classrooms in 4 schools with over 650 students in Solano County. Every classroom requested we return for 3 to 5 of our hour-long, standards-based, hands-on lessons and a final session, with a Bird Walk on campus or nearby park. In addition, Tammy led Jr. Audubon, after school Field Trips for these students, and our volunteers have hosted bi-weekly Beginning Bird Walks in locations in our communities near schools to encourage these students and their families to continue birding. Given the large number of schools interested in our programs, the Education Coordinator position and internships have evolved, with additional trained instructors from our membership, so that the majority of their time is spent serving schools and school children. With your support in the coming year, we hope to continue to expand our contacts with Napa and Solano County students.