Connecting Students to Nature: Inside SWEP’s 6th Grade Outdoor Education Camp

There is something truly special about Tahoe. Whether it’s the towering pines, crystal-clear waters, or quiet moments beneath the stars, our region has a way of inspiring wonder in people of all ages. Yet in a world increasingly filled with screens and technology, many students have fewer opportunities to fully experience the natural world around them. This spring, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) had another incredible opportunity to help change that.

SWEP was honored to lead the 6th Grade TAHOE Lab and Outdoor School at Rideout Community Center, welcoming sixth-grade students from North Tahoe Middle School for three unforgettable days and two nights of outdoor exploration, hands-on learning, and meaningful connection. Throughout their time at camp, students unplugged from technology and immersed themselves in the forests, meadows, and watersheds that make our region so unique. Our hope was simple: that every student would leave feeling more connected to nature and inspired to protect it.

From morning to bedtime, students stayed busy with a schedule filled with science, creativity, adventure, teamwork, and plenty of fun. We were fortunate to have beautiful spring weather, making every hike, lesson, and outdoor activity even more magical.

Day One: New Friends and New Adventures

Excitement filled the air as students arrived at the Rideout Community Center, where they met their high school counselors, settled into their dorm rooms, and quickly began making new friends through fun icebreakers and name games. The entire group then gathered at the forest amphitheater behind the lodge, where SWEP staff introduced the camp, shared expectations, and welcomed students to the adventure ahead.

Afterward, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by the TTUSD Food Services team. But mealtime was more than just eating—it became an opportunity for students to build responsibility and learn about sustainability.

Each dorm group took turns setting the tables family-style, helping serve meals, cleaning up afterward, and weighing the leftover food waste. Students recorded the weight after every meal to create a bar graph tracking food waste throughout camp. These simple activities sparked thoughtful conversations about why food waste matters, how it impacts our environment, and what we can do to reduce it.

Following lunch, students had time to recharge before diving into team-building challenges designed to strengthen communication, trust, and problem-solving. Every activity required students to rely on one another to overcome obstacles together.

One moment, in particular, reminded us why this camp matters. During one of the challenges, a student turned to another and said, "I think we're going to become best friends after this." Hearing those words was a powerful reminder that Outdoor School isn't just about learning science—it's about building confidence, friendships, and community.

The afternoon continued with one of the camp's most unique features: enrichment activities.

Before arriving at camp, students ranked their favorite activities, and each student received their top choice along with another activity ranked within their top three. Options included: Expressive Art, Art & Environment, Natural Journaling, Naturalist Lab, Nature Adventure, and Archery with ACHIEVE Tahoe.

Our goal was to give every student an opportunity to connect with nature in a way that felt meaningful to them. Some students found peace through journaling or painting, while others preferred exploring the forest or practicing archery. Offering a variety of experiences allowed every student to feel comfortable, engaged, and grounded in a new environment.

Dinner featured a build-your-own taco bar, another delicious meal prepared by TTUSD Food Services.

As the sun began to set, camp shifted into one of its most anticipated traditions: staff skits. Teachers hilariously impersonated their students, high school counselors performed a wonderfully untalented talent show, and SWEP staff debuted a synchronized swimming performance that had everyone laughing. Between skits, campers enthusiastically joined in classic call-and-response camp songs that got the energy up.

To finish the evening, students participated in two nighttime adventures.

The first adventure was the night hike. Students experienced silent sit spots, listened to the sounds of the forest after dark, explored the impacts of light pollution, played games that simulated nocturnal animals, and gathered together to hear a Native American story about the creation of the stars.

Others participated in Night Skies Art, where students used light, creativity, and paint to create artwork inspired by the beauty of Tahoe's night sky. After a full day of adventure, students returned to their cabins with tired feet, full stomachs, and even fuller hearts.

Day Two: Becoming Scientists

After breakfast and a chance to recharge outside, students spent the day diving into hands-on environmental science.

SWEP partnered with the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) and the Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) to provide immersive field lessons that brought science to life.

Students participated in two of the following three learning experiences:

• Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS): Bird watching and exploring the important role insects play in healthy ecosystems.

• Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC): Investigating Lake Tahoe's world-renowned water clarity and learning what keeps the lake blue.

• SWEP Forestry Investigation: Students became foresters for the day by collecting data in CA Forest Service forest test plots and learning how scientists monitor forest health.

These field experiences allowed students to step into the role of real scientists, collecting observations and real data, asking questions, and discovering how local ecosystems function.

After lunch, students enjoyed their second enrichment activity, giving them another opportunity to explore their interests, express themselves creatively, or simply reset after an exciting day of learning.

That evening, students gathered for another delicious dinner before one of camp's biggest highlights: Student Skit Night.

Working together in their dorm groups, campers performed skits they had spent the previous day planning and rehearsing. Every performance was filled with creativity, laughter, and teamwork, showcasing the friendships that had formed over just two short days.

To close out the evening, students chose between continuing their Night Skies Art projects or participating in glow-in-the-dark outdoor games. Of course, no camp celebration would be complete without build-your-own ice cream sundaes—a sweet ending to an unforgettable day.

Day Three: A Lasting Connection

On the final morning, students packed their belongings and headed out for one last outdoor lesson before gathering once again in the forest amphitheater where their journey had begun.

Together, students reflected on their favorite camp memories, shared what they had learned, and talked about how their connection to nature had grown over the past three days. Many spoke about the friendships they had made, the confidence they had gained, and the new appreciation they felt for the forests, wildlife, and watersheds around them.

Listening to students describe these experiences was incredibly rewarding for everyone involved—SWEP staff, our education and enrichment partners, teachers, and high school counselors. Months of planning came together to create an experience that left a lasting impact on these young people.

The camp concluded with one final family-style lunch of pizza and fresh-squeezed lemonade before students loaded the buses and returned to school, bringing home new memories, new friendships, and hopefully, a renewed sense of stewardship for the natural world.

Inspiring The Next Generation of Environmental Stewards

At SWEP, we believe that the best way to inspire environmental stewardship is to help students build meaningful connections with the places they call home. TAHOE Lab and Outdoor School is so much more than a field trip—it's an opportunity for students to discover their own strengths, build lasting friendships, experience the joy of learning outside, and develop a lifelong appreciation for the environment.

As students boarded the buses to head home, we hoped they carried more than backpacks and sleeping bags. We hoped they left with curiosity, confidence, and a deeper love for Tahoe's forests, waters, and wildlife—one that will inspire them to care for these incredible places for years to come.

Special thanks to Tahoe Truckee Unified School District for supporting outdoor education and environmental literacy programs.  Additionally, we would like to thank our science education partners from the Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences, Tahoe Environmental Research Center and CA State Parks for bringing exceptional, place-based, environmental field science to local students.  Finally, the TAHOE Lab and Outdoor School was truely enriched through the dedication and talents of our enrichment partners: Molly Moore, Troy Corliss and Achieve Tahoe.

Thank you everyone!!