Community Nature Connection

Mrca 22/23community Nature Connection provides public interpretive programs on public parkland owned and managed by the mountains recreation and conservation authority (mrca), with which cnc has a reciprocal services agreement (rsa). This grant from the mrca supports the rsa in support of public access and interpretive programs not funded by other grants. This includes natural and cultural history programs at events, campfire programs, Community engagement and outreach, new program development, and operations related to cnc programming.

Cnc training institutethe training institute hosts Community and certification training on topics related to the naturalist, interpretive, and outdoor fields. Through culturally relevant and responsive training and scholarship programs, the program aims to increase representation in the outdoors through accessible workforce development and education for our communities. Community trainings focus on outdoor and naturalist topics and are designed with inclusivity in mind to increase knowledge and enjoyment in the outdoor field for diverse audiences. These trainings are open to the public and offered free of cost to participants. Certification trainings such as the certified interpretive guide and uc California naturalist training equip participants with skills and knowledge necessary to enter or advance in careers and volunteering in the outdoor field. These courses are inclusively designed and culturally relevant to diverse participants.youth leadership seriesthe youth leadership series programs include emerging naturalists 1.0, emerging naturalists 2.0, and the continuing connections alumni program. Emerging naturalists sessions are facilitated by naturalists and guest speakers who transform the mountains, coast, and urban parks into outdoor classrooms. Emerging naturalists 1.0 is a six-week program that introduces youth to natural and cultural resources, outdoor and camping skills, principles of interpretation, and park careers in the field. Emerging naturalists 2.0 is a sixteen-week program that builds on the experiences and skills learned in emerging naturalists 1.0 and includes a Community action project component. The continuing connections alumni program provides career development programming and exposure to job opportunities in the outdoor field to our program alumni. Continuing connections also provides alumni with opportunities for continued engagement with cnc through programming such as interpretive programs, panel discussions, campfires, and documentary screenings.akuutet learning nursery at elyria canyon parkthe akuutet learning nursery (aln) at elyria canyon park focuses on restoring and enhancing elyria canyon park by using methods known to reduce fire risk in addition to leading interns and park volunteers in local fire resilient restoration efforts. The project is funded by santa monica mountains conservancy (smmc) and supported by the mountains recreation and conservation authority (mrca). The akuutet learning nursery internship is a 13 week long program with lessons in local natural history, native plants, restoration, fire resilience, team building, workforce development, front country field trips in the santa monica mountains and camping at elyria canyon park. During this fiscal year, the cnc staff restored the nursery by collecting native seeds, sewing and transplanting native plants. Cnc staff facilitated a cohort of 14 youth interns from northeast la high schools and led a camping experience at elyria canyon park. Los ninos youthsource center supported the internship program by sponsoring wages and providing technical support related to workforce development. The akuutet learning nursery internship culminated with a celebration of interns' accomplishments. Friends, families, and Community partners visited akuutet learning nursery and enjoyed a hike, interpretive programs, a Community lunch, and intern presentations. Sixty people attended the event. Interns presented and/or led interpretive activities on topics that most intrigued them during the course of the internship. Immediately following the internship culmination, interns participated in an urban camping experience at elyria canyon park. All interns were invited to join cnc's alumni network.terngava naturalist yu'pa' program terngava naturalist yu'pa' translates to summer naturalist in the wild. Community Nature Connection (cnc) partnered with the fernandeo tataviam band of mission indians education and cultural learning department (ecld), California state parks, and the emerging naturalists program to coordinate and implement trips to local California state parks and beaches for youth participants. The terngava naturalist yu'pa' program launched and supported 14 youth in accessing outdoors experiences this summer. Cnc staff hosted one camping trip and three trips to tataviam, chumash and tongva lands that ca state parks currently manage. The ecld and cnc camped at talepop village, (malibu creek state park) and took a coastal day trip to humaliwu (malibu lagoon state beach). Some activities during the camping trip included an overview of camping skills, leave no trace principles, and tidepooling. Additionally, mrca hosted the terngava naturalists for kayaking along the orit" at the sepulveda basin. Youth learned about the life-cycle of salmon and its similarities to the local steelhead. Ecld invited Community elders for storytelling at suitcanga (los encinos state historic park) and talepop. For some participants, it was a highlight of their trip to listen to their relatives share stories of their cultural history. Lastly, the terngava naturalists visited maawnga (rio de los angeles state park) for local birding and current stories of Community engagement for the protection of urban access to green spaces. After the closing of the terngava naturalist yu'pa' program, 86% of youth were interested in spending more time in Nature. Transit to trailstransit to trails (ttt) is an outdoor access program in los angeles county focusing on communities impacted by racial, socio-economic, and disability injustices. Outreach locations include proximity to community-based organizations and public libraries in the greater los angeles area. Programming includes interpretive, guided tours, and activities that focus on various topics related to the coast and the santa monica mountains like ecology, wildlife, marine life, oceanography, the importance of watersheds, coastal and mountain protection, tide pools, and the cultural significance of these sites to indigenous cultures and the public. The ttt program facilitated the explore the coast grant and the whale tail grant. A total of twenty-seven trips were coordinated and facilitated by cnc staff with local Community partners. Community partnerships included chinatown branch library/chinatown teen-council, compton junior equestrians, franklin high school environmental club, happy trails for kids, koreatown youth Community center, lift, para los nios, sotomayor environmental club, southeast asian Community alliance, tataviam mission band of indians, wildwoods la, and women's leadership project. Program trip locations included abalone cove, los angeles natural history museum, los angeles state historic park, temescal canyon gateway park, king gillette ranch, malibu lagoon state beach, and will rogers state beach. Participants connected to Nature, explored tidepools, learned about the coastal act, and the Connection between watersheds and ocean health. The final ttt trip was a collaboration between the ttt program and akuutet learning nursery at will rogers state beach. Free transportation for each ttt trip was made possible through generous support from the mountains recreation and conservation authority and the la county board of supervisors. Fire resilience workforce & education programsfire resilience restoration workforce internship provides a 4 month internship program with focus on wildfire resilience restoration projects and Community outreach and engagement. Through the internship program, interns gained knowledge, skills, and experience implementing restoration projects with restoration interns and volunteers within elyria canyon park. The cnc fire resilience restoration workforce internship program recruits and employs youth interns and volunteers impacted by racial, socioeconomic, and disability injustices to carry out restoration projects in partnership with land agencies within the northeast los angeles area and elyria canyon park akuutet learning nursery. In partnership with local youthsource centers to secure hourly pay for each intern, youth interns learn how to restore and enhance fire-prone habitats using methods known to reduce fire risk in addition to learning how to lead park volunteers in large-scale fire resilient restoration efforts. Interns will learn the importance of maintaining native plant habitat for local wildlife through education and wildlife camera techniques. Outdoor & coastal access leadership institute (ocali)the outdoor & coastal access leadership institute is a hybrid learning course for individuals interested in outdoor and coastal access issues and projects. It is designed for individuals to understand the dynamic and current advocacy efforts to maximize public access to local outdoors. This 3-month hybrid course offers a special focus on outdoor experiences in parks managed by the mountains recreation and conservation authority incl

Wodocthe william o. douglas outdoor classroom (wodoc) at franklin canyon park operates a Nature center, volunteer program, school programs, and public programs. The sooky goldman Nature center is open to the public and provides historical, ecological, interpretive, and logistical information to park visitors. Community Nature Connection (cnc) provides in-school programs and field trips to franklin canyon park that are free of cost to title i schools. School programs contain standards-aligned curriculum that spotlights cultural history and local ecology, exposing students from underrepresented communities to the natural and cultural resources found within the greater los angeles area. Monthly public programming is offered free of cost to park visitors and groups from Community partner organizations and offers family friendly Nature walks, art in Nature workshops, story time, and themed interpretive hikes and programs. The Nature center, school programs, and public programs are supported by trained volunteers.