This fall education season, California State Parks North Coast Redwoods District will hold several free educational opportunities available for students, focused on the old-growth redwood forests, wild and scenic rivers, rugged coastlines, and the rich culture and history of Native peoples of the North Coast.

Teachers and students across California can explore the wonders of California State Parks from the comfort of their classrooms thanks to the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) program. In-person guided tours are also available and facilitated by California State Park interpreters, who will be present to welcome students, support teachers and facilitate educational activities (available at select parks units in the North Coast Redwoods).

Virtual and in-person programs offer an enriching experience for students in the following parks:

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Sign up for the Built to Last: The Adaptations of Coast Redwoods PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Thursdays and Fridays or the Salmon and Sediment: Fueling the Redwood Forest PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31012 .

Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Sign up for the Redwood Resilience: Forged by Fire and Fog with Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Tuesdays or the Once Apon a Redwood PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Thursdays. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30985.

Humboldt Lagoons State Park. Sign up for the Stewards of the Lagoon at Chah-pekw O’-Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Mondays. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31076.

Sue-meg State Park. Sign up for the The Yurok People Are Still Here PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Thursdays and Fridays. In-person field trips include a tour of a re-created traditional Yurok village. They run about an hour and are only available on Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30930.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Sign up for Why Watersheds Matter PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Thursdays. In-person field trips are about two to three hours long and are only available on Wednesdays. For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/31004 .

Richardson Grove State Park. Sign up for the Eel River Escapade PORTS Program (ca.gov) on Fridays. In-person field trips are about three hours long and are only available on Tuesdays.  For more information, visit https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31037.

The teacher registration for PORTS Programs is now open. To sign up for these programs and many other statewide virtual programs, visit https://ports.parks.ca.gov/ .

The teacher registration for in-person guided tours is also open. Each park unit within the North Coast Redwoods has its own system for processing school group reservations. Educators can learn more about how to make a reservation for an in-person guided tour by exploring the School Resources webpages listed above. Teachers can also submit a School Group Reservation Request form (DPR 124) in-person or by mail to the individual park unit’s respective mailing location.

Reservations for in-person guided tours are required to visit the park and must be made at least 15 days in advance of the proposed visit date to allow for preparation and scheduling by park personnel. After requests are submitted, park personnel will process and review the request and notify teachers on whether their request was approved or denied via email correspondence. Program signups are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Explore all the ways you can connect your students to California State Parks by visiting learning.parks.ca.gov.