The Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project (RVOEP) is a community-supported environmental education program of the Ukiah Unified School District (UUSD). Located on 45 acres of mixed oak woodland bordered by the west fork of the Russian River, it is a place where students can directly experience the natural world. They learn how to use eagle eyes, deer ears, and put on silent magic slippers to discover vital lessons found in nature. During the winter months environmental education is brought into the classroom by the RVOEP staff.
RVOEP is a Project where:
Over 2,000 UUSD students directly experience the natural world each year.
Young people learn about community and interdependence.
Students are instilled with a sense of stewardship and caring for the earth.
Curiosity is sparked.
Students hone their senses, practice observation, and engage in the scientific process.
The present generation passes on a legacy of our natural world to future generations.
“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.”
Thomas Berry, The Dream of the Earth
The story of the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project begins with a vision from our community – a vision of a vital legacy to leave to future generations. A legacy of the earth – its forests, waters, and other resources, along with its wild residents that depend so much on thoughtful human stewardship. And a vision of the children, our future citizens, connecting with a piece of the earth to learn about and practice such stewardship. This vision began with Spencer Brewer and was spearheaded by Jennifer Harris, a retired Ukiah High science teacher, and neighbor of a special piece of property on Pinecrest Drive in Redwood Valley. They saw potential in the land that the school district was then using as a dump for contaminated dirt. They inspired others to join up with the project and devote hours of volunteer time to transform this property into an outdoor education center.
In 1995, amidst talk of selling this 45-acre parcel of oak woodland acquired by the Ukiah Unified School District decades earlier, this group of dedicated citizens presented to the school board a proposal to establish an environmental education program at the site. The board approved the concept as long as it required no district funds and did not establish permanent structures. With this approval, the group of citizens forged ahead, sharing its vision, and gathering community donations and volunteers to leverage successful grant applications. A parking lot replaced the district’s contaminated soil dump, trails were blazed, benches and tables constructed, and compost toilets built so that in the spring of 1997 the first students arrived.
The project got a tremendous boost in 2001 when an anonymous member of the community came forward with a generous donation to pay for a credentialed teacher to staff the program and funds were found to include an assistant. This has allowed each visiting class to get an intimate connection with the place and its hands-on programs. Fundraising is also done each year to raise funds to pay for bussing students so that all interested teachers can bring their classes. Currently, almost all the elementary students in the Ukiah Unified School District visit the RVOEP and have follow-up visits in their classrooms.
The project received another incredible boost in 2015 when Ukiah Unified began funding salaries for RVOEP’s teacher and paraprofessional. This is a generous effort of support towards the program and is very beneficial to RVOEP’s financial picture each year.
The RVOEP was conceived and developed in 1995 by a citizen group dedicated to establishing an environmental education program for students attending the Ukiah Unified Schools. The project was set in motion when local citizens Spencer Brewer and Jennifer Harris, initiators of the project, gathered others in the community enthused by their vision–a diverse group that included educators, foresters, resource managers, and representatives of environmental groups. Harris, a retired high school science teacher with impressive community development skills, took on the role of organizing the group, devoting her energies to generating funds and gathering whatever other resources were needed to make the vision a reality.
Remarkably, more than two decades later, three of the founding members of the Community Advisory Board continue to donate their time and energy to this project, while others have served and moved on and new members have stepped forward to continue the work of this group as a vital guiding and supportive source for the project. In addition to raising funds, this dedicated group of community volunteers has been actively involved in caring for and improving the RVOEP site for more than fifteen years. The RVOEP is truly a community project, existing, in large part, due to the unflagging dedication, commitment, and generosity of this group of community members. Currently, the advisory board consists of the 17 members listed below.
Cathy Monroe - Founding RVOEP Board Member (1995), Chairperson and Retired Teacher; Past Mentor Teacher UUSD.
Duane Wells - Founding RVOEP Board Member (1995), Retired County Assessor; Professional Forester.
Bill Smith - Founding RVOEP Board Member (1995), Retired Registered Professional Forester; Member Society of American Foresters.
Helen Menasian - Former RVOEP Director/Educational Coordinator; Advisory Board Member since 2001.
Chuck Williams - Past President San Hedrin Chapter Native Plant Society; Inland Mendocino Land Trust Board of Directors; Advisory Board Member since 2002.
Chuck Vaughn - Peregrine Audubon Society Chapter President; Retired Research Associate, Hopland Research Center, University of California; Advisory Board Member since 2004.
Steve Lincoln - Biologist; Past President Kiwanis Club; Advisory Board Member since 2004.
Jean Lincoln - Retired Teacher; Advisory Board Member since 2004.
Kathy Tobin - Sheriff’s Activity League; Advisory Board Member since 2006.
Dianne Chocholak - Membership Chair; Advisory Board Member since 2010.
Steve Prochter - Retired Director of Mendocino County Department of Social Services; Former Scout Leader and Eagle Scout; Advisory Board Member since 2012.
Sharon Kiichli - Retired Director of Tapestry Family Services; Advisory Board Members since 2012.
Linda Ferguson - Biologist; Advisory Board Member since 2012.
Deborah Edelman - Mendocino County Resource Conservation District; Advisory Board Member since 2012.
Katie Sommer - Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, UUSD; Advisory Board Member since 2014.
Dan Stearns - Principal, Eagle Peak Middle School, UUSD; Advisory Board Member since 2014.
Patty Madigan - Mendocino County Resource Conservation District; Advisory Board Member since 2017.