How One Outdoor Leadership Training Leader Creates Outdoor Experiences Through Science-Based Programs

Washington Trails Association’s Outdoor Leadership Training (OLT) program, which will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary, gets school-age youth outside by empowering teachers and youth-serving groups with the skills and resources they need to lead safe and fun outdoor experiences.

In 2021, the program expanded by adding a second gear library. Our new Pierce County gear library in Puyallup allows us to reach more educators in the South Puget Sound region. We’ve been excited to see how the gear library is helping youth get outside, including through a school-based program at Lincoln High School (LHS) in Tacoma.

A strong start

Natalie Reszka, currently a science teacher at LHS, first attended a WTA Outdoor Leadership Training workshop back in 2019. At the time, she was working for an organization serving youth through outdoor education.

Photo by Natalie Reszka.

When she moved to LHS, Natalie started the Science Outdoors program at the school with the assistance of two other teachers. She applied for an Outdoor Education for All grant through the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, which made it possible for her to start the program. The grant supports schools that develop or support outdoor educational experiences in communities historically underserved by science education.

With that funding and support in place, Natalie was able to reconnect with the OLT program by making use of WTA’s Pierce County gear library. Natalie said that WTA’s OLT gear lending library helped make the outdoor program at LHS possible by borrowing both rain and fleece jackets.

“Keeping them dry with rain jackets, since a huge amount of students don’t have access to adequate gear, makes the experiences outdoors more enjoyable.”

The Science Outdoors Program

A group of high school students with raincoats on out on a misty walk at the Mount St. Helens Volcanic School. Photo by Natalie Reszka. 

Knowing she had the gear she needed to help keep students comfortable outside, Natalie was excited to plan out their semester with other like-minded and motivated teachers. The Science Outdoors program went on a number of trips, including spending a day on the Doolin-Rodgers Marine Vessel in Commencement Bay, exploring Titlow Beach tide pools, attending a spring break food justice camp, taking multiple day trips to Mount St. Helens Volcanic School and touring LHS’s greenhouse.

“The goals of the grant are to get freshmen specifically outdoors and in love with science in a different way than can happen inside the classroom,” Natalie said.  

She said that the program aims to increase the number of underrepresented students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The program also provides opportunities to LHS students that many other students might typically get to have, such as outdoor summer adventures or school programs like kayaking or overnight trips. 

Photo by Natalie Reszka. 

To wrap up the Science Outdoors program for the semester, Natalie and her team hosted a symposium event at LHS. Students and their families were invited to learn about the students’ hard work, see their art and hear the students reflect on their semester outdoors. Students said that the outdoor field trips let them “sneakily” learn about science and mentorship while building community with their peers.

Jaden Harper, a ninth grader who is part of the leadership team for Science Outdoors, said his favorite trip from the program was visiting the Mount St. Helens Volcanic School. He enjoyed learning about the history of the volcano, getting to see a bit of Mount St. Helens. He said students were grateful to be outside (despite the long travel time there and back). 

Natalie and team share highlights and student projects to Science Outdoors students' families. Photo by MJ Sampang.

Looking ahead

Natalie, and other teachers alike, hope to keep these outdoor and field-based programs in their schools that serve underrepresented communities and motivate students. Thanks to WTA and other community partners' support, 151 freshmen students attended at least one field trip. In addition, upperclassmen from Environmental Science and Biology students attended a full day at Mount St. Helens Volcanic School collecting data for the programs there.

This program and team of teachers are only one powerful example of how bringing students together in outdoor spaces through learning and fun can go a long way. LHS’s Science Outdoors program is also supported by other community-based organizations that supplied direct programming to their field trips such as Communities for a Healthy Bay, Point Defiance Zoo and Park, Camp Seymour and Harvest Pierce County. 

Photo by Natalie Reszka.

Natalie is passionate about getting outdoors with students and her work has been getting recognition from government officials and Tacoma school district staff.

WTA’s OLT program focuses on providing resources and outdoor opportunities to communities that have historically faced barriers to outdoor exploration. If you’d like to learn more, read our stories about how the OLT program continuously supports community partners in accessing the outdoors and creating inclusive learning environments.