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Environmental Education

Two young women in casual clothing crouch on a cobblestone path near a body of water, with lush green foliage and trees forming the background.

Our campus is located steps away from the Presidio National Park. Acres of wild habitats, natural trails, and diverse ecosystems provide the opportunity for our students to regularly play and learn outdoors.

The Presidio offers a uniquely immersive setting for outdoor, experiential learning, unrivaled by any urban national park in the United States. This site includes a sprawling 1491-acre landscape featuring a 300-acre forest, 24 miles of hiking and biking trails, and the Tennessee Hollow Watershed with its flourishing native plant communities and wildlife. The area’s biodiversity is profound, hosting 350 species of flora and fauna, some of which are rare and endangered, making it an ideal outdoor classroom for students to learn about ecology, conservation, and environmental stewardship. The Presidio’s status as a National Historic Landmark District with over 600 historic buildings and numerous archaeological sites offers students hands-on opportunities to explore and connect with the region’s cultural, military, and ecological history, enriching their learning experience through direct engagement with the environment.

Below, you will get a sense of how a PHS student will experience the Presidio through the lens of environmental stewardship and sustainability. 
 

kids in park

TK - 2nd Grade - Fostering Wonder and Care for Nature

In conjunction with the units you’ll read about below, our TK-2nd graders go outside daily and enjoy free play. This unstructured outdoor time is a joy for the children and a crucial part of their development. They naturally enhance their motor skills and physical health as they explore, imagine, and interact with the diverse natural settings around them. This daily immersion in nature fosters a deep empathy for living things and instills a lifelong desire to protect and cherish the environment.

3rd - 5th Grade - Fostering Environmental Stewardship

Fostering environmental stewardship in 3rd-5th graders is crucial as it teaches them responsibility and respect for the planet early on. By understanding the impact of their actions, children develop sustainable habits and a love for nature. This foundation helps create a future generation committed to environmental conservation and sustainability.

students walking in forest

Middle School

Our middle school environmental science program is rooted in immersing our students in real science. 100-minute field-research labs allow classes to conduct long-term monitoring projects, collect meaningful data, and compare and contrast working ecosystem functions. Observing local ever-changing environments encourages our students to formulate questions about our earth and critically think about the effects of climate change. 

Children in bright safety vests and backpacks gather outdoors, with a blurred background of greenery and a building.
A man and two young people examine something in a small puddle on a rocky path, with dry brush and grass in the background.
Children in bright vests hold hands in a circle on a forest floor, surrounded by tall redwood trees.
A group of children wearing bright yellow vests sit on the ground in a forest clearing, listening to a woman holding a poster.
A group of children sit on logs in a sun-dappled forest clearing, listening to an adult, while other children are engaged in activities in the foreground.
A group of children explore a fallen tree in the foreground, with a village and a bay stretching into the distance under a clear sky.
A smiling girl in a bright vest carries a large branch in the foreground, while another child and tall trees fill the background.
Two smiling children look up at the camera with their hands cupped around their eyes, while a blurred background of pine needles and logs suggests an outdoor setting.
Two young people in casual clothing are interacting with a shallow stream in the foreground, with a dense, dry bush and trees forming the background.
A group of children walks along a dirt path in a sun-dappled forest with lush green foliage in the foreground.
Four young children in green shirts play in the dirt foreground, while a sunlit, grassy hillside dotted with yellow flowers and trees forms the background.
A group of children stand in a circle under a large tree in the foreground, while a blurred background of greenery suggests an outdoor educational setting.
A group of people walks along a dirt path in the foreground, with trees and buildings visible in the background.
The Golden Gate Bridge spans the foreground, leading to a lush green park and the sprawling cityscape of San Francisco in the background under a clear blue sky.
Sunlight filters through tall redwood trees onto a forest floor covered in pine needles, where a few people are scattered amongst the trunks.
A group of people walk down a dirt path lined with tall eucalyptus trees, disappearing into a misty forest.
Two girls walk along a leaf-strewn path through a misty forest of tall, slender trees.
Children explore a rustic fort made of branches in a sun-dappled forest.
A person in the foreground lies on the ground taking a photo, while a path winds through a forest in the background.
Children in bright vests play around a large tree stump in the foreground, with a wooded hillside and clear blue sky in the background.
Two girls are examining plants near a stream, with lush greenery and trees in the background.
A sprawling cityscape with green parks in the foreground gives way to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge spanning a vast blue bay under a clear sky.
A young girl with braided hair in a dark hoodie writes in a notebook resting on a large, rough-hewn log, with a blurred background of trees and a bright sky.
A group of young people with binoculars and cameras are gathered in a wooded area with a city skyline visible in the distance.
A young girl in a bright vest smiles as she walks on a sandy path in the foreground, while other children in similar vests explore among fallen logs and trees in the sunlit background.
Two young boys in bright safety vests explore a natural shelter formed by tangled, weathered tree roots in a sandy, sun-drenched landscape.
Two young girls examine a piece of paper while sitting on dry grass with a backpack nearby, set against a blurred background of more dry vegetation.
In the foreground, exposed tree roots and a large tree stump dominate the sandy ground, while in the background, several children in bright vests walk through a sparse, sun-dappled forest.

Community Partnerships

Ribbons in shades of purple and orange display the words %22THE EDIBLE SCHOOLYARD PROJECT%22 in yellow text against a white background.
The foreground displays the words %22GREEN SCHOOLS ALLIANCE%22 in gray text, while the background features a colorful, pinwheel-like graphic.
A dark gray grate is visible in the background, with a green heart containing %22SF%22 and the words %22Adopt a Drain%22 in the foreground, all set against a bright green backdrop.
A white leaf overlays a green oval containing a white silhouette of a suspension bridge.
A green leaf and a bridge are in the foreground, with the text %22SF Environment%22 in the background.
A white silhouette of a building with arched windows sits against a blue sky in the foreground, next to the black text %22Presidio Trust%22 on a white background.
White text %22R-7%22 is centered on a vibrant orange and yellow watercolor background.
A silhouetted bear wearing a ranger hat sits on a grassy mound with birds flying in the light blue sky, while the foreground displays text and logos indicating a certified wildlife habitat.
A yellow outline of California with a bear silhouette is centered on a blue shield background.

Presidio Hill School teachers take you to some of their favorite spots in the Presidio: