WES Community

 

 

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About Us

Little boy looking at flowers through a magnify glass
Kids running at WES

About WES Community

Founded in 2012, Whiskeytown Environmental School Community (WES Community) is a non-profit organization 501 (c)(3) that supports the outdoor education and science mission of Whiskeytown Environmental School (WES).  The 2018 Carr Fire burned facilities at the school and closed the site.  As a result, WES Community now serves as the fundraising partner for the rebuild of WES.

Many of us are former WES employees and resource professionals.  We are all passionate supporters of outdoor education!   Anecdotal feedback from students, teachers, and parents, as well as research support the effectiveness of outdoor education in learning the scientific principles that govern our environment and for the development of students’ social and emotional skills.  

In 2019, WES Community provided $11,325 in student scholarships for a final year of outdoor education at the Lassen Pines Conference Center in Viola, California.  This assistance helped six local schools close their fundraising gaps and provided students with a week of outdoor education.

WES Community partners with Whiskeytown NRA to co-sponsor the ongoing Redbud Recovery Project. The project provides an artistic and emotional venue to park staff and the community at large to recover from the effects of the Carr Fire.

WES Community is cooperating with the CREEC Network, SCOE, and the NPS in the NorCal Environmental Literacy Synthesis.   This 3-year environmental literacy project trains educational leaders and increases the use of environmental literacy as part of science education.  WES Community board members and liaisons are partnering as instructors. 

Our Mission

Whiskeytown Environmental School Community (WES Community) exists to support educational goals through immersive outdoor experiences for learners at Whiskeytown Environmental School (WES). WES Community contributes to the school’s mission through advocacy and relationship building with communities, businesses and public agencies to generate funds and further shared goals.

WES Community News

Sierra Pacific Foundation Donates $1.1 Million

Sierra Pacific Foundation Donates $1.1 Million

WES Community is thrilled to announce a generous donation from the Sierra Pacific Foundation to assist in the rebuilding at Whiskeytown Environmental School.  The $1.1 million donation will go towards both the rebuilding of student housing and student fees for...

SCOE APPROVES $1.8 MILLION FOR NEW WES BUILDING

SCOE APPROVES $1.8 MILLION FOR NEW WES BUILDING

We’re pleased to announce that the Shasta County Board of Education voted 7-0 last week to contribute $1.8 million toward efforts to rebuild Whiskeytown Environmental School. The school was heavily damaged during the Carr Fire. “It’s exciting to have a...

1 Million to WES Community

1 Million to WES Community

Whiskeytown Environmental School (WES) Community grieves with the families who lost loved ones and the neighbors who lost homes and property in the Zogg Fire. The $1M granted to us on May 31st from the PG&E Zogg Fire settlement will support the “Grow Back...

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Thank you so much for letting me come to the wonderful Whiskeytown Environmental school itself.  I had so much fun hiking, learning, and being there at WES camp.  I will never forget my once-in-a-lifetime experience.  One day I hope to see Whiskeytown Enviormental [sic] School and my naturalist, Antalope [sic] Andy, again.

Sage

WES Camp Student