Environmental Volunteers, Inc.

The EV is a great team of people whose mission is one which is close to my heart. They teach kids to love science and nature because what people love, they will protect. I'm so proud to have found and continue to be volunteering for the EV.

I've been volunteering with this organization for the past 13 years. They are a wonderful organization that really appreciates their volunteers and lets you know it. They provide high quality education programs in science, nature, and ecology to hundreds of children a year. Many of these are from underserved communities and paid for by grants. When I walk out of the classroom I can tell that we've made an impact on so many children.

EV's classroom curriculum is outstanding and affective! It's been designed to complement and extend grade level learning objectives, and presents hands-on, critical reasoning experiences for all. As a former elementary teacher that hosted EVs and now a current EV myself, I note that the EV sessions reinforce concepts,provide opportunities for students to strengthen oral langauge, and provide models and activities that often lead to that "aha". If you think back at your own education, you won't remember much of the day to day routines, but you do remember mental jolts you had when a group like EVs came in, and something they presented gave meaning to your learning and informed your choices. Twelve years ago an EV came into my classroom and has us interact with a model that showed how street runoff, including oils dripping from a car, ran down and entered our water ways. That instantly gave me a connection to my local street drain and it's relation to the beyond. Recently I taught a 4th grade EV lesson that showed how hydroelectricity works and its benefits and challenges. The students quickly reasoned how hydropower is affected by drought and shared their "ahas" in a class wrap up on the pros and cons of different alternative energy sources. This is what Environmental Volunteers lessons do: provide thoughtful, significant, mind-bending activities that most teachers are unable to incorporate into the daily routine!

Throughout my life, nature and science have inspired wonder, provided calm, offered entertainment, and healed my spirit. Nature can astonish, it can soothe, it can amuse, it can embrace us. I want every child to have the opportunity to learn what the natural world has to offer, to understand it, to feel comfortable exploring it, to ask questions and delight in seeking answers.

The Environmental Volunteers makes natural science discovery possible for thousands of children every year.

I have been a volunteer in various capacities at the EV for over 30 years. The EV consistently provides excellent learning opportunities to children, constantly improving teaching standards and materials. Teachers rely on the EV to provide intimate hands-on natural science discovery for their students, both in the classroom and outdoors in natural settings

As a teaching docent, I have had my own fun experiences of learning and discovery. Training classes were a delight; fellow docents constantly share their knowledge and questions; and one learns from the students! You see the world with fresh eyes when you are with children.
And as a bonus, I have found a community of wonderful people who are committed to the mission of the EV.

As a member of various committees of the organization, I know that the mission to “Promote understanding of and responsibility for the environment through hands on science education” permeates everything the EV does.

As a donor and recent board member, I know the EV to be managed with the highest integrity so that resources reach their intended function to deliver educational experiences to children.

This wonderful organization is entering its 50th anniversary year. Fifty years of service to children and the future of our environment. I am proud to be a part of it.

The Environmental Volunteers (EV) inspires students to become the next generation of environmental stewards. We do this by providing hands-on science education to over 10,000 local children and community members each year. Volunteers go into classrooms and engage students with hands-on learning materials and a thoughtfully developed curriculum. We also reach the community through programs at our EcoCenter.

I am one of those volunteers. For the past 39 years I have been involved with the EV in many different capacities. I have educated numerous students in natural science as a classroom volunteer. I served on the board of trustees for a total of 15 years at different times, including two stints as board chair. I currently serve on the development and education committees. I am part of a cadre of staff and volunteers who are in the process of revamping our entire curriculum, which has been an exciting and challenging experience. We developed virtual lessons in response to COVID, which were a resounding success.

I am inspired by the tremendous impact the EV has on people of all ages. Our volunteers, staff, board, students and whole EV family benefits from our activities:

• Providing hands-on science education
• Encouraging awareness of the interrelationships between people and nature
• Fostering an attitude of stewardship for the environment
• Providing knowledge and skills to children so they can make informed decisions about the environment.

We are introducing the natural world to students who have never spent time outdoors or stepped out of their communities. We are forming relationships that will last a lifetime. In educating the next generation of leaders and voters, the EV is helping me do my part to make a difference in the world.

The EV has provided an opportunity for me to use my love of learning, my passion for science education, my enthusiasm for helping improve the effectiveness of organizations and my zest for interacting with like-minded people to strive to make the world a better place. In my work as a volunteer I have provided a valuable resource to the EV, but I have received so much more than I have given.

The EV-s are amazing! This is a community of nature and teaching enthusiastic people, who give amazing lessons and experience to the children. They offer various programs, and work constantly to reach everyone. They started with fascinating in person classroom enrichment lessons and field trips in OSP-s using the grade level science standards, but now they are offering online possibilities for schools, homeschooling and libraries, they have family and city park nature walks. They were building home libraries and sent nature based books and activities to kids with less access to nature. This is a great place not only for kids to learn and enjoy nature but also for the volunteers, who will get trained, organised and who come often together for a nature hike, book club or a cup of tea. It is a wonderful place where kids and adults find each other and learn about nature!

Dear like-minded friends:
I’m a volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonprofit that helps citizens connect with members of Congress to make changes in our environment. Like most people, we’re concerned about the effect climate change is having on our health and the health of our planet. And we want to motivate those from all backgrounds to voice their concerns. If you or anyone you know is interested in teaming with us, please contact me at ncalebrobinson@gmail.com

this organization is doing some amazing work. they have a variety of fun programs taught by people who are passionate about the environment and love working with kids. not only do they have in classroom sessions but they also have fun field trips! the staff and volunteers are really great. definitely worth checking out!

I am so impressed with the Environmental Volunteers efforts to keep their curriculum up to date with the Next Generation Science Standards and best practices for hands-on, minds-on inquiry based science. Because of these careful, well though out efforts, students have experiences both in the classroom and outdoors which aligns with what they are learning from their teachers. These experiences also enrich the instruction as the students are exposed to materials and lessons that would be hard for a classroom teacher to provide.

I've been a docent with various groups for a number of years but have found my experience leading hikes and class room workshops with the Environmental Volunteers have been my most rewarding, due to the quality of my fellow volunteers and the breadth of the environmental science they offer K-6 classes. Much has to do with the extensive training that all of the volunteers must go through. From tide pool and baylands marine science to foothill ecology and earthquake geology, both in classroom and docent lead trail hikes, they offer some truly unique programs that support the elementary school's science curriculum.

My passion is introducing kids to the wonders of nature and the out of doors! EV's provides an extensive offering of in class and on the trail science kits to help teach a variety of environmental subjects that are not otherwise available to most schools. The classroom experiences are supplemented by the opportunity to experience real world field trips. The combination of learning about science, environmental stewardship and just plain having fun out in nature is extremely valuable in this world of nonstop on line connectivity! "This is the best field trip ever!!" from a city kid experiencing a mountain trail or a tide pool for the first time is about the ultimate reward for this volunteer!

I am the Board Chair of an non-profit that was invited to attend the Silicon Valley Volunteer Fair organized by Environmental Volunteers on August 17th, 2019. I assisted at my organization table with another volunteer. Based on the event description we were hoping to meet some potential volunteers. Our expectations were far exceeded. We had two corporate representatives talk to us about potential volunteer days for their employees, as well as multiple highly qualified potential volunteers that expressed interest in us. In addition we had 22 people signup for our monthly newsletter which is very high relative to other events I have tabled at. I was personally thrilled with the quality and quantity of folks that stopped at our table.

The location was great and there was a good collection of other organizations attending .the event. When I arrived I was told exactly where to park and was given a map of organization tables that showed me exactly where to set up. Everything was well organized and efficient. Environmental Volunteers had staff and volunteers at their building onsite providing light snacks and drinks. So during a break from tabling, I was also offered a quick tour of their facility which was very interesting.

In summary, if this or a similar event was offered in the future, I would definitely prioritize it on my calendar, based on the great experience this year.

I learned about this organization 10 years ago when I was interested in finding a more engaging way for my children's school to teach science. My husband and I are both scientists and have long supported science education. NOt just for the sake of creating more scientists, but because we believe a diversity of thought is important in today's world. This organization impressed me with its hands-on, inquiry-based, curriculum that focuses on the nature that surrounds the kids. The program is taught entirely by volunteers.
While the bay area is lucky to have many science education organizations such as the California Academy of Sciences and the Tech Museum in San Jose, this organization reaches the kids who are not likely to go to these museums because it is costly or something they and their family don't think of as cool.
I volunteered for this organization for a while, and the volunteer training is comprehensive and the organization supports its volunteers so they can be successful. The hands-on materials are well organized and regularly repaired. The teachers and kids are engaged and really appreciate both the in-class program as well as the corresponding field-trip.
This relatively small organization makes a huge impact. The team and board are extremely talented and engaged.

When I retired from teaching 2 years ago I knew there was going to be two things I'd greatly miss--the children and discovering, learning and teaching about nature with them. When a good friend told me about the Environmental Volunteers program I knew it would be perfect for me in the way I wanted to volunteer in my community.
I'm excited as ever when the new school starts again! I teach hands-on kits in grades K-3 and lead field trips at the bay lands and surrounding foothills' parks. I 'teach and lead' but also continue to learn and discover with the children. Their curiosity and excitement is wonderful and energizing to experience. It always lifts my day!
EV has impressive training and a flexible schedule. The staff is the most supportive, knowledgable and fun group I've ever worked with. And the community of volunteers is an added plus. There's always opportunities for interesting and fun volunteer-staff activities and get togethers.
Now more than ever, it is so exciting to be a part of helping young people develop an understanding for the natural world around all of us and, most importantly, develop into the next caring generation of environmental stewards.

Environmental Volunteers gets me out of the house and enables me to give back to my community. I lead hikes in our local parks and open space and teach the EV kits in grades K-5 classrooms. I am able to share the outdoors and help students wonder about what’s there and appreciate it. It’s a wonderful feeling when you are in the classroom, and then see the same class outside and the students link the experiences together.

I do not have an education background and I’m not a earth science or ecology major. And that’s what’s so great about it. I am continuing to learn not only from the organization, but also their volunteers! The organization continues to evolve to the current teaching standards and revises their teaching accordingly.

I love the flexibility because it is different than other volunteer opportunities where you are scheduled for a specific time and day each week. Their online system lets me select the location, time and date, as well as subject I”m working with. It’s not always a perfect fit with my schedule, but there are plenty of opportunities available.

Great organization - I'm proud to be an EV! The EV has many opportunities to volunteer, from the classroom to the EcoCenter to field trips. It's easy and fun, and the EV training is great!

I've had the opportunity of going into the classroom with volunteers and seeing how wonderfully the volunteers interact with the students and how the students respond so positively. Also, I seen volunteers who've gone on hikes or explored the beach with kids who've never before seen the mountains or the beach -- and the kids come away with a new found appreciation for nature.

A very worthwhile organization, of which I'm proud to be a part.

Environmental Volunteers has a fantastically dedicated and knowledgeable volunteer group and staff! It's amazing to see them in the class room opening the experiences of the students. And even more rewarding when the students learn in the field. The EVs have been educating and inspiring kids for 45 years (and always welcoming new volunteers).

Environmental Volunteers does a wonderful job providing nature and environmental education and importantly experience to children in Silicon Valley. This is especially important in lower income areas (yes there are some) such as East Palo Alto. Some of these kids have little other opportunity to experience nature. The goal is to have children learn, love and respect nature and become stewards of our environment. The testimonials at our annual Wake up to Nature fund-raiser would confirm that we are being successful! it's a great organization, effectively and efficiently run with a very supportive volunteer corps.

Environmental Volunteers is a wonderful nonprofit that has been around for 46 years! It must be doing something right to have been around for so long. Science and environmental education is what they do. How they do it is by going into elementary school classrooms to augment the science and environmental learning that is taking place there. Volunteers bring 'kits', chosen by the teacher, into the classroom where students get to experience hands-on learning of particular science curricula. All of the kits and teaching modalities are based on the new science standards mandated by the State of California.
Volunteers also lead field trips in local parks and preserves to, again, give children hands-on experiences in nature in order enhance each child's understanding of the importance of our natural environment.
Other opportunities take place at the organization's headquarters, the EcoCenter, located in the Palo Alto Baylands where community events happen on a regular basis. Again the focus is on science and environmental education.

I served as a board member for 6 years and am an ongoing donor. The EV is constantly reviewing their environmental education programs for kids to update and improve the materials and information. Now that the EV is in its Baylands home they use the gorgeous facility to inspire people in even more ways. I can learn about grey fox habits or enjoy an afternoon of opera surrounded by nature's beauty. The people who make up the heart and soul of the EV are down-to-earth wonderful.

As an elementary school teach, I had used EV programs in my classrooms. I had always been an advocate for involving young children more deeply in hands-on, basic science experiences — young kids eat this up. There is a great need to have these interests piqued early so they can begin to understand and see the beauty in the world around them and understand the basic stuff they will need to make intelligent decisions.

After retiring, the EVs seemed like a perfect place to continue carrying on something I loved. Now, looking back over more than 20 years of EV classroom visits & field trips, I know I could not have made a better choice.

Not to be overlooked is the wonderful community of many dedicated volunteers I have met, worked, and played with over these years. This has been a most remarkable, satisfying experience.

As a child, I clearly remember the Environmental Volunteers (EV) coming to my school and doing a program with my class. The program involved creating a food web with a ball of yarn and finger puppets that represented each of the animals in the web. When the web was complete, the volunteer pulled on the web to show how each species is connect to and affects the rest. Today, I am a volunteer with the EV and do this same activity with students in local schools. I feel very fortunate to get the chance to connect kids to nature in the fun, engaging, and memorable ways that the EV provide.

The EV organization is what every nonprofit should strive to be - effective, well-run, of highest integrity and a beloved pillar in the communities it serves. I've been a volunteer docent and a supporter for years and am reminded at every point of coming in contact what a decent, dedicated group this is. I'm always delighted to tell people about the EV's and their tireless, critially important work in teaching kids about science, the environment and conservation -- something they simply do not get otherwise in school.

My daughter introduced us to EV. She was a 4th grade teacher at Oak Knoll School. Michelle's classes enjoyed bird watching among other experiences. The people of EV are committed to teaching children about their environment through field trips, classroom visits and many other outdoor opportunities. EV offers schools a wonderful means to enrich their own science programs.

Environmental Volunteers is an incredible organization that provides thousands of children every year with an incredible hands-on learning experience. I have never seen a kindergartener more engaged than when digging for microorganisms in bayland mud or a third grader when drilling holes in clam shells with an Ohlone pump drill. There is nothing more personally rewarding for me than inspiring a genuine passion for the natural world in young hearts and minds. In a perfect world, every child would enjoy the wonders that EV has to offer.

Many years ago as a classroom teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed having the EV bring hands on activities for my students followed by a coordinated and meaningful field trip. Now as a retired science educator, I love the opportunity to be a volunteer myself sharing my enthusiasm for the natural world with children. Given that there is little time in the elementary classroom day for science, I believe that the EV experiences are so important for young learners. It’s especially valuable that the EV kits/lessons are coordinated to the California State Science Standards by grade level so that students glean a deeper understanding of what is in their curriculum.

I've been a volunteer with EV for almost 20 years. I've stuck with it because I believe in the mission and I enjoy the experience. Although I am a native Californian, I have learned a lot about our environment from participating with EV. It has an excellent training program and offers wonderful enrichment activities to its volunteers. I like doing the hands-on activities with the children in their classrooms and I love taking them on hikes. I recommend EV to anyone who cares about the environment and is able to donate or volunteer.

The Environmental Volunteers has a great training program for its volunteers... I learned so much about our local environment, and how to share it with kids that I felt confident and well-supported when I started leading field trips. The trips are fun, the kids full of surprises and (mostly) eager to learn. It's been a great experience for me.

This is a great organization. Even people without either a teaching or a science background can help teachers in the local area provided critical nature and science education. The EV's training program is excellent. Not only do you get a chance to further nature and science education in the schools, but you also get the opportunity to learn about these subjects. As a retiree who has been a volunteer with the organization since 2007, I truly love the chance I have been given to learn about things I never had a chance to learn when I was in elementary school. The children so appreciate our efforts that it really makes you feel like you are making a difference. As a side benefit, the knowledge I have gained has helped me bring nature experiences to my own grandchildren.

I've been with Environmental Volunteers for two years. I am thoroughly enjoying the experience because I see how much the children Enjoy and Learn from our efforts. Plus, it's a pleasure working with children. I do a short ten minute or so introduction on the subject we will be teaching. All of the kits are a hands on experience for the children. For example, the younger kids love the marine skulls and bird skins. The older kids learn about earthquakes or energy and natural resources. The teachers choose which subjects and kits they want to have us present to their class. I feel we do a lot to support the children's learning experience.

Environmental Volunteers come to our school and give nature programs to the different grade levels. First graders receive education about birds. One center covers types of feathers, another types of eggs, and another types of beaks. The children are able to handle materials and learn specific information about animals operating in the food chain. When students are deprived of so much sensory education during these testing times, Environmental Volunteers bring back happiness and fun to education. Thank you!

I have supported the EV as a donor, board member and volunteer for nearly 25 years and marveled at the way they have grown and responded to the changing needs of the environmental world and children with improved teaching and technology. The new Eco Center is very exciting and I am proud to be a supporter.

This is a great organization to join as a volunteer. The subject matter is interesting and the other volunteers are great people. Visiting classrooms is a blast as the kids are always enthusiastic. I was really impressed by the training and support for new volunteers.

As an environmental education consultant, I worked with many nonprofit organizations in this field. Very few reach the caliber of the EVs on any, let alone every, count.

I volunteered with EV for three years. It was amazing to see the children in the classroom light up when then understood the concept we were teaching to them. I suspect the hands-on learning will remain with them for a long time. Even if only a few of the students become environmentally aware, they will help make the world a better place.

I joined the EV organization a couple of years ago and try to spend one morning a month in the classroom. The children K-6 are amazing. They ask so many questions and learn by experience. Whether it's learning about earthquakes, birds or nature in their neighborhood they learn by doing. The organization has the tools to support learning by both adults who provide the service and also the children who are so inquisitive.

Scatman sez this about that: I have volunteered for the Ev for 23 years now as a service provider, field trip leader, board member, committee member and volunteer trainer. It is an extremely well run organization that provides hands-on environmental education to thousands of elementary school students yearly. I am proud to be a member of this group and hope to continue my activities with them for another decade or more.

I have been an EV for many years. I find that the organization is extremely well run & very professional. Not only have I gains personally from my EV experiences but most important, the population receiving our services has gained & continues to gain tremendously. Words are inadequate to express the innumeral benefits from this group!!!

EV came to teach my daughter's girls scout troop about local wildlife. Based on that hands-on experience we signed up for EV's summer camp. All these fun experiences support my children's appreciation for the habitats that are important for us to protect and preserve.

I have a friend who is an EV. She came to my after school program and shared her knowledge of pill bugs and snails. The kids loved it! I hope to be an EV myself after I retire! Keep up the good work!

When I was a child the EVs came to my classrooms over the years and really brought environmental ed to life. I look forward to my kids receiving the same fabulous education. Thanks for all you do!

I've had Environmental Volunteers come to my 2nd and 4th grade classes. They provide an invaluable experience for my students who have not had the exposure to nature and sciences in their personal lives. My 2nd graders enjoyed having the volunteers come to the classroom and talk about local habitats and birds. The students were very involved, engaged, and excited for this fantastic learning opportunity. The volunteers are smart, and excellent with children!

Teachers love the EV and sign up year after year. Kids love the EV and we get such nice thank-you notes from them. I love the EV because, as a volunteer, I've learn as much as I teach the kids. We need more volunteers, so sign up if you can. You'll love it too.

I'm a new volunteer. I've been through the training and volunteered in a classroom a few times. The training is excellent. We study the subject area and the specific materials and lesson plans. There is also training in how kids of various ages learn and California education standards. We were given all the support we needed to transition from training to presenting in the classroom. These people are well organized, well informed and fun to work with. I enjoy working with the other volunteers, and it's wonderful when I can see kids having an ah-ha moment. I actually get to see their minds click into a new topic. This experience has been so good, I'm now a donor too.

What a great way to learn and teach about nature! It's fun to get into classrooms and see kids get excited about what we bring. Great people to work with, and I like the fact that leading hikes gets me out on those trails.

Excellent group helping young people to get in touch with nature and the world around them.

Third graders learn about the ocean environment and visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A popular activity is the touch tanks, where children can touch a living animal. Environmental Volunteers lead trips to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Moss Landing so that students can see and touch these beautiful creatures in their natural tide pool habitat. Excitedly, students learn about animals' lives while interacting with nature. They soak in the sights and sounds of the waves on the beach as the animals cling to the rocks. Students absorb a profound understanding of the interrelationships between the animals and their habitats that isn't observed in a book, movie, or aquarium. The volunteers do a marvelous job of helping students gain a healthy respect for the fragility and magic of the ocean.

great organization with excellent tools for teaching young students complex ideas about our environment. love all the hands on activities for kids.

Great organization doing great and inspiring work. A pleasure to support.

The volunteer training was great and very helpful, especially since I had only recently come to the US. I learnt very much about the ecosystems, animals and plants of the Bay Area, energy and material cycles, but also about teaching and that you don't need to know everything. The children are very excited and fascinated by the presented kits and activities. It is a wonderful experience and the team of staff and volunteers is resourceful and helpful.

I have taught natural science education in the classroom and taken elementary classrooms on field trips. I have served on the Board for many years as President, Development Chair, Area Coordinator, and Volunteer Coordinator. I have also contributed significant funds to the EVs. I think our hands-on learning both with learning stations in the classroom and small groups on field trips is an important teaching tool. I love the reaction from the children to our explorations!

The EV is an awesome organization! I joined in 1977, and have been a volunteer, former paid staff, former team member of volunteer education. My fellow volunteers are like extended family and we always feel appreciated. Connecting children to their environment is imperative so that they will want to sustain it, and will want to go out and enjoy it.

Working with the EV, I have visited school classrooms with hands-on science materials and followed up with field trips to a local area, such as the San Francisco Baylands or the foothills. We have tasted pickleweed and looked at animal scat to learn more about our natural surroundings. Volunteering with the EV for 30+ years, leading school trips, working in the office, and helping with fundraisers, has been an inspirational and fulfilling experience.

The Environmental Volunteers come to my fourth grade classroom each year to extend my students' understanding of earth science. The volunteers engage the students in

These people are awesome! They have amazing and knowledgeable docents, they are friendly and easy to work with, and they are a great resource for teachers even if you don't use the service.

As I board member, I saw the amazing passion and energy of the organization from both the strategic and day-to-day aspects. I was always impressed by the culture of delivering the best experience for the kids and the goals to make sure the 30+ year tradition continues while evolving through changing times and the ebbs and flows of the economy. That focus is woven into all aspects of the organization.

The presenter gave a wonderful presentation to our students. I liked how he tied the texts we read to the ideas of the sacredness of the earth, the need for sustainability and environmental justice. Our students engaged in what they can be doing to protect the earth.

Alan Berkowitz did a wonderful job. He brought interesting props, such as a preserved owl, which captured my students' attention. His lecture was relevant to what we were studying.

I got to know Environmental Volunteers in 2007 through the training program for school volunteers. It was fun and highly informative about the natural world in the Bay area. I was eager for more people to know about the EV. I joined the board in 2009 to help with outreach. I love that the board is regularly engaged with the organization. And helping kids learn about science and nature is a terrific investment in our future.

The training program to become an EV was extremely well organized an informational. Even as an avid naturalist I learned more about the bay area, and renewed my excitement for sharing this information with others. The classroom services generate interest and excitement in the kids, and the team of volunteers are reliable and generous with their time.

I support the EV because it is a high quality organization doing important work. In this era when schools are really suffering, I appreciate that they are helping over 400 teachers with science education. My donations go to a good cause. 

I have been involved with the EV's for over 20 years. During that time, I've been a client, a volunteer, a board member, and a donor. It is a wonderful organization that delivers year after year in implementing their mission statement to deliver a hands-on science experience to elementary age school children. With the cut backs in education, science is not a priority. The EV's bring a science experience in the classroom and in the field that may me the only science experience for the students.

My school, every classroom, has received class room visits from EV for several years. The volunteers teach many subjects ranging from science to social studies. Each visit is highly anticipated by the children. They know that their experience will be hands-on, interesting and educational. This organization has highly enhanced our students' educational experience. They allow us, as teachers, to provide realia and experiences that are not readily available to us. What a great organization!

I participate with other volunteers in leading hands-on sessions designed to enrich elementary students' understanding of environmental and science related subjects, such as earthquakes and the carbon cycle. Many of the sessions are followed in subsequent days by field trips to sites that exemplify the subjects discussed, such as the baylands, earthquake fault zones and tidal zones. The organization provides outstanding support to volunteers, including training and monthly meetings with enrichment presentations. No expertise in science is expected (although welcome!); no experience in teaching is required -- just an appreciation of the environment and a desire to work with kids. Great opportunity; rewarding experience.

I started volunteering with EV at the end of February. It's a very rewarding experience. Our goal is to teach children about the environment. The teacher chooses which learning stations she wants to have taught. These stations supplement the science education she is teaching her children. I taught owl pellets on Monday. The children loved taking apart the pellets to find out what the owl had eaten. They were amazed at the owl facts. It was wonderful watching their facial expressions. The teacher told us that the class had behavior problems. She was amazed at how engaged they were with all the stations. I've only worked with a couple of kits. I had a hard time keeping the kindergarten kids engaged with the types of feathers kit. I did the bag of junk kit twice and added live things to it the second time. Those were the best items to teach with.

In February 2010, the EV docents came to my classroom to teach about ocean pollution, riparian habitat, and mammal skeletons. Using stations and hands-on materials, my students participated in activities that touched on several scientific concepts. Observing mammal skulls gave them the

I love working with the Environmental Volunteers for many reasons but one of the main ones is that there is so much direct interaction with the students we are in business to reach. Once our volunteers are trained they begin field and classroom work that conveys the training and education to the students of all ages. The EV manages with a very small staff and careful budgeting to reach hundreds of kids each year. Time and money is not wasted. The EV is making a big impact on students lives by bringing the natural world to their attention with great interactive programs.

This organization leaves you with such upbeat feelings by sharing your knowledge of nature with elementary school kids and working with wonderful caring staff. this is the best non profit organization I have ever been associated with due to the kids, training, other volunteers and staff.

I am a retired Biologist, and EV gives me a chance to share my life learning while gaining much new skill and information to share. I just spent two days with 50 beautiful second graders and their outstanding teachers. Many of the children thanked me for teaching them about plants and said they know much more plants now. I could tell on our hike that they had retained much from the classroom experience. What joy!

While I love having my photography featured in the online store, the best experience is taking photos of the work in the classroom and on field trips. The kids are so absorbed in the class materials and so inquisitive in the field, and they are ably assisted by the excellent docents, who communicate their own enthusiasm and knowledge. My favorite line from a kindergarten student who was encouraged to use his five senses to observe the world:

This is one of the best organizations I've volunteered for. They provide great training. The staff is very friendly. It was a great learning experience.

It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of the Environmental Volunteer (EV) family. The staff are knowledgeable, eager to help, fun, and accessible. I have found that all of the people associated with the EVS are down to earth and committed to their mission of teaching kids to love nature. My donation seems to go far, as volunteers are used to do the lion's share of the direct work with kids.

Seeing and hearing young children connect with their environment and realize the importance of it is gratifying. It is fun to be that volunteer and to observe this. The EV reach over 10,000 students in the San Mateo and Santa Clara School Districts each year - with volunteer docents who help them discover things about the natural world around them. To help them appreciate and understand our world so that they will become better stewards of our environment. It is a great organization and I've been happy to be a member for over 12 years.

This organization provides more high-quality services to more individuals for far fewer dollars than any nonprofit I know. Reaching out to elementary school students in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, our EV volunteers impart to youngsters an appreciation and love of nature, leading to a sense of responsibility for its stewardship, at the same time adhering to California science education standards. Through innovative classroom kits and field trips to ocean, bay, forest and neighborhood, EV is spreading the word for environmental protection.

As a volunteer and staff member of Environmental Volunteers, I have seen directly how this organization positively impacts our local children and our community. Environmental Volunteers is very effective in fulfilling their mission to promote understanding of, and responsibility for, the environment through hands-on science education. What inspired me to join the EV was their vision, that all children will learn about and be inspired by the natural world so that they become responsible stewards of the Earth. The volunteers, some of whom have spent 30 years or more with the EV, make such a difference in the lives of our local kids; and, they help our teachers who are strapped for resources for science-based education. Our children and community need these volunteers who are interested in innovative environmental science education that improves student learning.

Environmental Volunteers, a registered 501-c-3 founded in 1972, raises funds for innovative hands-on environmental education programs in the classroom and on field trips. Topics range from "all about birds" to "energy and natural resources." This 37-year-old nonprofit trains volunteers to make a difference for children at a critical stage that can help instill a love of nature and environmental stewardship. Environmental Volunteers is renovating a beloved local landmark in a local nature preserve into a new headquarters called the EcoCenter. www.EVols.org

I enjoyed watching the campers' understandings of alternative energy grow as the week progressed. The camp taught the children more about our impact on the environment.

We did many fun and exciting projects and experiments. We learned about ways to save the environment and how to use alternative energy sources.

It was fun and interesting. Lots of free time. It is fun to make different cars and vehicles that use alternative energy.

Pretty chill place. A good place to work. It was generally enjoyable. [written by a high school student volunteering as a counselor]

The Environmental Volunteers camp was very well run and a great educational experience for my son who is 10 years old.

Great camp. Children learned a lot of valuable info. Did fun projects. This was the first time EV had the camp for 6-8th grade kids, but it seemed very well-designed and planned.

I thought it was great. (written by Bob) It was fun to make cars. (written by Bob) It was great. (written by Winston)