Trees Foundation was founded to provide support for healthy land stewardship on the North Coast. In an effort to inspire the next generation of environmentally conscious citizens, we invited a small group of schools in our community to apply for environmental arts grants. We are delighted to share a few of the school reports from grant recipients with our readers. This is just one of the many programs made possible by donations to Trees Foundation.

Whitethorn School

For Whitethorn School’s Enviro-Arts Grant Project, Anna Rogers from Sanctuary Forest was invited to lead students through a “Salmon Day,” using the rich surroundings of Whitethorn’s own campus for interaction and enrichment. To begin the day, our T-K through Sixth graders learned about endangered salmon species and the salmon life cycle– from ocean to freshwater and back.

From these lessons, students created their own salmon life cycle booklets and painted their own unique salmon with watercolor and iridescent material. Anna taught students the history of Whitethorn School’s Water Storage and Forbearance Project with Trout Unlimited and Sanctuary Forest, visiting tank sites by map and on foot. To end the day, the students crossed Whitethorn Road, strolled through the redwoods, and arrived at the banks of the Mattole River, where Steelhead and Coho spawn and rear.

Casterlin School

This March, Casterlin Elementary and High School in Blocksburg held a 3-day educational workshop led by Tamara Wilder, a teacher of ancient living skills. Partially funded by a Trees Foundation Environmental Arts grant–an effort to support local K-8 youth engagement with nature and the arts– the program offered hands-on, nature-based creative techniques, tools, and activities rooted in Native cultural traditions.

Tamara’s sessions began with students heading up to Casterlin’s grassy field to practice rabbit stick throwing, bows and arrows, hand spears, a hoop and pole game, and crossbow shooting. When rains arrived, activities moved to the gym, where students explored games made from bones and sinew, painted with mineral pigments, and, perhaps, the students’ favorite, crafted their own uniquely creative necklaces. Using willow hand drills, students slowly bore holes into soapstone, then shaped beads from these stones along with local wood and pine nuts, employing rough stones as grinders and dried horsetail stems as a finer sandpaper. Next came teamwork time, as student trios collaborated to twist plant fibers into string on which to assemble their beads into necklaces, which were worn with pride. 

After an improvisational theater interlude— where younger students donned tanned animal skins to act out Tamara’s reading of “Chasing Fire,” the whole school applauded the little actors, then headed back outside. The misty afternoon offered an ideal setting for Tamara’s exciting demonstration of hand drill fire-making, which served to draw parallels between the hand motions used for bead crafting AND for traditional fire starting. A spontaneous cheer went up when Tamara’s swift hand drilling produced an ember, then a flame. Students eagerly set about working in groups to attempt their own hand drill fires. While no teams created more than smoke, the smoke was quite exciting! Most importantly, this ancient method sparked deep thoughts as everyone considered the human necessity and responsibility of creating fire. As four Robinson siblings of local Kinest’e (Wailaki) descent, knelt in a circle, pouring their combined energies into their hand drill set up, the youngest looked up with a huge smile. “We’re making fire! This is awesome. Want to see my necklace?”

Casterlin lies in the Dobbyn Creek watershed, in Kinest’e (also called Wailaki) ancestral territory. Located on Alderpoint Road and part of the Southern Humboldt Joint Unified School District, the school serves a rural area with a diverse student body, including students of Kinest’e descent. This cultural context added extra significance to the workshop when the Lincoln family participated in day two of the event. Jen-nis T’sing Lincoln introduced her mom, dad, and younger family members, explaining, “My grandpa started a nonprofit called Native Health in Native Hands, which we all help with.” Jen-nis T’sing’s grandfather, Trees Foundation board member Perry Lincoln, founded this organization to reconnect indigenous communities, especially youth, with their land. Jen-nis-T’sing continued, “My grandpa’s family came from Dobbyn Creek, right over here, and it’s good to come back and be here.” 

Putting ancient hunting and crafting technologies and local material into students’ hands, Tamara’s workshop offered a deeper lesson in environmental stewardship, as students gained greater awareness of how Indigenous cultures met their survival needs and creative goals in harmony with nature. The Lincoln family’s assistance reinforced how Casterlin’s environment was long cared for by an Indigenous culture that is still present and that students can learn about and support. Mastering the art of necklace making and attempting the art of friction fire-making took teamwork and persistence. But, it was also really fun! More about Tamara Wilder’s workshops at Paleotechnics.com