5th graders observing salmon in the Duckabush River on a field trip at Duckabush Oxbow and Wetlands Preserve in fall 2023.
Our new Education Coordinator Devon Buckham.
For more than a decade, Jefferson Land Trust has been serving the public school students and teachers of East Jefferson County with high-quality youth education programming that connects classroom learning and local field experiences on our nature preserves. Our programs are offered at no cost to schools and are designed to build from one year to the next, carrying students from 1st through 12th grade, while aligning with state science standards.
As we kick off the first field trips of the 2024-25 school year, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve boosted our capacity to expand our education program thanks to the recent addition of a full-time Education Coordinator — the Land Trust’s first-ever position dedicated solely to education.
Local educator Devon Buckham joined the Land Trust as Education Coordinator in August 2024. Working with teachers, schools, Land Trust staff members, and our wonderful education volunteers, Devon will help our organization maintain and run the highly valued learning programs we’ve developed over the years, and expand them to meet the needs of local educators, students, and our community.
5th graders on a trip to Valley View Forest (the future gateway to Chimacum Ridge Community Forest) in 2023.
“I’ve seen the impact of these kinds of educational programs on students and my own children,” Devon says. “I absolutely believe in this mission and am so excited to be a part of it.”
Prior to stepping into the Education Coordinator role, Devon served the community as a teacher in the Chimacum school district for many years, and as a volunteer in multiple roles with Jefferson Land Trust. He’s helped lead Land Trust field trips as an education volunteer, and currently he’s one of seven community volunteers who make up the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest Board of Managers, which was formed in 2023. Read more about Devon by clicking here.
The Land Trust’s youth education programs were originally developed at the request of public school teachers, who approached us with needs and ideas specific to their classrooms — like a living lab for geology units or a field trip to learn about the salmon life cycle. We continue to take a responsive approach to developing our programs by working closely with teachers and administrators.
“Seeing how excited the teachers are to meet with us to talk about ideas and opportunities for Land Trust programs, you can understand just how positive these experiences are for both the students and the teachers,” Devon says.
Salish Coast Elementary School first and second graders come to Chimacum Creek with us every year. They release the coho salmon fry they have been raising in school and have a blast learning and playing out on the land! Photo by Wendy Feltham.
With this increased capacity, we can now focus on expanding our education programming to more students, with the goal of reaching every public school student in East Jefferson County, in each school district (Port Townsend, Chimacum, Quilcene, and Brinnon), in each school year they go through.
“There are a lot of equity issues around outdoor access,” Devon explains. “I think the work the Land Trust has done so far has increased that access, and one way to continue that work is expanding educational programming to make sure that all public school students in our area have the opportunity to connect to the land in meaningful ways.”
One of the reasons we focus our efforts in public schools is because we know not every student and family has the ability, time, or resources to get out on the land — even if the land is available for recreation. As we invite students to explore the lands we’ve protected for the benefit of their own and future generations, we’re encouraging them to feel a sense of welcome in and shared ownership of these places.
Students from Brinnon school district observed the healthy ecosystem at Snow Creek Forest Preserve during a field trip in 2021.
Often, we see or hear of excited students returning to the preserves with their families to share what they’ve learned and observed on Land Trust field trips — and to make new observations and memories together.
Most of our programs consist of two to three field trips over the course of the school year, with each field day supported by one to three classroom lessons. The place-based learning the Land Trust provides to students on our nature preserves offers them unique opportunities for integrated learning they can’t gain within the walls of a classroom. On field trips, students can connect and apply concepts they’ve learned about in class to what they experience on the land, building deep understanding.
5th grader on a field trip at Duckbush Oxbow and Wetlands Preserve in fall 2023.
“That level of understanding,” Devon says, “is something that’s very hard to reach in traditional education, which is why I think the Land Trust’s programming is so enduringly popular with teachers.”
Learning on the land, he says, can give students an important sense of ownership over their own learning paths, which is key to helping them truly absorb and retain knowledge. “When you’re able to bring students out on the land, you give them opportunities to ‘get out in front’ of their own learning — they’re in charge of guiding it and directing it. And that’s what really builds long-term understanding.”
The ownership and agency they gain through these learning experiences, along with an increased sense of environmental awareness and responsibility, can inspire them to make positive changes in the places they live.
Land Trust Field Assistant Greg Sachs helping lead a field trip for local students at the Land Trust’s Snow Creek Uncas Preserve in early 2024, where our partners at the North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC) have undertaken a huge restoration project.
The Land Trust’s mission is to help the community preserve open space, working lands, and habitat forever. We know that the youth of today will be the people inheriting and carrying that work forward. By fostering a connection to and appreciation of place; helping them gain an understanding of our roles in shaping the landscape around us; and giving them hope, agency, and the knowledge base to create positive change, our education programs are helping to empower the land stewards and community leaders of tomorrow.
Devon cites himself as a prime example of a local student who, growing up in this community, had the opportunity to access local land as part of his public school education (though his student years predate the Land Trust’s programs). He says these experiences instilled a lifelong interest in and passion for the place we live, fostering a deep connection to the land and the community — and creating a desire to ensure that the community’s relationships with the land continue.
A field trip to Valley View Forest in 2023. With help from local disability advocate groups, in 2023 we installed a wheelchair accessible trail leading from the Valley View parking lot to the Nature Studies pavilion.
In our education programs we coordinate with other local nonprofits and partners, like the North Olympic Salmon Coalition in some districts, and with the Washington Native Plant Society. This winter, thanks to a grant from the National Park Service, we plan to facilitate the start of an ongoing coordination effort amongst all the regional education providers so that we can cover educational needs with minimal duplication.
Having Devon on board will allow us to intentionally incorporate connections beyond the science curriculum, like math and language arts connections.
Over the past year, we’ve also improved two of our educational preserves (Illahee Preserve and Valley View Forest Preserve) to support wheelchair access, further addressing student and community needs.
Some of the 2023 Youth Corps crew enjoying a sunny day.
Beyond our public school programs, the Land Trust seeks to engage local youth in a variety of ways. Through our annual Spring Break Youth Corps paid internship, high school students learn about land management practices with local experts on our nature preserves. In 2023, we established the Fairbank Award for Youth Environmental Action, which recognizes local youths committed to environmental leadership. We’ve supported student groups seeking to make positive environmental change, like Port Townsend High School’s Students for Sustainability club, and help young people get a foothold in conservation-related careers through summer internships and AmeriCorps service positions.
Students and volunteers on a field trip to Duckabush Oxbow and Wetlands Preserve in fall 2023.
The Land Trust is powered by volunteers. This is especially true when it comes to our education programs.
“I can’t stress enough how important volunteers are to making these programs possible,” says Carrie Clendaniel, Preserve Manager. “You don’t have to be a resource expert or former teacher. You just need to be able to go through training with us and be able to engage students.”
Getting out on the land with school groups is a fun, hands-on way to serve the community while exploring some of Jefferson County’s most beautiful protected places. If you’re interested in volunteering with the Land Trust’s education programs, please reach out to Education Coordinator Devon Buckham at dbuckham[at]saveland.org. In addition to participating in preparatory training, all volunteers working with children must pass a background check.
