WildPlaces is a community based non-profit in the Southern Sierra Nevada located in Springville, CA.  Our mission is to preserve, support and protect California's natural and rural places and the peoples of these landscapes through volunteer driven habitat restoration, nature and culture education, and career development. 

The Southern Sierra Nevada is a beautiful hidden secret. WildPlaces would like to share this secret with travelers.  WIldPlaces offers many opportunities for the community to engage with nature, and the particular landscapes in this region.  Two programs that they offer for the public are: Rio Limpio and Immersed in the Wild.  Check out the WildPaces website for dates and volunteer in the Southern Sierra Nevada this year! 

WildPlaces’ efforts create and support communities that are active stewards of the land through education, youth service learning, community organizing, and hands-on restoration projects. Our projects include:

Immersed in the Wild:

Immersed in the Wild provides single and multi-day outdoor programs that engage under-served youth of diverse ages, backgrounds, and communities throughout California in land stewardship. Expert youth facilitators and activists guide our youth in safe and effective education sessions.

Río Limpio:

Tule River Outreach and Cleanup is a watershed-wide community effort to keep the Tule River safe, clean and open for all to use. Volunteers clear garbage and remove graffiti from the river while reaching out to and educating river users on the importance of good stewardship practices. WildPlaces has recently partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, Community Services Employment Training (CSET), Sierra Nevada Conservancy and others to gather resources for a long term watershed wide management program.

Sequoia Forest Days:

Throughout the planting season, volunteers plant Giant Sequoia seedlings on the Trail of 100 Giants and other areas of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The seedlings were propagated in the Springville nursery and the Cal Native Plant Nursery in Porterville from seeds collected from the Trail of 100 Giants.

Service Learning:

Service Learning is a holistic approach to education that combines classroom-based learning with hands-on service projects in the students’ own communities. WildPlaces organizes place-based service learning projects throughout the southern Sierra Nevada that engage youth from local high schools in Tulare and Kern Counties in issues that are relevant to their communities with an emphasis on environmental stewardship.

Outdoor Educator Trainings:

Outdoor Educator Trainings prepare local and regional community members, educators, activists, land owners, scientists, and others to be leaders and facilitators for WildPlaces’ outdoor education programs. Both experienced and new leaders emerge from the training more connected as a team, more prepared for the field conditions, and inspired by nature to work strongly together on upcoming youth events.

- Text quoted from http://www.wildplaces.net/about-us/

Through volunteer support, membership, and donations WildPlaces continues to provide projects and programs for the community to get involved in.  Visit www.wildplaces.net to donate, become a member, or become involved in the programs.