Leo Carrillo / Sycamore Canyon Coastal Parks

Site Overview

Both Leo Carrillo and Sycamore Canyon tent camping sites are located along the Malibu coastline between Los Angeles and Ventura. These two sites sit along the coast and boast great hiking along creeks feeding into the ocean at white sandy beaches. Students and faculty stay in tents and use central bathrooms. All camps have central outdoor dining area for breakfast and dinner; students assist with preparing and serving food buffet-style. Lunches are eaten “on the trail” as the groups explore the mountains and beaches. Campfire areas are available for evening use. In case of inclement weather tarp shelters are available. The locations of the various camps offer many opportunities for exploring the diverse environments of the Santa Monica Mountains­ and adjacent areas.

Educational Program Overview

Naturalists at Large's experience has been that the students’ participation in the process of learning and living together provides the basic framework for a successful program. The program emphasizes outdoor skills along with an introduction to the various environ­ments of the Santa Monica Mountains. Naturalists at Large takes respon­sibility for all evening ac­tivities, in addition to the day's activities.

Students discover the unique natural and human history of the area, develop group cooperation through shared experiences, enhanced leadership abili­ties, and learn basic outdoor skills. All Naturalists at Large programs are intended to give the students a "sense of place". This is ac­com­plished by intro­ducing them to the natural and cultural history of the park and surrounding area while they explore the trails, study the various habitats, and live in the area for two to five days.

Organized into groups of twelve to fifteen, students discover the unique natural history of the area, and solve problems posed by their instruc­tors. Naturalists at Large instructors work with their groups to teach basic outdoor travel skills, conduct educational activities (primari­ly hands-on activities) on the park trails. Students are placed in situations that en­courage them to work together. In addition, they are constantly encouraged to solve problems posed by the Naturalists at Large instructors, comprised of both intel­lectual problems and well thought-out and well executed physical problems (i.e. initiative activities). There is an educational component to all activities.

Each trail group is with a Naturalists at Large naturalist-instructor and a faculty or parent chaperon for the entire program. Working in pods of 2 or 3 trail groups, each pod rotates to a new location each day, participating in activities that focus their attention on a particular concept or environment. The activities use active learning techniques plus "hands on" games and learning activities to help students grasp concepts.

Educational Themes can include:

• Freshwater biology, stream ecology, and the water (hydrologic) cycle

• Plant communities – botany, ecology, plant classification, taxonomy & the use of plant keys

• Adapta­tions of plants and animals for surviving this land of little rain

• Geology – landforms, plate tectonics

• The stars – the solar system, cosmology, star identification & constellations

• Environmen­tal resource management

• Water resources – pollution, sewage treatment, water sources

• Outdoor skills

• Invertebrate zoology & bird watching

We will also stress the importance of safe outdoor travel. Emphasis will be tailored to complement the goals of the school.

• The academic aspects of the program emphasize the study of water: fresh, marine, and brackish

• The natural history of the Santa Monica Moun­tains

• Man's role in the modification of the mountains

• Using natural resources wisely

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