Community Nature Connection

Mrca 21/22community Nature Connection provides public interpretive programs on public parkland owned and managed by the mountains recreation and conservation authority (mrca), with which cnc has a reciprocal services agreement (rsa). This grant from the mrca supports the rsa in support of public access and interpretive programs not funded by other grants. This includes natural and cultural history programs at events, campfire programs, Community engagement and outreach, new program development, and operations related to cnc programming.

Cnc training institutethe training institute hosts Community and certification training on topics related to the naturalist, interpretive, and outdoor fields. Through culturally relevant and responsive training and scholarship programs, the program aims to increase representation in the outdoors through accessible workforce development and education for our communities. Community trainings focus on outdoor and naturalist topics and are designed with inclusivity in mind to increase knowledge and enjoyment in the outdoor field for diverse audiences. These trainings are open to the public and offered free of cost to participants. Certification trainings such as the certified interpretive guide and uc California naturalist training equip participants with skills and knowledge necessary to enter or advance in careers and volunteering in the outdoor field. These courses are inclusively designed and culturally relevant to diverse participants.transit to trails"transit to trails" is a free shuttle program in los angeles county focusing on communities impacted by racial, socio-economic, and disability injustices; target locations include san fernando valley and northeast la. Cnc partners with community-based organizations and public libraries in the target locations and the greater los angeles area to develop the program. Such programming includes interpretive, guided tours, and activities that focus on various topics related to the coast and the santa monica mountains like ecology, wildlife, marine life, oceanography, the importance of watersheds, coastal and mountain protection, tide pools, and the cultural significance of these sites to indigenous cultures and the public.fire resilience workforce & education programsthe fire resilience workforce program is an internship program that employs young adult interns (ages 18-26) impacted by racial, socioeconomic, and disability injustices to carry out restoration projects in partnership with the national park service and land agencies within the santa monica mountains. Youth interns learn how to restore and enhance fire-prone habitats using methods known to reduce fire risk in addition to learning how to lead park volunteers in large-scale fire resilient restoration efforts. The fire resilience education program offers a bilingual series of Community trainings and events that promote fire resilience, fire awareness, and fire safety and cover topics such as recreating safely during fire season, fire preparedness, landscaping for wildfire resilience, and indigenous cultural burning practices.outdoor & coastal access leadership institutethe outdoor & coastal access leadership institute is a hybrid learning course for individuals interested in outdoor and coastal access issues and projects. It is designed for individuals to understand the dynamic and current advocacy efforts to maximize public access to local outdoors. This 3-month hybrid course offers a special focus on outdoor experiences in santa monica mountains and the malibu coast. Participants learn tools of project management, inclusivity in the field and interpretation for and from diverse perspectives. This course is a combination of online virtual meetings and in-person outdoor field trips.other programs - otherother programs that were conducted during the fiscal year ending june 30, 2022 include the naturalists explorers program, national park service cheeseboro restoration project, and the coastal commission libraries to trailhead projects. To highlight a few, the naturalist explorers is a sixteen-lesson program that introduces youth to natural and cultural resources, outdoor and camping skills, principles of interpretation, park careers in the field, Community advocacy, public speaking, and career development. Each program is facilitated by a naturalist who transforms the mountains, coast, and urban parks into outdoor classrooms. At the end of the naturalist explorers program, graduates are encouraged to apply for the outdoor leader position with cnc. The national park service restoration project is an annual year-long paid internship that focuses on habitat and ecological restoration. After completion of a minimum of 640 hours, interns are eligible for non-competitive hiring by federal land management agencies.

Wodocthe william o. douglas classroom (wodoc) at franklin canyon park has introduced many underrepresented communities to the natural and cultural resources found within the greater los angeles area. Community Nature Connection (cnc) provides field trips to franklin canyon park that are free of cost to title i schools and also provides free public programs at franklin canyon park. All programs are led by trained volunteers and feature guided strolls and hikes and contain standards-aligned curriculum that spotlights cultural history and the local ecology.