Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD) students are again experiencing hands-on science at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve, The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) living laboratory just outside Lompoc.

The 24,000 acre preserve is a hub for science, education and conservation. Through its managed public access programming LUSD has collaborated with TNC for five seasons to bring students access to this rare and ecologically rich landscape, LUSD said.

The preserve contains five ecosystems and seven habitat types that extend from the mountains to the coast. Its location at Point Conception supports research on biodiversity, climate change, and species resilience.

For Lompoc students, the preserve means the science they learn in class becomes something they can observe directly in nature. Students ask questions about oak woodlands, wood rat homes, and how species survive in this environment, and they engage with the landscape in ways many have never experienced before, the School District said.

“The Dangermond Preserve shows students what’s possible when science, nature, and opportunity come together,” said Diego Ortiz, Environmental Education Program manager for TNC.

“By connecting Lompoc students to this landscape, we’re helping spark curiosity, build a sense of belonging in nature, and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders,” he said.

The Nature Conservancy’s program is designed to reconnect students with the outdoors at a time when many young people spend limited time in nature. Students demonstrated learning outcomes include explaining oak woodland restoration, collecting and organizing data, and connecting human actions to ecosystem health.

Field lessons include moments of quiet reflections for students. The Fall 2025 season included 592 LUSD students served, and 21 undergraduate and Ph.D students employed through the program.

This year’s program began with in-class lessons led by UC Santa Barbara undergraduate and graduate educators from the Cheadle Center’s Kids in Nature program and the Bren School’s Bren Environmental Leaders (BEL) Program.

These early visits introduce scientific concepts, build relationships, and prepare students for what they will see at the preserve. The UCSB educators also serve as near-peer mentors who share their paths into college and conservation work, helping students imagine these opportunities for themselves.

The UCSB educators returned for post‑trip classroom visits in December, serving more than 900 students, across the pre- and post-trip lessons.

“What inspired me to become an environmental educator are the mentors I had throughout my childhood and undergraduate years,” said Lesley Figueroa, Ph.D. student at UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. “They helped me build a deep connection with nature and ultimately led me to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental science and management.

“I want to give others the opportunity to experience that same connection, to see the beauty of the natural world and understand why it’s worth caring for.”

The curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and was developed with guidance from master teachers in the UCSB Gevirtz Graduate School of Education.

Seventh-grade students work on Standard MS-LS2-2 in the Middle School Life Science strand, which requires them to explain patterns in how organisms interact across different ecosystems.

High school students study Standard HS-LS2-6 in the High School Life Science strand, which focuses on understanding how ecosystems remain stable and what causes them to change.

Teachers said they appreciate that TNC provides lessons that directly support these standards and strengthen what students are learning in their science classrooms.

“Our students spend most of their time surrounded by pavement and buildings, so being able to take them to the Dangermond Preserve is incredibly meaningful,” said Melissa Moore of Lompoc High School.

“The team provides a complete learning arc that starts with a classroom visit, continues with field investigations, and ends with a post lesson that deepens understanding,” she said. “Students get to learn science while standing in the middle of a living ecosystem, something they cannot experience on our campus.”

“The Nature Conservancy’s support is helping us build a science program that is relevant, rigorous, and inspiring,” said Brian Jaramillo, assistant superintendent of Education Services.