Immerse yourself in the Outdoors at Mount Hermon

Two Grants Awarded!

Mount Hermon Outdoor Science School has been awarded a generous grant through a partnership with United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Restoration Conservation District of Santa Cruz. The grant monies are alloted for a sandhills ecosystem restoration project that will involve education and participation of students who will be pulling invasive species and constructing a protective fence and educational kiosk. The project is facilitated and maintained through our ongoing stewardship program. See Habitat Restoration.

We have also been awarded a grant from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District for our Bean and Zayante Creek Project. The students will be using GPS units to locate and map Large Woody Debris in our creek corridors. This is the first step in assessing the health of the creeks which flow through the Mount Hermon property.

Our Location

Mount Hermon Outdoor Science School, located at Ponderosa Lodge, is an exciting, academic, experiential hands-on program is based on the California Science Framework. Students actively participate in one week of outdoor science exploration and learning, intentionally designed to increase awareness and understanding of our physical environment while growing in good stewardship of our natural resources.

Mount Hermon’s 440 acres rest amid the Santa Cruz coastal redwoods, 70 miles south of San Francisco. In our four distinct ecosystems students will explore and learn in a unique and dynamic environment. Extensive hiking trails lie next door in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. On our campus, students can view rare sandhills habitat distinct to this area. Throughout the week our naturalists will unfold for the students this diverse coastal mountain region, including creek research, redwood forest communities, animal identification and tacking, night hikes, habitat restoration and more. It provides an unparalleled setting for study, learning, and exploration.

Mount Hermon Outdoor Science Staff Community