Discover San Francisco Bay with the experts! Use the map above to explore programs for school groups offered by local agencies and informal education organizations about the ecology and history of San Francisco Bay. Many wonderful opportunities exist—field trips, on-site programs, classroom visits, and teacher trainings. Dive in!

Aquarium of the Bay
The Embarcadero at Beach St., Pier 39
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 623-5300
K–12
Aquarium of the Bay is a unique nature center dedicated to inspiring conservation of the San Francisco Bay and its surrounding waters. Classes focus on inquiry-based, hands-on learning experiences that include scientific activities, games, and a guided tour of the aquarium.

The Bay Institute
695 De Long Ave., Suite 100
Novato, CA 94945
(415) 878-2929
K–12
The Bay Institute’s STRAW project (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) provides teachers and students with the scientific, educational, and technical resources to prepare them for hands-on watershed studies outdoors, including ecological restoration of riparian corridors and wetlands.

Bay Model
2100 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 289-3023
K–Adult
The Bay Model offers a unique opportunity for teachers and students to learn about the geography, topography, ecology, and human and natural history of San Francisco Bay and the Delta. Education programs are specific to grade level and subject.

City of Berkeley: Shorebird Park Nature Center
160 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 981-6720
K–12
Estuary education classes provide exciting, hands-on opportunities for students to explore intertidal and dock life along the East Bay shoreline. Sailing and research programs are offered for fourth through 12th grades. A new classroom is scheduled for completion in 2010.

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
1 Marshlands Road
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 792-0222
K–6
Investigate creatures of the mud flats, plankton and other slough creatures, and the pickleweed in the salt marsh. Field trips are designed for grades K–6 for up to 65 students and are offered October through December and March through May.

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
1751 Grand Blvd.
Alviso, CA 95002
(408) 262-5513
K–College
Investigate the waters of the Bay, taste pickleweed in the salt marsh, and learn about birds and other wildlife with the Wetland Round-Up program. The Slow the Flow field trip program provides an experiential learning environment to explore the topics of water use, wastewater treatment, and habitat preservation.

East Bay Regional Park District: Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve Visitor Center
5175 Somersville Road
Antioch, CA 94509
(510) 544-2750
2–Adult
Explore marsh habitats of San Francisco Bay with walks along Martinez Marsh. Also, learn about the plants and animals of the Delta at Big Break Regional Shoreline.

East Bay Regional Park District: Coyote Hills Visitor Center
8000 Patterson Ranch Road
Fremont, CA 94555
(510) 795-9385
K–Adult

East Bay Regional Park District: Crab Cove Visitor Center
1252 McKay Ave.
Alameda, CA 94501-7805
(510) 544-3187
Pre-K–Adult
Come explore the San Francisco Bay! A variety of field trip programs provide opportunities to learn about Bay plants, animals, birds, food chains, and habitats. Explore the outdoors and learn about our rich local diversity.

East Bay Regional Park District: Middle Harbor Shoreline Park
Middle Harbor Road
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 544-3187
K–Adult
Come explore the San Francisco Bay Estuary! Visitors can engage in hands-on activities, guided discovery, and exploration along the shoreline while learning about habitat, adaptations, animals, plants, and more.

Environmental Volunteers
3921 East Bayshore Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303-4326
(650) 961-0545
K–8
Environmental Volunteers offers hands-on small-group programs in nine different environmental subjects, including Bay ecology, marine ecology, and water science and conservation.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Fort Mason, Bldg. 201
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 561-2815
K–12
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area—with its fragile indigenous habitats and historic landmarks—is the setting for an expansive and inspiring urban outdoor classroom. The park offers a variety of programs that encourage inquiry-based learning linked to school curricula.

Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center
4901 Breakwater Ave.
Hayward, CA 94545
(510) 670-7270
Pre-K–7
The Hayward Area Recreation and Park District operates a wetlands interpretive center specializing in salt marsh natural history. Hands-on experiential field trips along the Hayward shoreline for pre-K through seventh-grade students highlight the plants and animals of San Francisco Bay.

KIDS for the BAY
1771 Alcatraz Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 985-1602
K–6
KIDS for the BAY offers a variety of Bay-focused programs that are correlated to California state standards in science, math, and language arts. Programs include one-day Creek and Bay Field Trip Explorations and a yearlong Watershed Action program.

Marine Science Institute (MSI)
500 Discovery Parkway
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 364-2760
Pre-K–College
MSI cultivates understanding of natural science through interdisciplinary educational activities that put students in direct physical contact with local marine life. Ship- and land-based programs focus on the life and ecosystems of San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
376 Greenwood Beach Road
Tiburon, CA 94920
(415) 388-2524
Pre-K–12
Learn scientific methods of inquiry while exploring local geology, watersheds, tides, and tide pools. Using nets, buckets, mud sieves, observations, and creativity, students uncover the diverse and fascinating habitats and animals living along the shore.

San Francisco Maritime National Park Association
P.O. Box 470310
San Francisco, CA 94147-0310
(415) 292-6664, (415) 775-1943
4–12
The Maritime Park Association operates a number of education programs to realize its goal of increasing the understanding of our nation’s rich maritime heritage. Offerings include sailing outings aboard the historic vessel Alma and daytime and overnight programs at the Hyde Street Pier and aboard the USS Pampanito.

Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
22221 McClellan Road
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408) 252-3740
Pre-K–12
The Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society offers everything from slideshows to in-class presentations to bird and nature walks. Most of our programs can be adapted to any grade from pre-K through 8, and some are also appropriate for high school students.

Save The Bay
350 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 900
Oakland, CA 94708
(510) 452-9261
5–12
Daylong programs consist of Canoes in Sloughs and community-based restoration in locations around the Bay. Canoe trips are offered for a fee based on a sliding scale; restoration programs are free. Optional one-hour, in-class presentations prepare students for field trips.

Contra Costa Water District
1331 Concord Ave.
Concord, CA 94524
(925) 688-8307
1–College
Water science and conservation education programs include classroom presentations, whole-school assemblies, tours of water treatment plants, watershed field trips, shipboard programs, canal safety programs, education mini-grants, and teacher development.

East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
375 11th St.
Oakland, CA 94607
(866) 403-2683
K–12
Free educational programs and classroom materials are available to schools and teachers in EBMUD’s service area. Programs and curricula emphasize water conservation and pollution prevention. Ranger-naturalists host local classrooms for creek restoration, reforestation, and natural history programs.

Solano Irrigation District: School Water Education Program (SWEP)
508 Elmira Road
Vacaville, CA 95687
(707) 448-6847
K–12
The SWEP provides free water resource materials, in-class presentations, and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) teacher training opportunities for all educators in Solano County public schools, private schools, and organizations, including the Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H, and other youth groups.

Santa Clara Valley Water District
5750 Almaden Expressway
San Jose, CA 95118-3686
(408) 265-2600
Pre-K–College
Water district programs include classroom lessons and tours that explore the water cycle, non–point source pollution, water quality, stream stewardship, and watershed awareness. Lessons demonstrate the critical importance of water as a resource and how our behaviors affect the supply.

Sonoma County Water Agency
404 Aviation Blvd.
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 547-1900
K–12
Sonoma County Water Agency’s Water Education Program incorporates teacher workshops, curriculum materials, contests, assemblies, student incentives, classroom presentations, and field trips—all of which are free to schools within the agency’s service area in Sonoma County and northern Marin County.