Kestrel offers place-based natural science and ecological literacy support for schools, youth groups, & individuals. Students learn science through direct experiences in the natural world. They learn how their own landscape is valuable and unique.  

Programs are skill-centered with a conceptual focus. We emphasize building a foundation of awareness and critical thinking that students can use as they explore unfamiliar habitats. Kestrel places focus on scientific skills such as describing, classifying, making connections, communicating, planning, and systems thinking. We teach that real scientists have the skills to make original discoveries.

We are building a better and more sustainable world through excellent, student-centered natural science education. We cultivate core skills for ecologically literate citizens: sensory awareness, imagination, and systems thinking. As our students tune into the world around them, they begin to address real problems and make real discoveries. We prepare students for solving future problems in a rapidly changing world. We connect young people to the joys of their local wildlands. We make sure that today’s youth have foundational experiences that will lead to a lifetime of understanding and caring about the environment.

We teach children that they should wander, explore, touch, imagine, and live in the natural world. We all belong in nature.