MAGALIA — Fifth graders in Magalia don't have to go much farther than their own back yard for outdoor education thanks to a partnership between the Bureau of Land Management and Upper Ridge Wilderness Areas, Inc.
"California requires outdoor education for all fifth graders. For many schools access to wilderness areas is difficult because of distance and transportation costs so, the kids sit in classroom learning about trees, bugs, fire safety, birds, bees and mushrooms. In Magalia, they have the Upper Ridge Nature Park just down the road so it's a perfect place for their education. They get their outdoor education in the outdoors," said Bill Kuntz, supervisory outdoor recreation planner for the BLM Redding Field Office.
The Upper Ridge Wilderness Areas, Inc. was incorporated as nonprofit in 1979. Under a cooperative management agreement with the BLM, the group assists in preserving and maintaining the 120-acre BLM owned wilderness and wildlife preserve park for recreation and environmental education.
"We cooperate with the BLM to enhance the utilization of the area by maintaining trails and foot bridges so they remain accessible and useable," said John Hoffman, Wilderness Areas president.
There are three miles of designated and mapped trails maintained by Wilderness Areas. The group also picks up and hauls away trash and helps maintain the bathroom.
"They are our eyes and ears out there. We're a long way from the land so they are very valuable to us in terms of preservation and trail maintenance. If there is something they become aware of like vehicle trespassers, they let us know. They also contact us if there is something that needs doing that they can't handle," said Kuntz.
Indeed, the group plays such an important role in the land's conservation that in 2012 Upper Ridge Wilderness Areas, Inc. was awarded the BLM's National Making A Difference Group Lifetime Achievement Award.
With just 50 dues-paying members and less than a dozen who are active, the group is unable to move forward with creating more trails. Although Hoffman said the original articles of incorporation do permit the group to identify and preserve any wilderness areas on the upper ridge and to develop more trails, with BLM approval, on the 120 acres.
"Within the stated mission we could expand and take in other areas. We've talked for years about building an additional trail from the canyon rim down to Middle Butte Creek. But we'd need a higher level of participation from the community to accomplish that," said Hoffman.
"Our mission though is to provide education in the natural history and ecology of the area so we focus on the annual spring Trail Days for the fifth graders," he said.
For more than 20 years, Cedar Wood and Pine Ridge elementary schools have ushered a combined 80 to 100 students to the wilderness area for a day of education in fire prevention and protection, identifying and conserving native plants and wildlife and community service.
In 1998, the Trail Days program received the President's Environmental Youth Award.
"We used to have a big problem with vandalism. We thought if we started teaching kids early about the park, its wilderness and wildlife, they'd get interested in the park and taking care of it. The Trail Days program accomplished that to some level. The program changes the attitude of kids toward the park. They really learn to appreciate it," said David Anderson, who served as board president for 12 years and remains on the board.
Ridge Wilderness members along with volunteers from CalFire, Magalia Beatification Association, BLM, California Conservation Corps as well as parents and teachers team up to make Trail Days possible.
Trail Days begins with a one-hour introduction at the schools where students watch a CalFire video on fire prevention and safety and a slide presentation by Upper Ridge Wilderness Areas detailing the upcoming activities.
Students spend the first day of their outdoor education adventure at Butte County Fire Center in Magalia. In small groups the students rotate around information activity areas learning about native plants and wildlife, fire ladders and proper use of tools among other things in preparation for their "field day."
The highlight is the third day when the students venture into the wilderness area to take trail walks, assist with trail clearing, log sawing (with help from CCC volunteers) and get "down and dirty" with the bugs and the flora on the forest floor.
"They're out there carrying wood, getting their hands on huge cross saws, peeling bark back to look at bugs, checking out mushrooms, fungus and whatever else is growing. They're having a ball. We get nothing but great feedback from them," said Kuntz.
Community service is also part of Trail Days. Students from both schools help load the wood that's been cut and cleared from the trails into two trucks. The trucks, typically driven by school principals accompanied by a few students, deliver the wood to families in need.
"The kids who attend one school deliver to a family in the other school's area. This way they do a community service but are not in a position to deliver to a family they might know. It avoids embarrassment," said Hoffman.
At the end of their field day, the students are given "badges" to commemorate the day.
"It's a fun thing to work up their enthusiasm and thank them for helping us with trails. We hope that they'll carry the message of preserving the wilderness home to their families and friends," said Hoffman.
The Upper Ridge Wilderness Areas is a 501(c)3 Public Benefit Corporation established to identify and preserve wilderness areas on the Upper Ridge.
Its current mission is to partner with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in managing the 120-acre Upper Ridge Nature Park and to conduct public education in resource conservation.
Annual Membership: $5 individuals; $10 families