ABOUT US
IslandWood is an environmental education nonprofit working to ensure every child in the state of Washington, especially those attending under-resourced schools, has access to meaningful nature-based learning.
From our overnight program on Bainbridge Island to hands-on learning at public parks, watersheds, wastewater treatment plants, and schoolyards across the Puget Sound, we’re opening hearts and minds to the wonders of the natural world.
We’re connecting young people with nature, for their well-being and the well-being of the planet.
GET TO KNOW OUR PROGRAMS
Students spend four days & three nights on our Bainbridge campus engaged in critical thinking, nature observations, scientific investigations, and teambuilding challenges. 4,000+ children attend per year. Learn more and watch videos about the program here.
Programs at wastewater plants, public parks, and schools throughout Seattle, Woodinville, and Renton to broaden the idea of “the environment” to include urban systems. Impacts 10,000+ students per year. Learn more about our day programs here.
Our graduate program, in partnership with the University of Washington, prepares educators who can ignite change in schools, communities, and on behalf of the planet. Alumni impact tens of thousands of children a year, both in classroom and informal settings. Learn more here.
We advocate at both state & national levels for policies that help create access to outdoor learning for children and educators. Every child deserves access to outdoor learning, and we believe it’s our responsibility to use our resources to advocate on their behalf. Learn more here.
We host events for people to explore, discover, & connect more deeply with the natural world. Held on both our Bainbridge campus and at the Brightwater Education Center in Woodinville, these programs reach close to 6,000 people per year. Check out our events calendar here.
We provide classroom teachers with strategies to localize and deepen students’ environmental knowledge through free workshops and courses. Over 300 teachers participate in our courses per year, impacting 21,000+ students annually. Learn more about this work here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
*SOLD OUT* DINE & DISCOVER — AN ISLANDWOOD DINNER SERIES
AFTERNOON ON THE TRAILS
AMOROUS AMPHIBIANS NIGHT HIKE
AFTERNOON ON THE TRAILS
SEE OUR WORK IN ACTION
When You Believe
What can happen when we invest in kids.
30 Hours
See what happens in thirty hours at IslandWood.
Sound Bound
A salmon journey with Kimball Elementary.
Dear IslandWood
A “letter” from Bryant Elementary students.
Discovery Becomes Action
A scientist reflects on his time at IslandWood.
No Idling
Students create big changes at their school!
In the Kitchen with Jim
The chef that’s nourished IslandWood for 20 years.
OUR IMPACT
OVER TWO MILLION HOURS SPENT LEARNING IN NATURE
Since our founding, IslandWood has provided children over two million hours spent learning in nature. And counting!
REACHING 41,000+ PEOPLE IN OUR REGION A YEAR
In a typical year, we impact over 41,000+ children, educators, and community members with our environmental education programs.
50 DISTRICTS. 200 SCHOOLS. 35,000 STUDENTS.
We reach 50 school districts, 200 schools, and over 35,000 students each year with environmental education programs!
INCREASING CONFIDENCE IN TEACHING CLIMATE SCIENCE
Teachers that complete our professional development courses are three times more confident incorporating climate science into their lessons for students.
INSIDE OUR WORK
Researcher in Residence Will (‘25)
Will Hutchinson is an alum ('25) of our graduate program and our latest ...
Making Science Feel Close to Home
Middle school science often asks students to imagine places they’ve neve...
Community Research on Amphibians of Kitsap (CROAK): A Conversation with Christina Woolf
CROAK—short for Community Research on Amphibians of Kitsap—is a collabor...
“As a fifth-grade teacher, I see the grand impact of the IslandWood experience on my kids. It is a rite of passage. Often kids have never spent a night away from their families before. They return a little more grown up. They hold their chins higher knowing that they can do things on their own. They are suddenly all, and usually for the first time, able to talk about a truly common experience they have had with their peers. This is the greatest gift.”
– Nicole T., Kimball Elementary School
SUPPORT OUTDOOR LEARNING
Students attending under-resourced schools face limited opportunities to learn in nature. With your support, IslandWood ensures students and schools with the highest financial need can attend our programs through donor-supported scholarship funding. Without scholarships, many children in the region would miss out on the joy and wonder of learning in nature.
CONNECT WITH US
