The Foundation supports efforts to protect wilderness areas and natural resources, preserve cultural heritage, and prevent irreversible environmental and economic damage. Organizations that combine educational and environmental components take precedence. We are particularly interested in programs that:

Featured Grant:

The Northern Sierra Partnership | www.northernsierrapartnership.org

The northern Sierra Nevada, which extends from south of Lake Tahoe to Lassen Volcanic National Park, is home to exceptional natural, cultural, and recreational resources of statewide and global significance. The region also faces immediate threats from incompatible development and catastrophic wildfire, as well as the likelihood that global climate change will significantly affect the region's resources and communities. To safeguard this critically important region, timely conservation action on the largest possible scale is essential.

The Northern Sierra Partnership represents a new alliance of conservation organizations dedicated to the region's future and committed to rapid collaborative action to plan and implement crucial conservation projects, link conservation to sustainable economies, leverage public funds with effective private fundraising, and build a firm base of local support.

Initially convened by the Morgan Family Foundation, the partners have agreed on a cutting-edge, strategic approach to conserving the northern Sierra's most valuable lands and waters. The partners — the Feather River Land Trust, Truckee Donner Land Trust, Sierra Business Council, Trust for Public Land, and The Nature Conservancy — have an impressive record of success in local conservation. Now, as a partnership, they have a coordinated approach to work with landowners, government agencies, and community organizations to protect species diversity and habitat; maintain a critical mass of working ranches, forests, and tribal lands; and provide benefits such as a quality water supply, recreation, carbon sequestration, and sustainable industries.

"I am convinced everything is aligned to make these kinds of significant impacts," says Jim Morgan. "Together, these organizations are also better positioned to develop creative responses to large, complex issues such as adapting to climate change and mitigating its impacts."

The partners will pool resources and coordinate projects to achieve the following 5 to 10 year goals:

The Morgan Family Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, among others, have provided initial funding. By acting promptly and working together, we can make sure that this region's remarkable natural, cultural, and recreational resources — and their vital role in ensuring California's future — will be protected for future generations.

To find out how you can help, please email info@northernsierrapartnership.org.

Educating for Depth and Equity – Science and Stewardship for All

For residents of Silicon Valley, wonderment and delight can come from exploring the local woods, creeks and baylands that are home to untold number of creatures -- from colorful banana slugs to majestic white pelicans. For Bay Area youth, these experiences can spark deep curiosity about powerful scientific phenomena all around us, such as photosynthesis and flight. A lifelong love of science is often nurtured by such early experiences in nature.

Thanks to an innovative collaboration between the Mountain View-Whisman school district, local educational nonprofits and a consortium of local philanthropists, more than 1,000 elementary school students from all over Mountain View will have the opportunity to learn more deeply about science and the environment this year. With collaborative leadership from the Environmental Volunteers, Hidden Villa, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society, Youth Science Institute, and Marine Science Institute, all 4th and 5th graders at the district's seven elementary schools will investigate scientific principles and natural processes through experiential learning that engages them in the classroom and in the field with trained science mentors and guides. This pilot is scheduled to expand to all grades over time, giving every child a continuum of learning from Kindergarten through 8th grade.

Integrated, standards-based science activities will inspire students to observe and experiment, think critically and creatively, develop teamwork and communications skills, and simultaneously deepen their understanding of complex natural systems while considering their role as citizens and stewards of the environment.

This project is the pilot for an innovative, replicable K-8 whole district approach to nature-based science education. The strategy and coordination behind the collaboration does away with the random methodology of offerings based on teacher interest and parent capacity. This consortium ensures that every student receives programs, and that students' experiences build from one year to the next, so a continuum of learning culminates in a thorough nature-based science education throughout the course of a child's elementary education.

As a founding donor, the Morgan Family Foundation is pleased to see the collaborative spirit that is making this project successful. Together with other funders, local NGOs and an engaged school district, we are investing in our future scientists, our future inventors and our future leaders.

The work of this multi-stakeholder effort is not only impacting kids today, it is also building a larger pioneering movement to transform science education locally – a movement that aims to serve as a model for delivering deeper and more equitable science education across California.