1. Protects wildlife habitat and the many benefits that ecosystems provide, including carbon sequestration and water filtration for clean air and water. Also provides access to important greenspaces that are vital for the health and well-being of people living in urban areas.

2. Builds resilient communities and a culture of belonging. Giving people opportunities to give back and get involved in environmental restoration projects can improve their overall well-being by bringing more meaning to their lives, encouraging a healthy lifestyle, and connecting them to other people with similar interests.

3. Collaborative projects and being of service increases the community’s cohesiveness, spiritedness, and overall resiliency and creates a sense of belonging through working on a team with common passions and goals of protecting and caring for the environment.

4. Builds Self-Esteem and Confidence. Through learning in a cooperative environment, storytelling, group challenges, and self-directed projects, students get to see their natural gifts and feel appreciated for them. Through being exposed to the elements in all types of weather people build inner strength, confidence, gratitude, and grit.

5.Get people active and improve their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Through getting outside, developing mindfulness, and connecting with the elements, people experience reduced stress and anxiety and a stronger desire to spend time being active outdoors.

6. Builds an appreciation for and connection to nature. We bring awareness to the cycles of nature and develop outdoor skills and a life-long relationship to the more-than-human world.

7. Develops skills and knowledge for Environmental Stewardship. Education about nature, responsible harvest, wildcrafting, gardening, and sustainability creates more resilient humans and ecosystems. Through learning about local ecology, essential hands-on life skills, and ancestral skills, participants can make more sustainable choices, gain a passion to care for their community, and be leaders.

8. Cultivating community gardens and food forests to provide healthy, local food to those in need. Provides nutritional education and fresh, affordable produce to increase the health of children and families in our communities.
