SYRCL’s Youth Outdoor Leadership Opportunity (YOLO) is Back for 2024! 

An Immersive Community Science Expedition for High Schools in the Yuba Watershed 

SYRCL is excited to announce our Youth Outdoor Leadership Opportunity (YOLO) Expedition is back this summer! Since 2014, our field science program has led annual multi-day field expeditions for high school students. In 2018, we added a new program, YOLO, to engage local youth in learning about meadow ecosystems, health, and restoration—a big part of SYRCL’s restoration work.

YOLO provides students the opportunity to engage in hands-on field work with SYRCL scientists where students collect data and learn how they can be agents of change. Students take away more than dirty hands and memorable moments. Throughout the expedition, students develop their leadership and teambuilding skills and engage in discussions focused on climate change and environmental justice. 

We are recruiting high school students, including graduating seniors, interested in this FREE summer science expedition. This year, students will install cattle exclusion fencing around vulnerable aspen stands near Loney Meadow, conduct biological studies, and learn about the importance of healthy meadows and meadow-fringe aspen ecosystems. The 2024 YOLO Expedition is June 25-28 with an optional extension day on a Saturday in October (date TBD).

The program is offered to local high school students throughout the Yuba River watershed. Many thanks to the National Forest Foundation for funding this incredible opportunity for students. We are looking forward to another successful field science season and working with our local students!

The application deadline is May 19, 2024.

Questions about the YOLO Expedition? Contact Monique Streit, Education Director, at monique@yubariver.org.