Oak Ambassadors
We are kids teaching kids
Oak Ambassadors are students, 5th grade and above, who have completed junior naturalist training to serve as nature guides for other kids and families at schools, on local oak trails, and at community events. The first group trained at Santa Margarita Elementary School in 2010 and opportunities to join this special group of youth conservation leaders have been increasing ever since.
“I discovered that I am more comfortable in nature. I was excited to learn because I just like to learn in general and learning about something I really like is super fun. I love being an OA!” – Riley
“I love nature. I especially love birds and mammals and would like to teach others about nature.” – Ava
“I learned many things about nature and why we need to protect it. I enjoyed everything that we learned. I’m very excited for graduation!” – Emory
How to become an Oak Ambassador
New for 2025! Community Based: San Luis Obispo County youth in 5th through 8th grade are encouraged to apply for no cost Oak Ambassador Training. The first cohort will begin training in June 2025 and will engage in weekly self-study projects, evening online meetings once or twice a month, and outdoor activities each season to practice skills like hike leadership, investigating invertebrates, and using naturalist tools including hand lenses, lizard lassos, and binoculars. Students will receive ongoing mentorship from LATO staff, local experts, and Oak Ambassadors who have completed training. Interested? Fill out our interest form using the button below!
School Based: Students at our partner schools have the opportunity to train as Oak Ambassador’s during the school day. We currently provide the complete Learning Among the Oaks program at Santa Margarita Elementary School (Atascadero Unified School District), Ocean View Elementary School (Lucia Mar Unified School District), and Vineyard Elementary School (Templeton Unified School District). We can’t wait to add more schools to this list!
Serving as an Oak Ambassador is an honor that comes with responsibilities. Students must commit to serving a great role models for other kids and as representatives of their school.
Oak Ambassadors at work
With LATO staff and local experts as mentors, Oak Ambassadors help guide nature trail hikes for students at their schools and/or families in their communities. Oak Ambassadors also have the opportunity to participate in or lead hands-on conservation efforts including habitat restoration, management of wildlife cameras and the data they collect, or the stewardship and monitoring of bird boxes. Oak Ambassadors share their passion for wild places, ask open-ended questions to guide individual discovery, and help everyone connect a little deeper.
I thought hiking was just a thing to do, go up a mountain and back down again. Now, I experience what’s around me. I’m part of the ecosystem.
