Fall 2026 Newsletter
School District Contributions to the WES Rebuild: WES Rebuilding Campaign Passes $6 Million
The campaign to rebuild Whiskeytown Environmental School has reached an exciting milestone: more than $6 million raised!
A generous $100,000 contribution from the Redding Elementary School District helped push the campaign past this mark and represents an important investment in local students, outdoor science education, and the future of WES. Several weeks later, the Enterprise Elementary School District added a $50,000 contribution to help accelerate the rebuilding of student housing. Columbia Elementary School District gave an $8,000 donation towards the building of the new WES administration building and student dispensary.
For generations of North State students, a trip to Whiskeytown Environmental School has been an unforgettable part of fifth grade. Support from the Redding Elementary School District, the Enterprise Elementary School District, and the Columbia Elementary School District moves WES another step closer to restoring its residential outdoor education program following the devastation of the 2018 Carr Fire.
While the return of overnight programming is still on the horizon, WES continues to expand opportunities for students. During the 2026–27 school year, programming will grow through the addition of a 5-Day Morning Program, giving more students the chance to experience in-depth, hands-on learning through outdoor science at Whiskeytown.
We are incredibly grateful to the trustees of the Redding Elementary School District, the Enterprise Elementary School District, and the Columbia Elementary School District for recognizing the value of this longstanding local tradition and investing in the next generation of WES students.
Thank you to the Redding Elementary School District for helping us cross the $6 million mark, and to the Enterprise Elementary School District and Columbia Elementary School District for adding their support and helping us secure the matching funds needed to bring WES fully back.
Amphitheater Update: Concrete Progress
In late August, after several weeks of site preparation, formwork, and reinforced steel placement, several concrete pours began at 4 a.m. to take advantage of the cooler early-morning temperatures.
The shape of the new amphitheater began to emerge as concrete finishers worked on the left and right wings. Several more pours will complete the middle section, stairs, sidewalks, stage, and ramp. When the project is finished, more than 178 cubic yards of concrete will have been poured and shaped into a facility that will seat 150 people. The new design honors the past, blends with the natural creek-side setting, and meets modern–day accessibility and climate resiliency requirements.
The amphitheater, first built in the early 1960s, is the only outdoor location large enough to accommodate an entire group when the school is at full capacity. The amphitheater has always been the heart of the school, hosting campfires, skits, sing-alongs, and bat chats, while creating lifelong memories.
Many thanks to the donors who helped make this important step toward bringing students back to WES possible. Additional kudos to the California Heritage YouthBuild Academy for providing volunteers who worked alongside National Park Service employees to help frame the amphitheater.
A New Home for the Teaching Shelter
A familiar teaching space at Whiskeytown Environmental School is getting a new home, and a new chapter in its history.
WES Community is grateful to The McConnell Fund of the Community Foundation of the North State for funding the relocation and reconstruction of the teaching shelter, currently located between Hatcher Hall and the amphitheater. With updated fire code requirements and the ongoing amphitheater reconstruction, the shelter needed to be moved to a safer location.
Its new home will be the former shower-bathhouse site above the meadow. The shower house, built in the early 1960s, was removed last summer, but its concrete foundation remains. In partnership with the National Park Service and Shasta County Office of Education, a creative solution was found rather than removing the foundation; it will be reused as the platform for the relocated teaching shelter.
The shelter has been part of WES since 1992, when it was donated by Wheelabrator, now Shasta Energy Company. For more than three decades, it has provided a place for students to gather, learn, and experience outdoor education together.
Relocating the teaching shelter allows us to preserve an important piece of WES history while creating a renewed space for future generations of students.
Thanks to The McConnell Fund of the Community Foundation of the North State, WES continues to rebuild thoughtfully, creatively, and with respect to the history of this special place.
WES Community Happenings Around Town
WES Community participated in two community events this summer and looks forward to two more this fall. On August 16, WES Community hosted a Run Aid Station at Turtle Bay during the Ironman event. Working alongside volunteers from the community, we handed out drinks and snacks and cheered on more than 1,700 athletes from around the world at Redding’s inaugural competition. Throughout the day, we met many people who attended WES as children and enjoyed hearing their wonderful memories of the school.
WES Community also hosted a table at Biodiversity Day in downtown Redding on September 5. More than 200 adults and children stopped by, where we answered questions about the rebuilding of the school and shared information about using the free iNaturalist app to learn about plants and animals in our area. This fall, WES Community will present a program on the history of Whiskeytown Environmental School at the Shasta Historical Society on September 19 and will also host a nature craft at the East Redding Rotary Riffle Raffle event at Turtle Bay on Saturday, October 17.
Please stop by and say hello! We love meeting former WES students, families, and friends—and especially hearing the memories that make Whiskeytown Environmental School such a special part of our community.
Student Numbers
During the 2025–26 school year, 2,897 students were served through the day field lab program and the Shasta County Office of Education’s Project SHARE summer program at WES.
Space is still available for classes to attend day field labs this fall and next spring. Visit www.shastacoe.org/programs-services/whiskeytown-environmental-school or call 530- 225-0111 for more information.
Grant News
This past summer, WES Community received a $25,000 Go!Gifts award from The California Endowment. The gift supports efforts to improve the health and well-being of Californians.
Curriculum at WES includes lessons that encourage healthy living through outdoor activity, nutrition education, and an understanding of the mental health benefits of spending time in nature. WES Community is very grateful for this gift and will use the funds to further the rebuilding of the WES campus.
PG&E
It can be a matter of life or death. Be proactive in protecting yourself and others; take the time to create a 5-minute plan to evacuate from fires. With a clear escape route, you can leave at a moment's notice, keeping your loved ones safe from harm. Remember, waiting for official evacuation orders might be too late – act quickly when it feels unsafe.
To ensure a smooth evacuation process:
Establish a meeting place for your family.
Stay updated with weather reports and Red Flag Warnings.
If it's time to leave, have your emergency bags packed and gather your family, including pets.
Don't delay; evacuate promptly.
Prepare an emergency kit containing essentials like medication, important documents, clothes, food, and water.
For more info on creating a 5-minute plan and staying prepared for disasters, visit firefightersonyourside.org
250 For the Next Generation: Campaign Continues Through Giving Tuesday
In honor of our nation’s 250th birthday, WES Community invited donors to give $250 in honor or memory of someone who opened the world to them. Over the summer, twelve gifts were made honoring parents, teachers, neighbors, and other meaningful people in donors’ lives.
We’re continuing this special opportunity through Giving Tuesday on December 1. Early giving begins November 17 through North State Giving Tuesday. This year, the WES Community Board is carrying the 250th birthday theme into the campaign.
Funds raised will support the day-to-day operations of WES Community, including bookkeeping, insurance, web hosting, supplies, and other behind-the-scenes expenses. These unrestricted funds are vital to keeping our all-volunteer nonprofit moving forward as we work toward completing the capital campaign to rebuild and restore Whiskeytown Environmental School.
Give in honor of someone who opened the world to you: www.northstategives.org/organization/WESCommunity
