Spring 2026 Newsletter
Rebuilding WES Passes Major Environmental Milestone
The effort to rebuild Whiskeytown Environmental School has reached an important new milestone.
The National Park Service recently issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Floodplain Statement of Findings (FSOF) for rebuilding the Whiskeytown Environmental School campus. The draft Environmental Assessment and FSOF were circulated for public review in January and February 2026. Comments were collected, reviewed, and answered by local and regional National Park Service staff.
The WES campus has endured a long history of environmental disturbance, including the impacts of historic mining and logging. The 2018 Carr Fire added another layer of habitat disturbance to the landscape. The Environmental Assessment outlines ways to improve habitat, protect sensitive resources, and guide rebuilding in a manner that strengthens WES as an outdoor laboratory for generations of students.
The next steps for the project include final schematic plans and construction-level documents. The completed FONSI and FSOF signals to donors, foundations, and government agencies that the rebuilding effort has taken another major step toward reality.
Visitors at the WES Community booth create wood cookie pendants from Carr Fire manzanita.
Earth Day Redding:
On the Sno-Cone Trail
Thank you to the Shasta Environmental Alliance for hosting the Earth Day event at Caldwell Park on April 18. The day featured dozens of booths hosted by local environmental organizations, along with music, hands-on activities, and a relaxed family atmosphere. For the first time, the WES Community table was one of the stops visitors needed to complete to earn a free sno-cone, and we were delighted to be part of the trail.
WES Community board members Tallianna Richey-Miller and Paula Daniel, along with WES naturalists extraordinaire Ella Tracy and Hannah McCallum, invited visitors to get creative by making personalized “wood cookie” pendants from manzanita harvested after the Carr Fire. The activity gave families a small, handmade reminder of the WES landscape and a chance to learn more about the work underway to bring students fully back to campus.
The Curtain Is Going Up:
Amphitheater Construction Moves Forward
A beloved WES gathering place is moving closer to its next act. Separate from the Environmental Assessment and FONSI process, the amphitheater reconstruction was reviewed as a Categorical Exclusion because it replaces a facility within the footprint of the original amphitheater, constructed sometime in the early 1960s. The Floodplain Statement of Findings prepared by the National Park Service was based on updated modeling of flows through Paige Bar Creek and Clear Creek. Although part of the amphitheater reconstruction area lies within the 100-year floodplain, the analysis found that the project will not significantly impede the flow of Clear Creek or affect its environment.
With these reviews complete, the way is now clear to begin rebuilding the outdoor amphitheater. This project has been made possible thanks to broad-based community support from Rotary clubs, local businesses, the McConnell Fund, the Redding Rancheria, the Loggers Association of Northern California, the Shasta County Resource Advisory Committee, and the hundreds of individual donors who contributed to the project through the Community Foundation of the North State’s Giving Tuesday. The remaining work will be completed through National Park Service in-house labor and community volunteers. Pre-construction meetings are being scheduled, with rebuilding tentatively expected to begin by June. If you or a service organization you belong to would like to volunteer with the National Park Service to help rebuild the amphitheater, please contact Melinda Kashuba at (530) 440-5584. No concrete experience is required. There will be jobs for volunteers with a range of skills and schedules — even those who have only a couple of hours to spare. All volunteers will need to complete a volunteer application through the National Park Service. Watch the WES Community website and follow WES Community on Facebook and Instagram for updates, volunteer dates, and photos of construction progress. For questions regarding volunteering at the Park, contact the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area Volunteer Program at: WHIS_Volunteer@nps.gov.
Renowned National Park Design Firm Anderson Hallas Architects Assists with Campus Rebuild
WES Proposed Rebuild Map
The WES campus rebuild is benefiting from the expertise of Anderson Hallas Architects, a nationally recognized firm with extensive experience in National Park Service design. Members of the Anderson Hallas team visited the WES campus last December and conducted a one-day on-site workshop following two days of study focused on Hatcher Hall and the proposed site for the new administration building. From January through March, the firm met every other week with WES Community board members, consultants, the National Park Service, and the Shasta County Office of Education to discuss key aspects of the rebuild. Their work has focused on student housing, the new administration building, and the rehabilitation of Hatcher Hall. Hatcher Hall serves as the kitchen, dining room, and multipurpose space for the campus. It was rebuilt in the late 1990s after storm damage, but more than seven years of limited use, along with changes in public health and fire safety codes, mean the building will require upgrades before it can fully serve students again. This planning work is being funded by the National Park Service and the Shasta County Office of Education. WES Community funded the portion of the study related to student housing. WES Community is now eagerly awaiting the firm’s final report and recommendations for bringing Hatcher Hall up to modern standards.
The goal is clear: to create a safe, accessible, and resilient campus that will serve children, teachers, families, and the public for generations to come.
Introducing Our New Board Member: Paula Daniel
Paula Daniel poses with an American bullfrog during a recent WES field lab.
WES Community is delighted to welcome Paula Daniel to its Board of Directors. Paula joined the board in March. She currently serves as a field instructor and presenter at Whiskeytown Environmental School and the Schreder Planetarium. She brings more than thirteen years of experience in elementary education, program design, and countywide STEM education.
Paula earned her Bachelor’s and teaching credential from California State University, Chico, and will receive her Master’s in Educational Leadership this year from National University. She also earned her Administrative Credential through the Shasta County Office of Education. Paula cares deeply about the role outdoor education plays in children’s lives. She believes in hands-on learning beyond the classroom — the kind of learning that helps students see themselves as capable, curious, and connected to the natural world. When she is not at WES, Paula is a dedicated parent to two teens and the family pups, and she spends as much time as possible enjoying travel and the outdoors with her husband.
Spring Field Labs Surge in Popularity with Local Schools
Birds are migrating, wildflowers are blooming, and students are returning to the WES campus. Shasta County Office of Education Science Director Nate Fairchild reports that spring field labs are more popular than ever and filling quickly this year. With additional staffing, up to 80 children per day can now spend several hours learning on the WES campus. The day field labs support California’s Next Generation Science Standards and offer outdoor learning experiences for students from Pre-K through 8th grade. These visits give students a chance to explore the creek, trail, forest, and meadow while building observation skills and curiosity about the natural world. Schools may learn more at: www.shastacoe.org/programs-services/whiskeytown-environmental-school/wes-ptk-8th-field-labs.
For additional information, please contact the Shasta County Office of Education at (530) 225-0111.
Wildfire Preparedness Starts With You
Following these steps to create a 5-minute plan will give your family the best chance to get to safety.
An alarming new study has shown that 58% of Californians lack a disaster kit, and 69% do not have any disaster plans. California continues to be at risk from unpredictable wildfires. New growth of vegetation, grass, and plants due to the rain also poses a significant risk once these fuels become tinder dry, as they can promote rapid fire growth. Evacuating from your home early can mean the difference of life and death. When a wildfire or other disaster strikes, be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Having a 5-minute plan with an escape route can get you and your family out and safe. If you need additional time to evacuate or have livestock, you should pack up and leave when the warning is issued and not wait for an evacuation order.
Have an established meeting place
Pack an emergency kit with essentials like medicine, important documents, clothes, food, and water.
Watch for weather reports and Red Flag Warnings.
If you need to go, get your emergency bags packed and gather your family & pets.
Most important, don’t wait or hesitate – know when to go. Visit firefightersonyourside.org for more information on creating a 5-minute plan and being prepared for disaster.
Create a Giving Network with Your Facebook Page
Create a network of awareness and giving for WES Community with your Facebook page. Your birthday, anniversary, or another special day for celebration is the perfect opportunity to support projects you value. It is an easy way for family and friends from afar to honor you with a gift of love to WES Community. We appreciate the many donations we have received from this source.
