Sixty-six middle schoolers spent summer 2026 on the slopes of Curry Canyon Ranch, fitting blue grow tubes around oak seedlings to help young trees survive their first brutal dry seasons on Mount Diablo.
Save Mount Diablo, the Walnut Creek-based conservation nonprofit, hosted five field trips at the 1,080-acre ranch for students in the Mount Diablo Unified School District's CARES expanded learning program, the organization reported Wednesday, Aug. 5. By the end, the students and 11 adult chaperones had protected 387 blue oak seedlings.
The participating schools were El Dorado Middle School, Oak Grove Middle School, Holbrook Language Academy, Garden Academy and Riverview Middle School.
The work feeds into Save Mount Diablo's 10,000 Trees and Plants in 10 Years project, launched in 2021 as part of the organization's Climate Action Plan. The project crossed its halfway mark during the 2025–26 fiscal year, surpassing 5,000 native trees and plants planted or protected, according to Save Mount Diablo's 2025–26 impact report.
Mornings of work, afternoons of exploration
Students learned to identify native plants and install the grow tubes, which create a microclimate that shields seedlings from heat and browsing animals. After the morning restoration shifts, they chose from three afternoon activities: scanning the skies with binoculars for golden eagles and kestrels near the house pond, wading along Curry Creek to hunt for aquatic creatures, or painting Mount Diablo's landscape in plein air.
One group spotted a rattlesnake. They observed it from a safe distance.
Land Stewardship Associate Haley Sutton and Education & Outreach Coordinator Kendra Smith led the field trips. In a July 3 stewardship update, the pair said they hoped each student left feeling more comfortable in nature and carrying a memorable experience from the ranch.
Why the ranch matters
Curry Canyon Ranch is surrounded on three sides by Mount Diablo State Park and harbors 30 special-status species, including golden eagles, blue oak and live oak woodland, and critical riparian habitat along Curry Creek. In April, Save Mount Diablo secured additional protections for the property, conveying 160 acres to the East Contra Costa Habitat Conservancy and placing a perpetual conservation easement on 155 adjacent acres in a $2.15 million deal. The nonprofit retains the portion that includes the ranch house and education programs.
Executive Director Ted Clement said in April that the partnership "ensured that important lands rich in conservation values are protected in perpetuity for the benefit of the public and wildlife."
Save Mount Diablo has expanded its CARES partnership to include fall field trips in addition to summer sessions, though specific dates have not been announced. More than 500 children participated in the organization's various youth programs during the 2025–26 fiscal year.
Upcoming
Save Mount Diablo's Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve is available free of charge for groups of 3 to 100 for educational visits. The organization also offers year-round Discover Diablo hikes and its annual BioBlitz.
