Natural Pathways at LLELA Program Expansion – February 2024

Natural Pathways is a service learning program for high school sponsored by Lewisville ISD Environmental Learning Staff and operated in collaboration with UNT and the City of Lewisville. Its core mission is to engage LISD student volunteers in hands-on restoration and research projects. 

Started in the fall of 2023, Natural Pathways now has over 35 active student volunteers (and another 40 interested) who have completed 153 hours of service, including privet clearing, shrub-pile burning, and propagation work in the greenhouse at LLELA.

We are excited to announce that the program is ready for expansion! Natural Pathways is now seeking TPWD employees, UNT students who are working on research projects at LLELA, and Master Naturalist engaged in citizen science projects to partner with us to lead groups of students that will further our expanded mission to: broaden students’ understanding and use of tools and strategies for restoration practices; develop their skills in areas such as ecological restoration, habitat management, and field research; and increase their awareness of possible career paths.

What does this look like? Your involvement with Natural Pathways could take a variety of forms, depending on your schedule and your area of expertise. For example, we currently have a one-time bird banding event scheduled. Some other events might include a recurring data collection project on a native species or an introduction to tree identification and entering data to iNaturalist. You may choose to work with our full group of student volunteers on a third Saturday from 9AM to Noon or to work with a subgroup of students who have an interest in your specialty.

If you are interested in learning more about this possibility, please complete this form. We welcome all opportunities and look forward to finding ways to expand our students’ engagement in environmental projects.