Environmental Living Program

1

 

We are pleased to offer the Environmental Living Program (ELP) at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park for students who are studying gold rush history. Students, camping one or two nights, will participate in this living history program and experience the living conditions of a gold mining camp. The program began in 1989 and continues today with school participation from all over the state. The program continues to develop as new ideas are tried and perfected.

The Program Overview

The Environmental Living Program camp site is located a short walking distance from the old historic town of North Bloomfield, a 45 minute drive north-east of Nevada City, California. This site has been designed to accommodate school groups, teachers, parents and helpers to give them the feel of living in a gold rush camp back in the eighteen hundreds. Students will be eating and learning crafts from that era and participate in a scavenger hunt located in several of the historic buildings in the old town. This learning experience is no doubt enhanced by how well the school recreates the time period.

The program is based on approximately 40 students with 10 adult chaperones. Groups must bring their own personal tents to set up in the ELP camping area. Groups with fewer than twenty (20) students typically stay one night having plenty of time to participate in all the activities. Groups larger than 20 students and/or traveling a greater distance typically stay for two nights. Prior to the overnight visit, the student should be well versed in the gold rush story. This should include historical research as well as developing a fictional gold rush character for themselves.

Student activity groups should be developed with each team coming up with a skit or a story about their way west. These skits may be shared around the campfire along with period songs and music. There is an on-site storage shed with several supplies and cooking utensils available for use during your stay. Each school will be supplied with enough crafting material for each student as well as firewood to heat the candle pot and fire pit for cooking. Call our office for a current detailed list of supplies that are provided. Instructors are in charge of the ELP during their park visit.

Good organization before the trip will make for a successful outing. This would include assigning parent helpers to specific activities, making schedules, buying supplies, and preparing the students. Each program is graded according to organization, authenticity, and innovation to see which instructors are invited back the following year. Because this is mostly an outdoor experience, we generally run programs the middle of April into June. Weather is always a concern and planning for wet and/or cold conditions is recommended.

 

Link to Malakoff ELP Manual

 

Link to the Malakoff ELP Teacher Training Document

 

RESERVATIONS 

Reservations require a minimum of 30 days in advance with a requirement of 20 students minimum and a maximum of 40 students. The ELP at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park is offered beginning in April, weather permitting. Reservations are first-come-first-served and blackout days apply. 

Please Note: These activities are outdoors, and weather or other issues may change the format of our ELP program. Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park reserves the right to cancel or alter the above tour, when necessary, with limited or no notice.  

On our reservation page, you will click the Wednesday you would like to arrive. While the website states that you are signing up for an 24-hour program, you are in fact reserving the ELP program for Wednesday-Friday of that week. The cost of $20 is per student per day (no charge for chaperones), and the total will be due upon arrival.

Please contact Park Aide Sue Finlay with questions regarding scheduling activities for your ELP experience: 530-265-8125 Sue.Finlay@parks.ca.gov

Schedule an Environmental Living Program (ELP) at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park

 

CHAPERONES

As a condition of participation in the Environmental Living Program, all visiting school groups agree to the following guidelines regarding chaperone selection and supervision:

  1. Chaperone Vetting and Screening: Each school group is responsible for ensuring that all chaperones accompanying their students have been properly vetted and screened. This includes conducting background checks, fingerprinting, and any other screenings necessary to confirm that chaperones meet the safety standards and legal requirements of the school and/or district.

  2. California State Parks Staff Presence: California State Parks staff will be available and present during designated day activities to provide educational programming and support. However, staff may not be present during evening activities or overnight hours. During these times, chaperones and school staff are fully responsible for the supervision, safety, and behavior management of all students and participants.

  3. Compliance Agreement: By participating in this program, each school group acknowledges its responsibility to adhere to these requirements. School group coordinators accept full responsibility for the vetting, screening, and management of their designated chaperones throughout the program.

Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, enjoyable, and educational experience for all participants.

 

CONFIRMATION 

Once your reservation is received, you will receive an automatic email confirmation. In the following days, our staff will contact you with your program confirmation, additional resources, and your program total. 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

In the event of injuries, we ask that the teacher be prepared to assume first aid responsibility. Please bring any injuries, accidents, or damage to the attention of the State Park staff. 

Extreme weather may cancel field trips if transportation to/from the park is unsafe. 

Questions? Please contact Sue.Finlay@parks.ca.gov and Adela.Pizarro-Conte@parks.ca.gov.