PORTS Programs
Bring a park expert straight into your classroom virtually with a live PORTS program. These programs are just for your class, highly engaging, and your students will love you for it.
Understanding Hydroelectricity at the Folsom Powerhouse
Join us for an electrifying program about the power of the past here at Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park! During this program, we will learn...
Building the California Delta: A Story of Chinese Immigration and Agriculture
Join us as we explore the most complete example of a rural Chinese agricultural community in the United States! In this program, we will explore...
Hi Up House: Resilience in the Canyon
This program uses the story of the McCollough family and the Hi-Up House, built in Wildwood Canyon during the Great Depression, to explore universal themes....
Gray Whale’s Great Migration
Click to explore this PORTS program!
Raptors to Raptors: the Evolution of Birds (Block Schedule)
Meet the missing link between reptilian dinosaurs and modern-day birds! Join us at Silver Strand State Beach as we walk through time and evolution to...
Trees of the Tahoe Basin
Learn about the amazing trees of Sugar Pine Point State Park, and their adaptations to the harsh mountain climates of the Tahoe Basin! We will...
People Shape Ecosystems
Join us in exploring the unique and varied ecosystems of Humboldt Redwoods State Park! Humans are a part of nature, and we have the ability...
Water: California’s Most Precious Resource
Come along as we explore how agriculture in California’s Central Valley demand for water led to the creation of one of the world’s largest water...
From Coal to Clay
Join us for a trip back in time to over 125 years ago to the first coal mines in California and the long lost Brick...
Working Hands: The Labor that Built the California Dream
Explore the work and the workers that created the massive success of the California citrus industry. Follow your guide through the citrus groves and packing...
Travelers of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Join a Donner Memorial State Park Interpreter sharing stories of the diversity of people who came through the Donner Lake area in the Sierra Nevada...
A Dream Redrawn: the Architecture of Allensworth
Colonel Allen Allensworth was a man of great vision- a Civil War Veteran, Minister, City Planner and Leader of the Buffalo Soldiers (all-African American army...
Salmon in the Trees
Learn about California’s first paper mill at Samuel P. Taylor State Park! Following a paper trail is about finding and analyzing evidence to understand how...
The Gray Whale Road Trip at Point Dume State Beach!
Gray whales migrate along the shores of Malibu every year in an ever-changing environment. This program gives an in depth look at what this migration...
Monterey Custom House: Trade and Government in Alta California
Explore California State Historical Landmark #1 here at Monterey State Historic Park. The Custom House was the center of trade at a time when California...
Kayak Quest: Explore Above and Below the Ocean’s Surface
Join us for an unforgettable kayaking adventure at the “crown jewel of the California State Park System”, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. We will paddle...
Tahoe’s Urban Bears
Come meet Rubi the bear at Sugar Pine Point State Park. In this program we will explore the differences between wildland bears of the Tahoe...
Desert Adaptations: The Game Show!
Classmates compete to create an imaginary animal that can survive in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Solve riddles, guess words, and spin your way to survival!...
Salmon and Sediment: Fueling the Redwood Forest
Learn about the anadromous life cycle of Salmon living on the north coast of California. These fish, and many other systems, connect the Redwood Forest...
Animal Detectives at Anza Borrego Desert State Park
Can you find evidence of hidden desert wildlife? Learn how prints, scat, and other signs can reveal animal activity to scientists. Practice the secrets of...
Mojave Desert Grassland Adaptations
The Mojave Desert can be a harsh place to live. The Antelope Valley CA Poppy Reserve sits on the western border of the Mojave desert....
Geology of the South Yuba River
Geology of the South Yuba River explores the relationship our river’s geology has on the history and ecology that surround it. Students will learn about...
Lighthouse Engineer Challenge
Lighthouses do all kinds of jobs all over the world! This 45 minute program challenges students to become lighthouse engineers. Students will learn about the...
State Capitol Exploration
Take your students on a LIVE journey discussing California’s past & present through the halls of the State Capitol Museum in Sacramento. Subjects discussed may...
Mysteries of the Octopus: Adaptations and the Life Cycle of a Curious Marine Invertebrate at Crystal Cove State Park
Unlock the mysteries of one of the world’s most fascinating organisms, the octopus! Join Park Interpreter Alex on the California coast for an engaging virtual...
“The Snail and the Whale” Story Time!
Join California State Parks Interpreter Kat at MacKerricher State Park in reading the story book “The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson! Students will...
Footprints of the Forest
Join us for a high-altitude virtual field trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to Mount San Jacinto State PArk and Wilderness! In the first...
Ancient Tools and Technology
Learn about the concept of technology and its historical applications in this STEAM focused program at Lake Perris State Recreation Area. You will learn about...
Jaw-some Great Whites
Join us at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve for an unforgettable underwater adventure exploring the fascinating world of great white sharks! In this interactive, educational...
Stewards of the Lagoon at Chah-pekw O’-Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon”
Humboldt Lagoons State Park is beautiful park with a unique ecosystem, culture and history. This program ties together these places with Yurok perspectives on this...