A man is outside with a hat and binoculars pointing out something in the distance while he stands in front of a cell phone mounted on a tripod so he is giving a virtual tour overlooking Mono Lake.

School Programs

A man is outside with a hat and binoculars pointing out something in the distance while he stands in front of a cell phone mounted on a tripod so he is giving a virtual tour overlooking Mono Lake.
The Mono Lake Committee offers a variety of educational programs and opportunities for in person and virtual field trips for students of all ages.

From watershed and environmental awareness to natural history and ecology, our education programs for school groups draw on the inspiring Mono Lake story, the lessons of scientific research, individual and collective action, and the rich diversity of the Mono Basin.

A tour guide stands in front of a group of students on a trail outside on a beautiful sunny day and they are all facing the same direction with their arms outstretched as if hugging the world.

Guided tours: Bring your students to Mono Lake

The Mono Lake Committee leads education programs for elementary to graduate age students, and environmental justice and community groups of all ages. Program location sites include the Mono Lake shoreline, volcanoes, riparian canyons, and the high Sierra Nevada alpine environment. There is an ideal location and lesson for every group.

A classroom with 23 students looking intently at a large projection screen showing a person giving a live tour at Mono Lake.

Virtual tours: Bring Mono Lake to your students

If you are interested in a tour, but are unable to visit Mono Lake, there are opportunities to engage in virtual tours remotely. Whether you’re in California, across the country, or around the world, we can help connect you to Mono Lake! Our knowledgeable guides can virtually join you to share Mono Lake’s political and natural history and answer questions.

Tour leaders and partners

Working in partnership with the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area and the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve, our staff and volunteers lead programs for over a thousand students and teachers each year. Mono Lake Committee staff and volunteers are well trained, and many are longtime Mono Basin residents who stay up to speed on local research and have years of experience teaching in the field.

Fourteen people walking on a boardwalk above a marsh with a bench an interpretive signs, and one of them is in a ranger outfit and they are setting up a spotting scope, and it is a beautiful sunny day with lush vegetation around and a view of Mono Lake and the Mono Craters in the distance from Mono Lake County Park.
Partnerships with California State Parks and Mono Lake volunteers make tours possible.

Contact us

We love sharing the educational lessons of Mono Lake and are happy to go the extra mile to make our programs available to all students. For more information on school programs, email Education Director Ryan Garrett or call (760) 647-6595.

Learn More

A group of students posing for a group photograph at the shoreline of Mono Lake with the blue lake in the background and tufa towers sticking up from the water and some of the students are making silly faces and gestures.

Outdoor Education Center

Nine people wearing backpacks and carrying binoculars on a promontory looking out over a dramatic overview of Mono Lake.

About Mono Lake

Five people ride in a metal canoe on a glassy Mono Lake with blue skies and beautiful puffy clouds and bright vibrant colors with a California Gull floating on the water in the background and a large white island, Paoha, in the distance.

Activities