Our mission is to empower everyone, especially youth, to deepen their relationship with nature through watershed focused participatory science, place-based education, cutting edge research, restoration ecology, outdoor recreation & advocacy.
Our Passionate Programs
Youth Watershed Ambassadors (2026) We are pioneering a youth leadership model to safeguard the Boise and Payette Watersheds through community-based restoration, research, & collaborative management. Youth Watershed Ambassadors (YWA) is a student-led environmental leadership, education, and scientific research program for youth. Through this innovative education, training, and hands-on programming, youth will gain the knowledge and skills to capitalize on leadership opportunities, scientific research experiences, and direct environmental action to elevate student voices and make a tangible impact on current issues in the broader community. This is an exciting opportunity for hands-on, place-based education and leadership opportunities for youth while also connecting management and monitoring agencies at the local and state levels with the next generation of community leaders.
Community-Based Management of Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) in the Payette Watershed (2026) This program combines hands-on ecological restoration through the removal of a highly invasive aquatic plant (EWM) with workforce development, youth engagement, research, volunteerism, and public education. It is a collaborative invasive species management program designed to protect Payette Lake and its connected waters while directly benefiting Valley County residents and visitors. Our goal is to supplement the ongoing work of several agencies to further improve the long-term ecological health, recreational value, and resilience of the Payette watershed through locally driven stewardship and action, while also providing additional career opportunities for local youth. Our Payette Youth Watershed Ambassadors (YWA) will have leadership roles in the implementation of this project and will gain hands-on experience in invasive species management and ecological restoration/monitoring through program participation.
TREE (1990) Dick Jordan started his own ecology/outdoor club as a biology teacher at Jerome High School. TREE took root as an extracurricular outdoor/ecology network of (K-College) branches (clubs) to help students appreciate and improve local and global (social & ecological) communities through research, educational outreach, restoration, outdoor recreation and advocacy. Students collaborate within and between branches and with community leaders who study & rewild ecosystems. Students can stay with TREE as they progress from preschool through college, serving as mentors for younger students and participants for older students. Dick took TREE students on 15 expeditions to Belize & Ecuador working at research stations in rainforests & cloud forests and the 2nd week living on islands to scuba dive on coral reefs & mangroves.
TREE stands for Teens Restoring Earth’s Environments or Teens (Teachers, Tweens & Tots) Reconnecting to Earth Experiences.
Outside Day (2009) Earth Day began in 1970 to address environmental issues but more than 50 years later, these problems still exist and we’re becoming significantly more disconnected from nature. In 2009, Dick Jordan received a NPS grant to start Outside Day to help everyone take a break from their screens and make time for streams, forests, parks, etc., reducing nature deficit disorder. Every day should be an Outside Day, but TREE lets older students (with experts) facilitate a variety of play-based activities that encourage younger students to disconnect from technology & reconnect to life.
River Voices (2026) This community initiative and short-form video competition will share stories of the Boise and Payette Rivers: their tributaries, people, history, hydrology, treasures, and challenges. A river’s life symbolizes a cyclical journey of existence, defined by constant motion, resilience, and transformation. These important Idaho rivers are vital for ecosystems and human communities. River Voices provides a platform for people to share stories (past, present, and future) that showcase all aspects of life with the Boise and the Payette.
Boise River Biodiversity Project(2022) TREE students work with one another and adult professionals to understand water quality and biodiversity in the Boise River and how to improve them. Teams of elementary students research different species, completing Species Cards, drawings, and PSA videos. A few elementary students analyze water quality through Watershed Watch and high school students give talks on biodiversity and watersheds, help make informational videos, attend Outside Days, and participate in iNaturalist BioBlitzes.
Finding Dragons (2021) Scientific research is the foundation for understanding life and best practices, so we get students involved in field & laboratory work, making observations & doing cutting-edge analyses with senior scientists who focus on dragonflies & damselflies primarily because odonates are accessible, charismatic, and are excellent bioindicators of water quality, heavy metals, and healthy habitats. These GateWay Bugs have been here for over 300 million years, but human impacts threaten many species’ future. Check out how TREE students have co-authored papers through our research wing called FindingDragons.
Externships & Internships (ongoing) Teachers and students are incredible, untapped resources, especially during the summer when they have time. Teachers have a wide variety of skillsets, experience and motivation to create engaging, place-based curriculum that helps students and the general public visualize and engage in our varied programs. Many teachers also need additional financial assistance during the summer which is why we have partnered up with the Idaho STEM Action Center to secure stipends for teacher externs in 2024-2026.
Students love to get paid while gaining valuable experiences in research and educational outreach opportunities because this sets them apart on their college applications and gives them insights into potential career pathways.
My Life Outdoors (2024) LifeOutdoors created and then partnered with Outdoor Idaho, IDPR & others to launch a Teen Multimedia Contest, called MyLifeOutdoors for all Idaho teenagers to share their favorite outdoor experience(s) in either a 500-word written essay & picture, or in a 3-minute narrated video that showcases why they love being outside, thus inspiring countless others to get outdoors too. The grand prize winner receives an incredible Stanley Adventure package for four; their parent(s), a sibling or friend and themselves.
(1) Press Release (2) Website (3) Winners
Note: MyLifeOutdoors contest 2026 has been postponed because the Trump administration has significantly reduced funding for Public Television affiliates like IdaPTV which hosts the website and helps with marketing.