Skip to content

Explore · Create · Connect · Grow

Reviving our role as stewards through community building.

A faith-rooted environmental community connecting people with the natural world through outdoor, hands-on, get-muddy learning. Everyone is welcome, from the two-year-old naturalist to the tenured retiree.

The AWI community hiking a wildflower-lined trail into the hills
In the wild right now The hills turn green with first rainsMonarchs overwinter on the coastToyon berries ripen redNewts on the move after dark · Dec – Feb
In the wild right now California poppies open with the sunCeanothus in blue bloomLupine along the trailsSwallowtails on the wing · Mar – May
In the wild right now The hills turn goldBuckwheat in cream bloomQuail chicks cross the trailsSticky monkeyflower holds the heat · Jun – Aug
In the wild right now Acorns drop from the coast live oaksSycamores turn gold in the canyonsRaptors ride the ridgelines southFirst rains wake the moss · Sep – Nov
Faith-rooted · open to all families Charter-school funding welcome Always something growing Proud member, Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education

Always something growing

Happening soon

Classes, camps, hikes, and community events, all in one place. You never have to wonder what's going on.

View all activities →
Class Ages 5–6 Fall 2026

Emerald Owl KG (Fall 2026)

OCP · 2026 Fall · Mon & Wed 10:00am–2:00pm · 08/31–12/18/2026.

When
Mon/Wed 10:00am-2:00pm
Where
So-Cal Main Site
Cost
$1,650

20 spots left

Two simple paths

Two easy ways to join

↻ Enrolled programs

Recurring classes & semesters

Ongoing students enroll through our registration system, where you can manage classes for the whole family all year. We'll walk you through it step by step.

How enrollment works →
⚡ Drop-in events & camps

Camps, hikes & single-day events

Just coming for a camp or a community hike? Register as a guest and pay in seconds. You don't need an account.

Browse drop-in events →

Our get-muddy philosophy

Genuine learning through stewardship & service

Explore

Trails, tide pools, deserts and forests, real places, real wonder.

Create

Art, nature journaling, and making with our hands.

Connect

A community of families rooted in care for one another and the earth.

Grow

Genuine learning through acts of stewardship and service.

1,200+

students served

40+

programs a year

6

sites across California

A living community

Find your House

Every student belongs to one of our four Houses and earns points all year toward the House Cup. Which one are you?

Sagebrush Steward
Sagebrush Steward
Redwood Raven
Redwood Raven
Emerald Owl
Emerald Owl
Fox Fangs
Fox Fangs
Take the quiz and find your House →

Rooted in California, growing beyond

Stewardship that reaches across the country

Our classes and camps are based in California, but our mission isn't bound by it. The Green Masjid Initiative, our educational resources, and our trainings reach communities across the country. It's part of our longer work to help build a lasting Muslim environmental movement.

  • 🕌 Any masjid, anywhere

    The Green Masjid toolkit works for communities across the U.S.

  • 📚 Open resources

    Our learning library is free for educators and families everywhere.

  • 🌱 Trainings & chapters

    Interested in bringing AWI to your area? We'd love to talk.

Straight from the trail

Latest from @artandwilderness_institute

We post our most up-to-date happenings on Instagram, new classes, camp days, hikes, and muddy smiles.

Follow along →

Many of our families homeschool and pay with charter funds.

We accept purchase orders from most California charter schools. Submit a PO and you are only charged out-of-pocket if it does not arrive by the deadline.

Ways to Pay & Charter Funding