Each school or group may enter one team in the 3rd - 4th grade division and one in the 5th - 6th grade division. Teams are made up of a coach and 3-10 children. The coach chooses a semi-final event and registers their team(s). The coach and other parents or friends work with the team at least an hour a week until their event.
At the Nature Bowl semi-finals event, up to 15 teams are brought together for a fantastic day in the outdoors. Teams will participate in the following challenges: Team Problems; Speedy Ringers; Nature Relay; Enviromercial; and Outdoor Investigations.
The emphasis is on learning and teamwork rather than winning, and at the end, each team is recognized for the skills and qualities they demonstrated in their tasks. The top-scoring team in each division moves on to the Finals event. Often wildcard teams also participate in the Finals.
The goal of Nature Bowl is to help children explore, value, and understand their local environments. All problems and challenges are based on the natural environments in this region, from the Sierra to the Delta–and everywhere in between.
Whether you are a seasoned coach, or new to Nature Bowl, your very first step will be to review the 2026 Coaches Workshop (Video) and the 2026 Coaches Orientation Packet. (The 2027 Orientation Packet and video will be available after January 8, 2027.) There, you will learn about the activities and the site where your experience will take place. The Nature Bowl coordinator will explain what to expect from this year's events and will provide you with an updated Coaches packet, glossary, and other materials to share with your students. Seasoned coaches will also have ideas and suggestions to help you succeed.
Once you know you want to participate in Nature Bowl, you can register your team using the 2027 Team Registration Form. Registration closes February 19, 2027.
You’ll need to put together your team and confirm with your school district that they can be released for this whole day educational event. You’ll want to teach your team the glossary words and if possible, visit a wild place or two. Teams will need to meet for a minimum of one hour per week to be successful. More details on how to prepare can be found in below sections of this FAQ.
Coaches who want to learn more about CA's nature are encouraged to attend the virtual California Natural History Crash Course for Coaches. The class explores the biotic zones and biodiversity that makes California one of a kind, while focusing on our region’s specific ecology. We will also be offering an in-person Aquatic WILD Workshop for teachers interested in becoming Aquatic WILD certified.
Coaches may want to purchase the book The Outdoor World of the Sacramento Region, available at local retailers or online. Another good place to start is the California Education and the Environment Initiative website. Click on the “Curriculum” tab and access curriculum, workbooks, flash cards, pictures, posters and more. Additional resources can also be found here: Resource List for Nature Bowl Coaches (PDF).
How each team prepares is up to them! For teachers who are new to Nature Bowl, we suggest the following general timeline for preparing your team:
November – December: Start introducing some general nature knowledge with your students. You could take field trips, go on nature walks, start nature journals or watch relevant videos in class to spark their interest. Take this time to get your students comfortable with the outdoors and familiar with the concepts found in the Nature Bowl Glossary. Remember – the goal is to inspire students to learn about nature!
Around this time, you can also start talking to students about forming your team. You can begin introducing these concepts to a wider class and form a lunchtime or afterschool club with students who want to keep learning more. As a reminder, each school can send one team of 3rd/4th grade students and one team of 5th/6th grade students.
New coaches are invited to join the Nature Bowl Info Session for New Coaches to learn more before committing to this year’s events. If you miss the Info Session, please reach out to our team for a recording.
January: All coaches should join the virtual Nature Bowl 2027 Coach Orientation in January to learn more about the specifics of this year's Nature Bowl, such as the themes for each activity and how each activity is generally run. Teachers can also join the optional California Natural History Crash Course for Coaches and/or the Aquatic WILD Workshop to learn more about California's nature and helping their students prepare.
January – March: After the Coaches Orientation, start practicing for specific events with your students. Begin preparing for your Enviromercial and get comfortable answering questions in the style of each competition. As you continue to teach and learn with your team, keep inspiration and overall environmental literacy in mind. We suggest meeting with your team 1-2 times/week as you prepare for the Semi-Finals.
March – April: Semi-Final events take place on school days. At each Semi-Final event, the top two teams for each grade level will advance to the Finals.
April: Finalists should continue meeting and learning about natural history together. While the events are in a similar format, the questions asked at the finals will be more advanced.
May: Finals take place at Camp Pollock in Sacramento in May each year. Families are welcome to attend and cheer on their students.
These events are hosted by our partner organizations, including Nimbus Fish Hatchery, Placer Nature Center, Friends of Stone Lakes/Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge American River Conservancy/Wakamatsu Farm, Tuolumne County Office of Education, Bureau of Reclamation/New Melones Lake, and Sacramento Valley Conservancy.
Each host site sets a slightly different schedule, but you can expect to spend a whole day in nature at most sites. Currently all the events are held on school days, so check with your school district about their policy on releasing students for this educational activity.
Teams will arrive to find five stations set up and a schedule for rotating through them. The stations – Outdoor Investigations, Nature Relay, Team Problem Solving, Speedy Ringers, and Enviromercial – are judged and scored by natural resource volunteers.
Teams bring their lunches, snacks, and water. Some teams like to bring a pop-up for the weather or even t-shirts they’ve made to build team spirit.
The top scoring teams for both grade levels (3rd/4th and 5th/6th) from each semi-final site advance to the Finals, held at Camp Pollock in May each year. At the Finals, many of the stations are similar, but the challenges may be harder or require more knowledge. Our goal is to provide a positive, enriching day for the students. Judges for this event come from all our sites and include many CDFW professionals.