Sharks Foundation and PG&E partnered to plant first micro-forest at Walden West Outdoor School

The Sharks Foundation in partnership with the PG&E Foundation, invested in the future of environmental education for local children with a $20,000 Community Assist Grant provided to Walden West Foundation.

The grant funded the materials needed, ground preparation, and installation of the Miyawaki micro-forest at Walden West Outdoor School. Rooted in the Sharks Foundation’s Youth Education pillar, this project will give young learners the opportunity to see how a forest grows and changes over time and provide thousands of current and future campers lessons in biology, ecology, and science.

On March 26, volunteers from Team Teal and PG&E joined representatives from Art of Life Foundation and Walden West staff to plant 250 seedlings, creating the first of five planned micro-forest plots on the Saratoga campus. Together, volunteers worked side by side using hand tools to carefully plant native species and apply protective mulch, laying the groundwork for a dense, fast-growing ecosystem.

Through this partnership, the Sharks Foundation and PG&E created green space and made a commitment to support Walden West’s mission to empower the children of Santa Clara County to develop a lifelong passion for science, engineering, and environmental stewardship.