Mission Statement
The mission of the West Valley College Science Garden is to provide students, faculty and the greater Saratoga community with an outdoor classroom for the purposes of teaching, learning, and enjoyment. We are committed to inspiring individuals to become lifelong advocates of science, education, sustainability and conservation.
Science Gardens
Designed to create students outside the classroom, interpretive education stations take advantage of the native beauty of West Valley College Campus by guiding learners to explore the world around them. Each station engages the student to observe and make discoveries about the natural world, while introducing key concepts in science, conservation and the value of citizen science. Exploring the diversity of native species and habitats on campus, the education stations enhance curriculum and extend learning past the classroom door!
Project Goals
The Science Garden strives to increase science and environmental awareness through active learning and direct personal experience. Take a stroll through time, tracking the history of the universe while walking through native gardens with education stations that allow students to learn that science is all around us, and has important impacts on our lives and the environment.
This education garden creates an innovative outdoor classroom for learning about the natural world by introducing students, faculty and the community to the environment in a way which develops understanding, appreciation, wonder and most importantly a connection with nature. Fostering the development of informed citizens with an awareness of the need for a responsible and sustainable use of the world’s natural resources.
Timeline of the Universe
Trace the history of the universe from Big Bang to current day by following the Timeline Trail. Scaled to a calendar year, each meter represents a day on the cosmic calendar and markers along the path provide information on key events in the universe’s history such as the formation of matter, origins of the solar system and history of the earth. The path meanders through the Science Garden’s Education Stations where students can learn about current day science and ecology.
