Left to right: Tony Passantino (Sonoma Ecology Center), Emma Melendy (Sonoma Ecology Center), Dana Ngo (Teravana), Erik Sorensen (Teravana), Destiny Teasley (Teravana), Carlos Rivas (Sonoma Land Trust), and Rachel Halloway (Sugarloaf Ridge State Park) gather at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for a hands-on Outdoor Gear Lending Library training on July 30, 2025.
As Sonoma Valley students head back to school this fall, educators across the county are gearing up in a different way—setting up tents, stuffing sleeping bags, and prepping outdoor kitchen kits. After launching the Outdoor Gear Lending Library at Sugarloaf Ridge Sate Park last year, Sonoma Ecology Center is excited to move into the implementation phase and begin sharing this vital community resource with fellow outdoor educators in Sonoma County, making sure every child has the chance to experience the wonder of an overnight campout. Just as backpacks and pencils open doors in the classroom, shared access to high-quality outdoor gear opens doors to nature, helping to spark curiosity, ignite wonder, and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. By removing financial and logistical barriers, the Outdoor Gear Lending Library ensures that Sonoma Valley children and families can access inclusive, equitable, and unforgettable outdoor learning experiences.
Although the Outdoor Gear Lending Library’s physical home is at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, its impact is county-wide. In addition to use by Sonoma Ecology Center Educators who facilitate field trips and campouts for Sonoma Valley elementary school students through our Watershed Education Program, the Gear Library will be accessed by our nonprofit partners in the Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative (SEEC) at no cost: tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, camping stoves, and more.
This training was more than a logistical exercise; it represented a milestone in realizing a long-envisioned community asset. Models like Bay Area Wilderness Training’s Gear Library have long demonstrated the power of such resources and now, educators in Sonoma Valley have their own toolkit to ensure that every child has access to high-quality outdoor gear.
On July 30, a group of educators and members from (SEEC) representing Sonoma Ecology Center, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Sonoma Land Trust, and Teravana convened at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park for a day-long training on how to access and use the library’s equipment. The session was led by SEC’s Education Program Manager and SEEC Chair, Tony Passantino, who came prepared with packing lists, how-to guides, and handouts to support fellow educators. At the same time, he intentionally left space for collaboration, making the training an iterative process. Participant feedback was woven into the final orientation documents, ensuring that the Gear Library could meet the diverse needs of multiple organizations and individuals who will rely on it.
Accessibility remained a central theme throughout the day. Educators paused thoughtfully to review and adjust the campout packing list, suggesting substitutions for items families might already have at home—an important consideration for inclusivity across socioeconomic backgrounds.
Although the late July sun made for hot conditions at Sugarloaf, the enthusiasm and collaboration among educators was palpable. This training was more than a logistical exercise; it represented a milestone in realizing a long-envisioned community asset. Models like Bay Area Wilderness Training’s Gear Library have long demonstrated the power of such resources and now, educators in Sonoma Valley have their own toolkit to ensure that every child has access to high-quality outdoor gear.
Participants set up a mock campsite using tents, sleeping pads, and other equipment from SEC’s Outdoor Gear Lending Library.
“We’re actually going to be using the Gear Library for our Familias al Aire Libre campout next month,” said Sonoma Land Trust Bilingual Outings Coordinator Carlos Rivas. He expressed excitement that accessible outdoor equipment could help increase participation at family campouts, and couldn’t wait to see the impact of this resource across organizations and communities in Sonoma County. While Sonoma Land Trust will primarily use the library for family programs, the participating educators from Teravana plan to integrate it into on-site environmental education experiences for groups of school-aged children at Teravana’s Living Learning Center in Cazadero. It’s incredible to see the Gear Library’s reach extend all the way from Sugarloaf’s Bald Mountain in Kenwood to the Redwood forests north of the Russian River.
The training progressed from Sugarloaf’s shaded White Barn area to a designated campout site where SEC had hosted its inaugural Capstone Campout the previous summer for 5th and 6th graders enrolled in the Watershed Education Program. Educators practiced tent placement and camp logistics, remarking on the durability and quality of the new equipment. Conversations consistently circled back to inclusivity—recognizing that a child’s first overnight campout with classmates is a formative milestone and one that educators take seriously.
“My one rule is always, adults sleep in their own tents,” Passantino told the group during tent assignment discussions. “Of course sometimes there’s a parent that needs to be with their child for a medical reason and you make an exception, but on the whole, this is really for the kids to experience with their friends. Their first overnight campout with their peers—that’s such an important experience for them.”
With high-quality gear now available, educators can focus on what they do best: facilitating meaningful, lasting connections between young people and the natural world. Thanks to our fantastic partners—Community Foundation of Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, REI – Santa Rosa, Marmot, Nemo Equipment, Impact100, and the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley—the Outdoor Gear Lending Library is poised to transform environmental education in Sonoma County by removing barriers to participation, ensuring that every child and family has the opportunity to experience the outdoors.
