Hello Everyone!

My name is Amy Dunlap, and I am the Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources & Environment (TuCARE) Executive Director and Education Coordinator! TuCARE is a local non-profit that educates the public on the wise use of our natural resources. As part of this effort, our “Tours for Kids” program is an excellent way to link what you teach in the classroom and apply it to the real world and what is being done in our own environment.
TuCARE’s “Tours For Kids” program provides FREE fieldtrips to natural resource sites such as the Stanislaus National Forest, active logging sites on forested land, as well as tours to local natural resource industry facilities such as Jamestown Energy, Sierra Pacific Industries, Heartwood Biomass, Tulloch Dam and more. We also have tours including livestock and horse ranches, gold panning, and more! We provide classroom presentations on wildlife biology, the life cycle of trees with a program called “Talk About Trees”, and we demonstrate the complexity of the mining industry with a fun activity called “Cookie Mining”. All our “Tours for Kids” and the related presentations are correlated with content standards for grade level appropriateness.
TuCARE is booking field trips and classroom presentations for the 2025-2026 school year now! If you are interested, please click the link below or email me at toursforkids@outlook.com. All TuCARE fieldtrips are FREE! If you need assistance with funding for your school field trip, please see the last page!
TuCARE is a community based non-profit organization founded in 1988. Our membership is made up of a cross-section of our community including local business persons, educators, and those actively engaged in working daily with our natural resources. TuCARE supports the wise use of the many resources on our federal lands. Multiple-use policies allow everyone to benefit. TuCARE believes that man must play an active role to ensure our resources are available both now and in the future.

Sincerely,

Amy Dunlap, Executive Director/Education Coordinator

 

To book a field trip for your class for the 2025-2026 school year, click this link:

https://forms.gle/SQJVJAmaGfZAdRvVA

See all tour options below!

 

TuCARE Wants to support you!

In an effort to promote environmental education and hands-on learning, a new initiative is being created to provide free transportation during the 2025-2026 school year!  This program, spearheaded by Tuolumne County Alliance for Resources and Environment and partnered with the George James Memorial Fund at Sonora Area Foundation, aims to eliminate transportation costs- a common barrier that prevents many schools from offering enriching outdoor learning experiences.

The initiative is open to all k-12 Tuolumne County Schools and allows teachers to apply for a fully funded bus to use to transport their class to a variety of locations around Tuolumne County. Funding for the program comes from a combination of grants, community donations, and TuCARE educational funds. By removing logistical and financial hurdles, this initiative is opening the door to impactful educational experiences and helping cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards.

All classes, from all k-12 schools in Tuolumne County are able to apply. The 2025-2026 school year is a pilot program for this initiative, and therefore, TuCARE has not determined a maximum amount of funding available. The maximum will be determined based on the need in Tuolumne County and how well the program works. Please be patient with us as we review applications for funding and determine how much we can support. To Apply: Email toursforkids@outlook.com For questions about this initiative, please contact the TuCARE Education Coordinator, Amy Dunlap, at 209-352-6510 or toursforkids@outlook.com.

About the George James Memorial Fund: George S. James was born in Hazen, Nevada in 1908. At age 6, his family moved to Sutter County, California. Following high school, George entered the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in engineering in 1933. After working in many different natural resources’ fields between 1933-1975, He became a founder of TuCARE, and was a large supporter of educating the public on the wise use of natural resources. This belief was based on the historic multiple-use philosophy governing the management of the National Forests. To honor his belief and dedication, TuCARE established the George James Memorial Educator Tours Fund to be administered by the Sonora Area Foundation. Because of his involvement with TuCARE’s Tours for Kids program and with much of his family involved with education. It is fitting that this fund was established in his memory to educate teachers about our natural resources.