This year, the science and gardening programs have worked to integrate classroom learning so that students can experience how their daily subjects connect. This month, the second graders took a field trip to the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy whose mission is to "preserve land and restore habitat in and around the San Gabriel and Crescenta Valleys." Students learned to identify native plants and discussed how they have adapted to their environment. Guides shared how indigenous groups use these plants and the environmental impacts that threaten them, such as drought and invasive species. The inspiration for this field trip came from the second grade classroom teachers who saw an opportunity to link what students had been learning in science and gardening. Second graders went into this experience with knowledge regarding the parts of a plant and its survival needs. They also came to the trip with knowledge regarding how plants reproduce and the importance of pollination to both humans and ecosystems. This trip was a great opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience while seeing their learning in action and we hope to maintain this newly created relationship with the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.