For Teachers

Park Primer - Educators' Guide to Santa Cruz State Parks

Friends of Santa Cruz State Park publishes our Park Primer as a planning guide for educators. In a clear and simple format, it details Friends' many award-winning educational programs in our local State Parks. Friends' programs welcome students for exciting, virtually free field trip exploring the natural and cultural riches in our state park treasures.

At a glance, the Park Primer offers all the critical information that teachers seek and need for planning great learning in the state parks. The Primer surveys the details for a variety of opportunities and interpretation, for specified age groups, in widely diverse habitats and historical treasures.

Download Friends Park Primer 2006 (.pdf).

See pages 4, 5 and 7 for program details.

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks bring our state parks alive with learning and wonder !

Please consider becoming a member of Friends !

Our members guarantee the care, protection, and enjoyment of our state park resources, by supporting our award-winning educational programs.

Exciting education is the key to the future of the parks.

Friends' members receive Park Views, our colorful, national award-winning quarterly newsletter, go on special member tours and hikes, and members receive a 15% discount at our five park stores: Natural Bridges, Seacliff, New Brighton, Mission Adobe, and Wilder Ranch State Parks. Friends' park stores feature uniquely chosen educational toys, gifts, and books, plus jewelry, apparel and more.

For more information on becoming a member of Friends, please call Randy Widera, at 831-429-1840 or email

The next edition of Friends' Park Primer, including updates and changes, will be published early in 2006. Friends will distribute the Park Primer throughout Santa Cruz County to teachers, and we will post it here on our website for everyone to use.