Rebuild Whiskeytown Environmental School – Redding, CA
For more than 50 years, Whiskeytown Environmental School (WES) has provided Shasta County students with hands-on learning and unforgettable experiences in the outdoors. Since the 1970s, the National Park Service and Shasta County Office of Education have partnered to offer residential environmental education programs for thousands of local students.
In 2018, the Carr Fire destroyed much of the WES campus. The remaining facilities were left unsafe and unusable, ending a beloved tradition for generations of students.
The community came together to rebuild. Beginning in 2021, WES restored limited day field trips and summer camps while planning for a full campus rebuild.
The McConnell Foundation is proud to support this effort with a $1 million grant for the WES Rebuild Project. The grant supports two critical needs: new student housing and a long-term operations and maintenance endowment.
The rebuilt campus will feature safer, more fire-resistant student housing and renewed educational facilities. These improvements will allow WES to once again offer residential environmental education programs to students throughout Shasta County.
WES is more than a place to learn about the environment. It gives young people the opportunity to explore, build confidence, work together, and develop a deeper connection to the natural world.
The McConnell Foundation’s investment helps ensure these experiences continue for future generations. By supporting the rebuild, the Foundation is investing in children, education, outdoor learning, and the future of Shasta County.
