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SCICONEnvironment: Foothills, oak woodlands, riparian
Activities: science and conservation school for Tulare County students Open: The SCICON BBQ & Wildflower Festival is held on the third Sunday in April. There are also traditionally two “Open Houses” held on Sunday afternoons; for Open House dates, go to www.tcoe.org/scicon and click on “Events” in the lefthand sidebar. Students are scheduled through their elementary schools for one-day field trips (fifth grade) and week-long field trips (sixth grade). Site Stewards: Tulare County Office of Education; The Friends of SCICON; SCICON Administrator, Dianne Shew, 559-539-2642 Opportunities for Involvement: Audubon Christmas Bird Count, donate, volunteer Links: Tulare County Office of Education; The Friends of SCICON Directions: Map and directions are at the bottom of this page. |
"We must make an effort to reinstill in ourselves and in our children a sense of stewardship toward this planet and its resources. The story of SCICON is the story of one such effort." -- Joe Doctor
This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it." -- Thomas Carlyle
"Long before ecology became an everyday word, [Charles Rich] used to go around to the various schools in the county and take seedlings for the students to plant. He believed all youngsters should be taught about science and nature, and to respect and preserve the environment. " -- from "SCICON Memories"
"The youngsters begin to see the symbiotic relationships surrounding them and to understand the interdependence of all things in the natural environment: the sun providing energy, green plants storing it, animals converting it, decay conserving it. . . . And as they see all of these natural elements working together, the students grasp the importance of maintaining those natural balances. They begin to appreciate the significance of conserving our natural resources." -- from "SCICON Memories"
"Nothing in SCICON has been done easily. But every clod of dirt moved, every nail driven has been done by people who have functioned willingly because of their love of the out-of-doors and of their fellow man." -- Charles Rich
"SCICON represents the very best of the human spirit. A monument to perseverance, the school exists because a handful of individuals once dreamed it could, and countless others willed it would." -- from "SCICON Memories" Photos for this article by: John Greening and Laurie Schwaller, and courtesy of Tulare County Office of Education/SCICON |
History:
A Brief History of SCICON by Rick Mitchell SCICON is the story of the caring people of Tulare County. They care about children and about the land and they want future generations to also grow up caring about the land and the rich natural resources of Tulare County. In 1950, a science educator named Charles Rich began working for Tulare County Office of Education, traveling throughout the valley to assist schools with their science programs. Charles believed that students needed to realize the importance of the environment. He also believed that students learn best when they are actually experiencing something first-hand and see and live it for themselves. Charles believed that the students of Tulare County needed an outdoor school of their own. After discussing the idea with many educators, a pilot program was set up in 1958 at the YMCA camp “Tulequoia,” located at Sequoia Lake. The students from six schools came up for a week to hike, study, explore nature, and learn the importance of taking care of the environment and conserving natural resources. The name SCICON was given to the program, combining the key words science and conservation. The trial program was operated for three years and was a huge success. Students, teachers, parents, and educators all agreed that this was the best way to learn about the environment – to study it first-hand. But unfortunately, the special monies used to operate the trial program were running out. SCICON would not be able to continue unless something was done. Meanwhile, Charles Rich was becoming more convinced than ever that Tulare County must have its own outdoor school, a place within the county where students could come to study nature at its best. Charles searched the countryside looking for just the perfect spot. Finally he found it. In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada above Springville was a parcel of land known as the “Lost Forty.” At an elevation of 2000 feet, it was below the winter snow line but higher than the valley fog. Bear Creek flowed year-round through the middle of the area. The land abounded with plants and wildlife. The “Lost Forty” was part of the Gill family cattle ranch and Clemmie Gill owned the parcel. Charles approached Clemmie Gill about donating the “Lost Forty” for the SCICON program. At first Clemmie was not convinced the project would be successful. But Charles Rich did not give up. After several visits, Clemmie donated the “Lost Forty” (which turned out to be thirty-five acres) to Tulare County Office of Education in 1958 for use as an outdoor school site. SCICON was born!    But Charles Rich knew that the work had only just begun. With a donation of wood from a lumber company, and labor from a carpenters' union, the John Muir Lodge was built near Bear Creek in the center of the thirty-five acres. Over the ensuing years school districts recognized the value of the program and built cabins for the students to stay in. Thousands of students have now stayed in these cabins named after those districts (Tulare Cabin, Visalia Cabin, Lindsay Cabin, Dinuba Cabin, Orosi Cabin, Pixley Cabin, Earlimart Cabin, Shafter Cabin, Delano Cabin, Ivanhoe Cabin, Woodlake Cabin, Burton Cabin, Exeter House, Porterville Learning Center). There was no electricity on the campus at that time. Cabins were heated by fireplaces. Cabin counselors were often parents or teachers. There were no telephones, no hot showers, and no flush toilets – only outhouses! Life was rustic, but everyone loved it. SCICON began to flourish and grow. At first the 35 acres seemed like a lot of land. But as the SCICON program and facilities grew, the SCICON campus needed to grow as well. Through donations, a trade was made with the United States Forest Service for an additional thirty acres. In 1972, the adjoining private land next to SCICON was planned to be developed and sold so that homes and small ranches could be built. It was feared that the possibility of these new homes and buildings could threaten the serenity of the SCICON campus. Once again, the people of Tulare County showed they cared. A huge fundraising effort was begun in 1973, entitled “Acres for SCICON.” Presentations were made to school PTAs, service clubs, garden clubs, and chambers of commerce. In a three-year-span enough money was raised to buy the surrounding thousand acres! Now the pristine beauty of SCICON was guaranteed. Also through this effort, an organization called the “Friends of SCICON” was formed. To this day, donations of time, money, and materials continue to benefit the SCICON program. This spirit of giving has resulted in many improvements, all provided through donations, including showers and restrooms for the boys’ and girls’ villages, the Phyllis Wall Museum, the Max Cochran Planetarium, the Lyle Christman Observatory, the Handicabin, the Charles Rich Intern Staff House, the Health Center, the Briz Brizby Raptor Center and the Barton Memorial Amphitheatre. Additionally, many miles of roads and trails have been built, all by volunteers. Despite all these developments, it became obvious by 2004 that Tulare County’s growing student population would soon exceed the program’s ability to schedule all of the sixth grade students. Possibilities were discussed and an idea was born to build a new village on the SCICON campus. A generous donation from Barbara and Melville Price (educators in Porterville) plus significant support from the Tulare County Board of Education made it possible for “Eagle Point Village” to be constructed near the museum during the summer and fall of 2007. On March 13, 2008, the first students started attending this new village. With the addition of Eagle Point, the SCICON experience is guaranteed for many future generations of students in Tulare County. Students at SCICON are reminded every day of all those who have made it possible for them to be there. Every trail they walk, every bridge they cross, every building they enter is a gift from people who cared. Students are taught to treat all these with respect and to give something back, and every student knows the SCICON motto: “SCICON is people working together!” October, 2012 
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Directions:
Address: 41569 Bear Creek Road, Springville, CA 93265; (559) 539-2642 Latitude/Longitude: N36° 13.0564'/W118° 45.9503' 36.217607/-118.765838 From Visalia (A) head east on CA-198; turn right onto Yokohl Valley Dr, left onto Yokohl Valley Rd/M296. Cross the ridge and turn right onto Hwy J37, then left onto Bear Creek Rd/J37. SCICON (B) entrance is on your right. From Porterville (C) take Highway 190 East to Springville. Turn left on Balch Park Road. Drive 3 miles and turn right on Bear Creek Road. Drive 3 miles to the SCICON (B) entrance gate on right. |