Three diverse plant communities can be found within walking distance of KEEP Sierra: chaparral, foothill woodland, and coniferous forest. The chaparral community is found on dry south facing slopes. The chaparral is often called the "elfin" or "dwarf" forest because it consists of a thick gray-green mass of vegetation only three to twelve feet tall. The dense stands of chaparral provide excellent habitat for wildlife. The foothill woodland community is a transition between the valley grasslands of lower elevations and the coniferous forests found at higher elevations. Open stands of oaks and gray pine dominate the foothill community. Coniferous forests are found on the cooler, wetter north facing slopes surrounding KEEP Sierra. Towering incense cedars, ponderosa pines and white firs are dominant plants in this community.



This richness of natural communities provides the perfect backdrop for lessons in environmental education. Typical lessons focus on adaptation, interdependence, food chains, energy, patterns of change and systems and interactions.



At KEEP we make an effort to minimize our impact on the land. As a result of our land ethic and our proximity to large tracts of natural areas, some species of wildlife are regularly seen on campus including deer, squirrels, and many species of birds. We sometimes see fox, black bear, bobcat, and raccoon and even mountain lion.