As part of the rotations, students learn about ecology and nature conservation. Here they identify natural versus non-natural objects (garbage) in the wild, noting their findings. Photo by Seti Long

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – After a five-year hiatus, one of the region's most beloved outdoor education traditions has returned, bringing Wilson Elementary School students back into the heart of the Sutter Buttes for a hands-on day of science, history and exploration.

The Sutter Buttes Field Day, founded in 1994 by Wilson Elementary teachers Pam Wolf and Joann Hamman, welcomed students once again this spring to the Hammons family ranch, where generations of local children have learned about ecology, geology, Native American history, conservation and life in early California.

What began as an idea inspired by the "Science in Rural California" program has grown into a decades-long tradition that connects classroom lessons with real-world experiences.

Students learn about different aspect of life for those living in the Sutter Buttes area in the past. Here teacher Maddi Hamman shares with the students that schoolteachers used to live with the families of their students. They would even attend church with them, sometimes becoming a member of the family group. Photo by Seti Long

According to Hamman, the program was launched after she and Wolf participated in science education training and partnered with local landowner Leon Hammons, who opened his property to students.

Over the years, the ranch evolved into an outdoor classroom featuring fishing ponds, hiking trails and the western-themed Sutter Buttes Gulch, a replica frontier town built by Hammons in 2002 specifically for visiting students.

Although Leon Hammons died in 2005, his family has continued the tradition, preparing the property each year and ensuring future generations can experience the Sutter Buttes firsthand.

For many students, field day offers something increasingly rare: an opportunity to disconnect from technology and immerse themselves in nature.

As students cycle through the rotations, they get a clearer picture of how life was lived by early settlers in the area. Here they learn about the blacksmith and their key role in supporting a small village. Photo by Seti Long

"I think a lot of the things that the kids learn and see out here cannot be replicated in a classroom," said Maddie Hamman, now an agriculture teacher at River Valley High School who attended the field day as a child. "The life skills, learning about rattlesnakes, wildlife and being aware of your surroundings, I just don't think kids get that unless they come out here."

Hamman recalled being checked out of school by her father so she could attend the event as a youngster and said returning as an educator has given her a new appreciation for the experience.

Her sister, Becca Hamman, said the field day teaches students not only about nature but also about their responsibility to care for it.

"I think it's really important for kids to not only be out in nature, but to learn the impact that we can have on nature," she said. "We can impact it positively or negatively. That's a lesson that carries beyond wildlife and conservation into every part of life."

Throughout the day, students rotated through a variety of learning stations led by volunteers, educators and natural resource professionals. Activities included fishing, nature hikes, wildlife observation, geology lessons, Native American cultural history and visits to Sutter Buttes Gulch.

One stop focused on local Native American history, where students learned how Maidu people used naturally occurring grinding stones to process acorns into flour after removing their bitter tannins through repeated washing.

Maddi Hamman, a teacher at River Valley High School leads a group of students through the western town, seen here inside the small chapel. Photo by Seti Long

The experience helps students connect local landscapes with the history that unfolded on them, organizers said.

"I think people forget how close we are to that history," Maddie Hamman said. "It was right here in our backyard. The stories, the rocks, the places, they're all still here."

Becca Hamman said seeing and touching historical artifacts makes lessons feel real for students.

"When you're looking at the grinding stones and realizing that people used this exact rock hundreds of years ago, it connects you to history," she said. "It doesn't feel so far away anymore."

The program has long relied on volunteers from agencies and conservation organizations. Since 2007, professionals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Point Blue Conservation Science have helped provide educational programming and expertise.

For Joann Hamman, the event's return represents more than the continuation of a field trip. It is the revival of a tradition that has introduced thousands of local children to the natural wonders of the Sutter Buttes.

"We started it because we knew how important it was for kids to get back into nature," Hamman said. "Taking them out of the classroom and letting them experience these things firsthand is what makes the learning stick."