Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Eisaguirre.
Hi Sue, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wanting to reach more students, but unable to do so in my position at the time, I often came home frustrated. One day, my husband said, “Why don’t you do this on your own?” He bought me the book How to Form a 501(c)(3), and away I went.
I founded NatureTrack in 2011 with a simple goal: to give more children the opportunity to experience the outdoors, where learning comes alive. I also wanted to support teachers in their efforts, so from the beginning, we asked them what they wanted emphasized during each field trip and what topics aligned with their students’ current classroom studies. Our docents then used the natural setting to reinforce those lessons through inquiry, observation, journaling, movement, and discovery.
Just as important, we wanted to make sure the students had FUN. We believed that if children genuinely enjoyed their time outdoors, they would want to spend more time in nature and begin developing a lifelong connection with the natural world.
We began by providing free, docent-led field trips for local K through 12 students, including transportation, so that cost would never prevent a child from participating. What started as a small idea has grown into a thriving organization that has introduced more than 50,000 students to the beaches, trails, wetlands, and open spaces of Santa Barbara County.
As NatureTrack grew, so did our understanding of who was being left out. We created the Trax program to make outdoor experiences accessible to wheelchair users of all ages. Through Freedom Trax, motorized, all terrain attachments for manual wheelchairs, along with trained volunteers and transportation when needed, children, adults, veterans, and seniors can explore places that were previously inaccessible to them.
In 2018, we launched the NatureTrack Film Festival as another way to connect people with the natural world. The festival and our year-round Special Screening Series use the power of film to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and encourage people to care for our planet.
Today, NatureTrack serves thousands of students and hundreds of wheelchair users each year, supported by a dedicated staff, more than 80 active volunteers, community partners, donors and foundations. We have now launched Widen the Trail, a three-year, $3.4 million campaign that will allow us to serve 50% more students, increase Freedom Trax access by 250%, expand our film festival and year-round screening programs, and establish a legacy fund to help sustain NatureTrack for generations to come.
What began with my husband’s encouragement and one book has become far more than I ever imagined. NatureTrack continues to be guided by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience nature and that one meaningful and fun experience outdoors can foster a lifelong fascination with it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. Funding has been one of our greatest and most consistent challenges, especially because we provide our programs at no cost to participants. Raising enough money to meet the growing demand while maintaining the quality and safety of our programs requires an ongoing effort.
Transportation became an even greater challenge after COVID, when school districts experienced severe bus driver shortages. Because NatureTrack pays for transportation, we had to begin contracting with private transportation companies, which significantly increased our costs. Yet transportation is essential. Without it, many of the students who would benefit most from our field trips would not be able to participate.
COVID itself presented an enormous challenge, but it also gave us an opportunity to respond to an urgent community need. We learned that many students were entitled to school meals but were not receiving them because their families had no way to pick them up. NatureTrack jumped into action and delivered more than 5,000 meals. With each delivery, we included a nature journal and Nature and Creature Cards that we created in house. The cards encouraged students to step outside, even if only into their own yards, complete nature based activities, and look for the animals featured on the cards. Those cards remain available on our website and are free for anyone to download.
Another ongoing challenge is meeting the tremendous demand for our programs. Our K through 12 field trips fill almost immediately, and we regularly have more teachers who want to participate than we have the funding and capacity to serve.
Demand for our Trax program is also growing substantially. We now receive inquiries from throughout California and even across the country from people hoping to borrow a Freedom Trax or bring the program to their communities. It is exciting to see how greatly this service is needed, but expanding responsibly requires additional equipment, staff, volunteers, transportation, storage, and sustainable funding.
These growing needs are why we launched Widen the Trail, NatureTrack’s $3.4 million campaign. This three-year investment will expand our programs, equipment and capacity while building long-term sustainability. It will help us say yes to more teachers, families and wheelchair users who are waiting for access.
Each challenge has pushed us to be more resourceful, responsive, and determined. The road has not always been easy, but the need for what NatureTrack provides continues to remind us why the work is so important.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My professional life has taken several different paths, and each one contributed to my ability to create and lead NatureTrack. I worked in collections for Ford Motor Credit, gained valuable sales experience with Xerox, and later helped run our own business. Those roles taught me how to communicate with people, solve problems, build relationships, manage responsibilities, and keep moving forward even when situations were challenging.
I was then fortunate to stay home with my two boys for 12 years. Although I stepped away from a traditional career, I constantly volunteered in their schools and sports programs. That experience kept me deeply connected to children, teachers, families, and the community. It also strengthened my understanding of the importance of giving children meaningful opportunities and supporting the educators who work so hard to help them succeed.
Attending Colorado College also helped shape the way I work. Its Block Plan, which allows students to focus on one subject at a time, taught me to be efficient, effective, and willing to stay the course until the work was complete.
Looking back, that combination of professional experience, business ownership, education, parenting, and years of community involvement gave me not only the practical skills to create NatureTrack, but also the empathy and determination to understand whom we wanted to serve and why the work mattered. None of my experiences followed a perfectly straight career path, but together they prepared me for exactly what I am doing today.
Last year, I was able to join a field trip, something I don’t get to do as often as I’d like, as much of my time is spent raising funds to support the program. We made our way through the Ellwood Butterfly Grove and out to the bluff, where the ocean view was breathtaking, and we could see dolphins just offshore. A second-grade student turned to me and said, “Pinch me, so I know I’m not dreaming!”
In that moment, it was clear she wasn’t just seeing the ocean or dolphins; she was experiencing something entirely new, something she may not have had access to otherwise.
Hearing her say that reminded me that what we are doing at NatureTrack is truly making a difference for so many students and wheelchair users, and that the sometimes overwhelming work is worth every minute.
What I’m most proud of is that NatureTrack does more than talk about the importance of nature; we remove the barriers that prevent people from experiencing it. Now in our 16th year, we continue to connect more and more people to the natural world.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Stay positive and speak from your heart. If you truly believe in what you are doing, that part comes naturally, and people will feel your passion and sincerity.
Do your research and due diligence, but do not wait until everything is perfect to begin. Ask for help when you need it and surround yourself with people who bring different skills, experiences, and perspectives. Network whenever you can because you never know when a conversation will lead to a new supporter, volunteer, partner, or opportunity.
I also wish I had known just how important relationships would become. Take the time to listen, follow up, express appreciation, and stay connected. Building an organization takes patience, persistence, and the willingness to adjust along the way.
Most importantly, do not be discouraged by setbacks. There will be plenty of them. Keep your focus on why you started and the people you hope to serve. If you believe deeply in your mission, remain open to learning, and are willing to work hard, you will find a way forward.
Pricing:
- Because all NatureTrack programs are provided free of charge, every donation helps remove financial and physical barriers to experiencing nature. A $50 donation helps provide transportation and outdoor learning supplies for a student. A $90 donation gives one student the opportunity to learn in nature, from nature, on a free NatureTrack field trip. A $250 donation helps provide a free Freedom Trax outing for a wheelchair user, opening access to beaches, trails, and parks. A $500 donation helps cover transportation costs so an entire class can experience a NatureTrack field trip at no cost. A $1,000 donation helps provide a free, accessible outdoor experience for a group of wheelchair users and their families. A $2,500 donation helps sponsor a free NatureTrack field trip, including transportation, trained volunteer docents, and student nature journals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://naturetrack.org/
- Instagram: @naturetrack_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatureTrack/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueeisaguirre/
- Other: https://naturetrackfilmfestival.org/
