Sara Poisson is elementary school teacher, an outdoor educator, and former expedition naturalist and filmmaker committed to connecting young people and communities with local landscapes through hands‑on learning and collaborative stewardship. She serves as Project Lead for High School Hut to Hut, an initiative of the Leadership Institute for Just and Resilient Communities, that partners with local high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) Engineering and Construction programs. Together, students and mentors are building four small “wedge cabins” to serve hikers, school and community groups, and the general public along the 70‑mile Camino de Sonoma trail.

Rooted in environmental education and systems thinking, High School Hut to Hut explores how the built environment influences our access to essential needs—food, water, shelter, and mobility. By designing and building the huts, students experience an alternative model of development—one that emphasizes regenerative design, cultural collaboration, and ecological responsibility. The program encourages a living dialogue about how infrastructure can foster sustainability and community resilience.

Sara’s background includes natural history interpretation and documentary film production with Lindblad/National Geographic Expeditions in Alaska, Baja California, and the Galápagos, as well as elementary school education in Sonoma County. Her work consistently bridges conservation, creativity, and education, with a focus on empowering students to become active participants in shaping sustainable futures.