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Trabuco Elementary School

This page contains information regarding Trabuco Elementary School as one of the 2024 National Green Ribbon Selectees.

 

Four students taking care of animals.

 

Trabuco Elementary School (Trabuco) is in Trabuco Canyon, Orange County, surrounded by O'Neill Regional Park. The school hosts on-campus field trips, allowing schools across Orange County to partake in the school’s outdoor learning environments. The school has three gardens: a vegetable and fruit garden, a Pollinator Garden, and a Mindfulness Garden. Additionally, the school has a farm with miniature donkeys, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, and other animals. Rigorous problem-based science instruction incorporating California's Environmental Principles and Concepts extends to farm and garden lessons, fostering hands-on learning. Environmental education offers hands-on experiences with natural systems. Trabuco operates recycling and composting programs, with students sorting leftover food for landscaping or supplementing the farm animals' snacks. Trabuco Coyote Green Team, consisting of kindergarten through sixth-grade students, regularly meets to brainstorm ways to enhance campus eco-friendliness. Their initiatives have led to a 19% reduction in energy usage and a 7% decrease in water usage from the previous year.

Application External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

Questions:   California Green Ribbon Schools | GREENRIBBONSCHOOLS@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-2470
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, September 01, 2026
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