Leading Tours

General Information

All visits must be arranged in advance. Please use the information below to sign up to lead a tour or self-organize a tour or activity.

Docent-Organized Activity Form

Docents are essential to Jasper Ridge’s educational tours for academic classes, Stanford affiliates, and the public. To ensure a safe and welcoming experience for all visitors, please review and understand the following:

Organizing Tours and Activities

Staff-Coordinated Tours

Respond to Docent Request Emails

Requests will be sent to the jrdocent-chat email list:

Reply to the email with your interest and availability to volunteer

Staff will arrange docents for events

The Program Manager and Associate Director for Environmental Education will arrange docents for events, confirm participation, and send coordinating emails.

Confirm Logistics and Mark Your Calendar
  1. Mark your calendar: Once staff confirms you are assigned to give a tour, mark your calendar with the date and time .
  2. Meeting point: You may be asked to meet visitors at the Field Station or one of the access gates, please check the coordinating email carefully.

Docent-Organized Tours and Activities

Complete the Docent-Organized Activity Form

Docents may submit requests to self-organize and lead tours at Jasper Ridge during posted hours.

  • For safety purposes and coordination, docents must submit their requests for self-organized tours and activities in advance (at least 1 week is appreciated).
  • For groups larger than 16 people, please plan at least 4-6 weeks in advance to coordinate with staff.

Docent-Organized Activity Form

Staff will reach out to confirm your request is on the calendar and provide any safety advisements.

Prepare for Your Tour

Clarify Route

Routes: Docents can coordinate who wants to walk which trails. Always plan for your route to take 1.5-2 hours. Coordinate in advance if there will be multiple hiking groups as part of a tour.

Exchange Phone Numbers

Share phone numbers in the event of a last-minute change or emergency.

Pack a bag

Your bag should include: 

  • Emergency card,
  • 1-2 liters of water
  • Phone
  • Identification
  • Any educational materials you like to use
Wear appropriate clothing, including pants and closed-toed shoes

Also bring: 

  • Rain shell and layers during winter
  • A sunhat and sunscreen during Spring through Fall
Indemnity waiver for non-Stanford visitors

All guests who are not Stanford affiliates must sign a release form. Stanford volunteers and alumni should complete a waiver. If you are the event organizer, please distribute the form in advance of your visit. 

English Waiver Form          Spanish Waiver Form

We also keep blank copies inside the lobby door of Sun Field Station. Non-Stanford guests can sign these the day they visit, and leave the signed copy in the marked bin.

Visitor Transportation and Gate Access

Main Gate Entry

For groups meeting at the main entrance, please arrive early to manage gate access for carpools. Waiting cars should move off Sand Hill Road while keeping our main entrance passable. (See figure) 

When you come to Jasper Ridge, please only allow cars to follow you through the main gate on your card entry who are your guests. Docents should enter…

A map showing the main entrance at Jasper Ridge from Sand Hill Road. A link to a text description is in the caption.
 Map Information

Carpool when possible

When you organize your own tour, we encourage guests to carpool as much as possible. Carpooling, vanpools, or a shuttle bus are the best ways to get a group to Jasper Ridge.

Rideshare

Visitors arriving via rideshare must use the main entrance as their drop-off and pick-up point. Be prepared to walk to and from the main gate, as rideshare drivers are not allowed to drive on Preserve roads.

Visitor Parking

Visitors should park in the Visitors’ Parking Lot and meet at Sun Field Station to start their program.

During the Tour

Safety

Always have your Emergency Card with you, and follow its guidance. 

  • Health & Safety Information Page: When you organize your own tour, please ensure that all participants receive this page in advance of your visit.
  • Group check-in: You can offer bug spray and sunscreen from our supply, and water bottle refills from our kitchen. Review poison oak and tick presence with your group, depending on season.
  • Count the number in your group: We use the general guidance that each docent-led walking tour should have no more than 8 people. This allows everyone in the group to hear and see their docent. High school groups should have at least one of their own adult chaperones for each tour group.
  • Rattlesnakes: Keep an 8-10 foot distance from rattlesnakes. Please do not try to move a snake blocking your path. Assess the situation: Can you take the group off-trail safely around the snake? Can you backtrack and take an alternate route?

In the Event of an Emergency:

  1. Contact the San Mateo County Sheriff  
  2. Call 9-1-1 after you've called the County Sheriff
  3. Provide the closest street address
  4. Contact JRBP('O'O) staff. Staff phone numbers are listed by priority of who to call.

Food and Snacks

Food and snacks are only allowed in designated areas of Sun Field Station. Food and snacks are never allowed on trails.

  • Outdoors: You can use the picnic tables north and south of the field station as outdoor areas for meals and snacks.
  • Indoors: Please enjoy food only in the kitchen and classroom.
  • Food storage: Any food and coolers should be stored in your vehicle or at the field station.  

"Leave No Trace"

Remember to follow the tenets of “Leave No Trace” and “Pack It In, Pack It Out” when you visit Jasper Ridge. One person’s food waste left to biodegrade is a significant eyesore for the next person coming up the trail, not to mention what’s at stake for the natural environment. 

We all have a responsibility to the next person and to be good stewards of the preserve. So, if you packed it in, please remember to pack it out. 

Stay Mindful of the Time

Some groups have a “hard stop” when they need to be back for a group event or bus departure. It is best to double-check this beforehand with a lead docent, event leader, and/or the Associate Director for Environmental Education.

Land Acknowledgements

Occasionally, a JRBP('O'O) staff member or event leader will start a program with a land acknowledgment for the entire group before they go on separate tours. Typically, these are events where cultural history is the primary topic.

Otherwise, we trust docents to acknowledge the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe's presence on this land in a way that is comfortable, authentic, and well-timed for them and their group. Some like to use the formal land acknowledgment at the start. Some prefer to foster discussion with the group on indigenous history and the Tribe’s ongoing work towards recognition, cultural preservation, and sovereignty. Some may choose to acknowledge the Muwekma Ohlone in the presence of cultural sites during a tour.

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