Watsonville Wetlands Watch
Wetland Stewards
The Wetland Stewards Program is a hands-on, experiential wetland science after-school program with a mentoring component. In the fall, Pajaro Valley High School interns attend a five-week comprehensive training program that prepares them to help lead visiting middle school groups through outdoor inquiry-based activities. Interns develop leadership skills and serve as positive role models to younger students as they explore the wonders of the wetlands right outside the WERC. College students also mentor the high school interns.
Watsonville Wetlands Watch staff has been working hard with curriculum specialists to design CA standards-based activities appropriate for the demographics of Watsonville youth. These activities include bird watching, water-quality testing, plant scavenger hunts, soil and compost discoveries, macro-invertebrate observations, nature water coloring, and journaling.
Our “Math in the Wetlands” summer program uses CA standards-based math activities to teach middle school students about wetland habitats, impacts to the wetlands, and ecological restoration.
Foundation Grants
In July 2006, Watsonville Wetlands Watch was awarded a two-year grant through the S.H. Cowell Foundation to develop an after-school and summer program for middle school students in the Pajaro Valley Unified School District. The Wetland Stewards program is the first step in a larger project to bring in-depth, quality environmental education to Watsonville’s youth.
In July 2008, WWW was awarded a grant of $25,000 from the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. The grant will be used to enhance and broaden the Wetland Stewards Program. We are excited to receive support from the Community Foundation and this recognition of the importance of environmental education.
Wetland Stewards Events & Stewards-Produced Video
| In June, 2008, seven Wetland Stewards gave
presentations and celebrated
their graduations. For more, click image: |
In May, the Wetland Stewards spent two days at Big Sur, camping and exploring. For more, click image: |
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Find out more about our Wetland Stewards Program
- For an overview of the program, visit the Fitz WERC website.
- Update on the 2006 – 2007 Wetland Stewards Program from the Fiz WERC website.
- Spring 2007 issue of our newsletter, The Watch: Introducing the Wetland Stewards Program
- Fall 2007 issue of our newsletter, The Watch: Lucky Kids: Update on Wetland Stewards
