Educator with students at water station. Photo courtesy of Solano Resource Conservation District

SOLANO COUNTY, CA (MPG) – Solano Resource Conservation District finished its 17th year of the Suisun Marsh Watershed Education Program last week. This year, they reached 1,698 Solano County sixth-grade students from 13 schools across the county. Solano Resource Conservation District hosted 26 field trips at Rush Ranch Open Space, a Solano Land Trust property, where students explored the Suisun Marsh and learned how to be good stewards of this unique ecosystem.

The program’s goal is to help students better understand their watershed and how to protect it, using the unique outdoor laboratory of the Suisun Marsh as a focal point. Participants learn about the importance of the marsh ecosystem and the benefits it provides through three classroom lessons taught by Solano Resource Conservation District staff and a field trip at Rush Ranch. Further, students explore the impact of human activities on the marsh and discuss how they can help lessen that impact.

Classroom lessons include an examination of a 3-D model of a watershed and topographic maps to illustrate how pollution in runoff can affect local bodies of water, such as the Suisun Marsh and the Sacramento River. Students gain an appreciation of the fact that preventing pollution in our local waterways is connected to efforts globally to prevent pollution in oceans. Another focus of the classroom lessons is helping students understand how they can be stewards of their water resources and prepare for drought in California. Students this year reported back after the program that they have a greater appreciation for water – including where their drinking water comes from and the importance of conserving it.

 

Educator with students at plant station. Photo courtesy of Solano Resource Conservation District

The program’s highlight is always the field trip out to Rush Ranch Open Space near Suisun City. One Solano County teacher noted that the program is “able to mix a science lesson with fun.” The curriculum includes hands-on activities that meet California’s Next Generation Science Standards. Students collect data from water tests that is submitted to a team at the National Estuarine Research Reserve, and they learn how to identify plants in the grassland and wetland habitats. The program also incorporates elements of the BEETLES curriculum, a program of the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, which focuses on student-centered learning practices for outdoor settings.

“I just love seeing the kids out there, and I enjoy introducing students to something that’s new in a safe and supportive environment,” said Stephanie Stock, Assistant Program Manager at Solano Resource Conservation District. She noted that many students want to come back to Rush Ranch with their families after they participate in the program, illustrating the positive impact the experience has on them.

Solano Resource Conservation District’s field trips provide much needed time in the outdoors for young people. Many students appreciate the peaceful atmosphere at the Suisun Marsh, further inspiring them to protect this important place here in Solano County.

This program is made possible with funding from the Solano County Water Agency, Solano County Department of Resource Management, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District, Vacaville Public Education Foundation, and the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee.

It is uncertain at this time if programs will be funded at the same level next year, meaning fewer students will have the unique opportunity provided by the Suisun Marsh Watershed Education Program. Solano Resource Conservation District needs your help to continue taking students out to the Suisun Marsh. To learn how you can support our programs, email [email protected].