We concluded our incredible program by setting up interactive stations to represent the many lessons learned along the river. Roles were reversed and students became teachers at each station by explaining what they learned.  Stations included our watershed model, microscopes, plants from the Salinas River, animal tracking, using a compass, topographic maps, rocks from the river, binoculars…

Students traveled to beautiful Dancing Deer Farm in Templeton to experience farm life and taste test the difference between conventional and organically grown fruits and veggies. We all enjoyed a discussion and activity in the garden with local farmer John DeRosier that reminded us how much work goes into planting and harvesting seeds. Kids got the chance to hang out by Dancing Deer Farm’s Tee-Pee…

Ken Oster from the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) joined us along the river to teach the students all about soil. Ken provided exciting experiments that reminded students of the many important functions soil provides. Water infiltration was examined by isolating a small area of soil and seeing how long it took for one inch of water to soak through.  Recycling of organic material…

This week was all about geology and Earth’s history. We had the pleasure of welcoming Docent and Geology Instructor John McCabe. John brought fossils found in the Salinas River area and encouraged students to examine and be “detectives” because rocks are the clues to Earth’s history. By asking questions and putting some thought into it, students learned that the entire area was once under the…

After two weeks of Spring Break, we were back in action in our outdoor classroom last Wednesday. Our lesson this week was all about topographic mapping.  Working together, students completed a mapping activity where they matched profiles and written descriptions of structures to the correct contour diagram. Groups were given USGS maps of San Miguel and a list of features to find and circle such as…

Today we welcomed assistant Scoutmaster David Kudija for a presentation on orienteering. Students learned how a compass works and how essential compasses are to navigate your way through the wilderness. We took a look at topographic maps of the Salinas River and San Miguel and discussed features identified. Kids got to practice using a compass by finding north, taking bearings and measuring wind…

This week we had the pleasure of discussing riparian fauna with local wildlife biologist Brian Dugas from Terra Verde Environmental Consulting.  He brought some amazing skulls, birds nests, owl pellets and even a grey fox! The kids examined the skulls and considered adaptations each animal has to successfully compete for resources. After the discussion we hiked along the Salinas River to find…

Due to the much needed rain event this week we were unable to go to our outdoor classroom. That didn’t stop us from having a blast in the gym discussing riparian flora, examining plant samples under a microscope and enjoying a really fun activity! Kids were divided into groups of three or four and given a sheet of paper with a river drawn through it. They got the chance to design their dream…

We started this week in the classroom exploring our aquifer model kit. The kids were able to see a visual demonstration of the water cycle and how precipitation can infiltrate in to the ground and become groundwater. The aquifer model is a great way to show how water percolates through different types of material.  Next, we traveled to our outdoor classroom along the Salinas River. Here, Margy…

This week the kids got their “feet wet” learning along the river about watersheds. They mastered their understanding of point and non point pollution while interacting with the watershed model. Students then walked the river to learn basic mapping skills, note evidence of animal activity and sketch vegetation to get a better understanding of their place in our watershed and the importance of…