Watershed Education Initiative (WEI)
Project Description:
Deliver high-quality, experiential watershed education programs based on local issues associated with the Truckee River, such as water quality and invasive species while empowering youth to protect and enhance the quality of the Truckee River. Significantly increase parent engagement, citizen science, and volunteer components to increase the long-term sustainability of our Watershed Education Initiative, thereby fostering protection of the primary water source for our community.
TMWA Benefit:
WEI is an education program that addresses water, water quality and watershed protection for K-8th grade students, directly aligning with grant priority VI: Stewardship and Environmental Awareness. Students gain first-hand experience with the Truckee River, explore human impacts on their water source, and obtain skills and knowledge to help protect the watershed. The overall long-term program impacts include:
- Students understand important science concepts related to the Truckee River watershed and can articulate how their actions affect the Truckee River watershed and local ecosystems.
- Students understand important science concepts related to the Truckee River watershed and can articulate how their actions affect the Truckee River watershed and local ecosystems.
- Teachers use extension lessons and implement more hands-on exploration of the watershed. Parents and community members engage in watershed education directly through WEI volunteer
- Health of the Truckee River watershed and local ecosystems improves as students and their families adopt environmental stewardship practices that help reduce water pollution and human impacts.