Youth Watershed Education and Protection Projects on the Truckee River
Great Basin Outdoor School will host a Truckee River Snapshot Day water sampling event at Mountain View Montessori School in Reno on May 30, 2025. The school is located on Whites Creek, a tributary of the Truckee River. The event will include water sampling and testing demonstrations led by a naturalist educator and volunteers, focusing on watershed hydrology and geography.
Great Basin Outdoor School hosts week-long day camps at River School Farm and Mayberry Park to promote active learning. These camps provide access to the Truckee River for educational activities, where students, divided into trail groups led by naturalist educators, learn about the importance of the watershed. The curriculum includes Project Water Education Today (WET) activities and searching for benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of streamwater health. Guest presentations and service projects at Mayberry Park further enhance the experience, helping students gain knowledge of the Truckee River and brainstorm ways to protect their local watershed.
TMWA Benefit:
Funding will support the Truckee River Snapshot Day event, where students will act as citizen scientists, conducting water testing and sampling to learn about the ecological health of Whites Creek. They will participate in interactive demonstrations on water security, watershed management, and pollution, led by Great Basin Outdoor School’s educators and volunteers. The data collected will contribute to the Tahoe-Truckee Snapshot Day Annual Report, aiding watershed improvement projects.
Additionally, support is sought for watershed education and protection projects at Great Basin Outdoor School’s Adventure Day Camps. These camps focus on aquatic science and environmental stewardship through hands-on activities, such as constructing watershed models and learning about pollution. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Truckee River watershed and apply stewardship principles in their daily lives.