Casa Grande students take McDowell Elementary group on Watershed Tour

Today Casa Grande High School in Petaluma played host to over 60 3rd Graders from McDowell Elementary. Dr. John Shribbs, environmental science teacher and leader of the Native Plant Nursery at Casa instigated the field trip as part of his lesson plan for the Watershed Classroom. Over thirty of his AP Environmental Science students and members of the Casa Grande Anglers program acted as mentor guides, pairing up with two or three kids each.

Students spent the morning rotating between four stations; Fish Scales in the Hatchery, Nature Walk through the native gardens on campus, planting at the Outdoor Learning Environment garden, and a Water Lab testing salinity and turbidity. Both the elementary students and the high school students took a lot away from the day, an enthusiasm for science, the environment and our water system. Community members participated in each activity, bringing together representatives from the local rotary clubs, CDFW, the City of Petaluma, and nonprofit groups like the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance and Friends of the Petaluma River.

It is projects like these that define the Watershed Classroom. Only in its first month of school and the teachers involved have created a PSA for the Petaluma River Cleanup held on Sept. 21st (check it out on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofthePetalumaRiver?ref=hl), and led all freshmen natural science students from Petaluma High School on a virtual tour of the Watershed - that along with today's activities has meant a busy month for the Petaluma Watershed.