Participating Schools: Petaluma High School
Lead Teachers: Linda Judah
Participating Classes: Community Health, Biology, Honor's Biology
Collaborating Organizations: Point Blue (STRAW)

Overview: For this project we will be building on work done in previous years & including additional actions. Students will begin in the current fall semester with an analysis of our Place using the Community Mapping principals from The Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots program. From there will well also consider our Petaluma River watershed. We will be considering Steamer Landing and the kind of habitat stewardship that has gone on so far, and they type of additional stewardship that may be necessary. We will also be looking at one yard on our campus with an eye to creating an outdoor classroom.

Curriculum Highlights

Key Learning Objectives: “How does human activity impact ecological communities?” Students will examine populations of plants and animals that utilize the Petaluma River as part of their habitat. They will survey and monitor select populations. They will use modeling to predict how human activities, such as various industries, agriculture, recreation and construction, may impact populations. 

CA Curriculum Standards Addressed

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy and Dynamics

HS-LS2-1: Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

READ MORE about the Curriculum Standards addressed by this project.

Fieldwork Activities

Population surveys: direct counts/estimates, quadrant surveys, possible mark and recapture.

Water quality testing: Dissolved Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Temperature

Seed collection trip to study propogation

Restoration: beginning work on restoring the McNear Channel at Steamer Landing

River clean up

Student Work

Student made videos explaining their Watershed Classroom project were presented at our 2019 Student Showcase.