School Programs

• Students For Salmon
  
• Envirothon
  
  

School involvement

Whatcom Conservation District staff members work with different school groups to involve them in stream restoration projects and watershed education opportunities. A few examples include:

• Happy Valley Elementary – In March 2004, District staff presented the interactive watershed model to a kindergarten class of 24 students. After talking about non-point pollution and how peoples' actions on the land may affect water quality, staff led the students and 6 adult volunteers on a walk to a local stream. During the walk we noted the locations and functions of storm drains and talked about where those storm drains empty directly into streams. The students and volunteers were divided into small groups to plant native shrubs along Taylor Creek (tributary to Connelly Creek draining to salmon bearing Padden Creek) to compliment the water quality and salmon education the students had received the previous week. The stream and the constructed wetlands area where we planted were on Western Washington University property.
  

  Students in this kindergarten class gather around the watershed model to learn about environmental effects of non-point pollution.	Students and parent volunteers in this kindergarten class get ready to plant native shrubs along Taylor Creek in Bellingham.

  
  
  
• Fisher Elementary – In April 2002, two second grade classes from Fisher Elementary in Lynden got their hands dirty helping to plant native vegetation along Fishtrap Creek. District staff first visited Cathy Dexter’s and Leslie Price’s classes to talk about watersheds, stream restoration, and salmon biology and habitat needs. Following the classroom visit, the students got some hands-on experience planting trees and exploring the riparian habitat of the creek just beyond the borders of their school property. 
  

Students from Cathy Dexter’s second grade Fisher Elementary class work together planting native vegetation along Fishtrap Creek in Lynden.

• Blaine High School – In April 2002, Whatcom Conservation District employees coordinated a group of Blaine High School students to participate in a riparian restoration planting on a farm in the Drayton Harbor watershed.