On a sunny morning at the pond at the top of Rockville Hills Regional Park, groups from Suisun Valley K-8 School bustled between science stations to explore their local watershed.
They were one group of many students from every corner of the county that have been taking to the trails and getting hands-on outdoor science experience this year through the Solano Resource Conservation District’s (Solano RCD) Watershed Explorers Program. More than 1,800 third graders are participating in the free field trip program to learn how humans can impact our environment and what students can do to be good caretakers of land and water resources.
“This year, we’re on track to reach 42 percent of all Solano County third graders,” Marianne Butler, Solano RCD Deputy Executive Director said. “We’re continuing to focus on securing the funding needed to maintain this reach. Investing in our future means reaching 100 percent of our local third graders with impactful outdoor learning opportunities.”
Prior to the field trips, students participate in an in-class lesson where they use maps and 3D EnviroScape models to understand human impact and how water can carry pollutants through the watershed. Themes of stewardship and environmental impact are further explored on the field trip with an observation of aquatic organisms collected at the park, native plant seeding, and guided watershed explorations to see how pollution moves through their watershed. The curriculum emphasizes stewardship habits and gaining practical skills like water-saving techniques and waste reduction to use with their families.
Students from Fairfield and Suisun City are participating in field trips at Rockville Hills Regional Park in Fairfield. Uniquely, the program takes students to a local park in their region, providing students with an in-depth exploration of their own watershed and making it easier for them to visit again with their families. This year, 75 third grade classes across the county will participate, visiting one of five sites to explore their local watersheds.
At Rockville Hills Regional Park, Suisun Valley K-8 Agro-Science teacher Jenna Hanks watched as Solano RCD educators guided her students to work together to sow native California wildflower seeds following a discussion on drought and water conservation. “My favorite thing about this program is that students get hands on experience in nature so close to home. It really brings what we learn in the classroom to life,” she said.
“Outdoor education is huge,” said Robin Brennan, a third-grade teacher at Suisun Valley K-8. “It allows every child the space to blossom and find success outside the traditional classroom walls. The students aren’t just learning about nature — they are exploring and experiencing it firsthand.”
The Watershed Explorers Program is offered at no cost to participating schools, thanks to the generous support of numerous partners, including Solano County Water Agency, Solano County Department of Resource Management, Cities of Fairfield, Vallejo, Vacaville, Benicia, Dixon, and Rio Vista, Solano County Office of Education, Beverage Container Recycling City/County Payment, CalRecycle Used Oil Recycling Program, Vallejo Water Conservation Program, Fairfield-Suisun Sewer District, Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District, Potrero Hills Landfill, MCE, Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, and the Vacaville Public Education Foundation.
Solano RCD provides diverse water and watershed science education programs for students from elementary to high school. More information about the Watershed Explorers Program and other Solano RCD initiatives is available at www.solanorcd.org or by contacting education@solanorcd.org.