Watershed Explorers Program
The Watershed Explorers Program runs annually from December through March and includes a pre-trip presentation through our School Water Education Program and a field trip to a local park or outdoor space. This program is available to 3rd grade classes in Solano County. To register, please contact Program Manager Lee Ascencio at
Program Goals
Watershed Explorers uses science and place-based learning to build awareness and understanding of local creeks and watersheds and their unique ecosystems, as well as good stewardship practices to help care for these special places. Using a curriculum based on concepts directly linked to California’s state education standards, the program offers local children - many of whom have little or no experience being in open space settings - a concrete, experiential introduction to their watershed and the life that depends on it.
Watershed Explorers is an introductory program and covers basic ecology concepts and stewardship responsibilities. The primary program goal is to help students develop an awareness of the outdoor, natural world. Program objectives include improving student’s ability to:
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Describe the path water takes from source to sink;
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Understand the role drought plays in nature and society, and practice ways to conserve water;
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Recognize how stormwater influences our watersheds and the impacts of motor oil and trash;
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Understand how to mitigate the impacts of their own and their family's behaviors on the local watershed by becoming stewards of our county waterways, including how to implement the "Triple R" reduce, reuse, and recycle messaging.
Standards Connections
Guiding Question
What environmental solutions might help living things affected by drought and/or stormwater pollution?
What Students Do
Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how drought and runoff pollution impacts living things in a watershed.
Next Generation Science Standards
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Disciplinary Core Ideas: (3-LS4.D) Populations live in a variety of habitats, and changes in those habitats affect the organisms living there.
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Cross Cutting Concepts: Cause and effect, patterns, systems and system models, stability and change.
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Scientific and Engineering Practices: Nearly all eight SEP’s are utilized in this program.
Watershed Explorers is funded by Solano County and all its City Jurisdictions, Solano County Water Agency, 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 and MCE Clean Energy.
WE Recycle! Challenge
The WE Recycle! Challenge is an annual recycling competition which takes place during the entire month of April. Third grade classes around Solano County are invited to earn money for their classroom by collecting cans and bottles with the CRV symbol and exchanging them at the nearest Certified Recyling Center. The classes that recycle the most cans and bottles in the month-long timeframe will earn the title of Solano County Super Recylers!
Winning classes will also be celebrated on social media and in regional news stories. Classrooms can choose to donate the CRV money from the items they recycle to support a classroom or school project or charity, and all participants are invited to document their recycling efforts with photos posted to Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #WERecycleSolano! This challenge is a chance to help care for our county with a hands-on, family recycling project and to see which classroom can recycle the most material during a one-month period. For more information on how to get started email Lee Ascencio at .
Congratulations to our 2022-2023 winners, Jeanette Starrings class from Dan Mini Elementary as well as Jennifer Wheelhouse and Melissa Nilsons classes from Solano Windenmann Leadership Academy!
Past Videos
