The Estuary Education Program

The Estuary Education Program is conducted by Friends of the San Francisco Estuary, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to protecting, restoring and enhancing the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary through direct public involvement and education activities.

In December 1994, the California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG) awarded Friends a two year operating grant for the existing education program. The award stipulates that Friends' Education Program will assist with enhancing or restoring at least three wetland sites in the North Bay Area. The operating grant has allowed the Friends Education Program to become established and to carry out the mandate of providing assistance to other groups.

The Estuary Education Program strives to fulfill the following objectives:

Environmental Justice Project at Richmond High School
Alameda Unified School District
San Leandro Shoreline Wetlands Education Project

Teacher Workshops and Estuarine Encounters

Teacher Workshops prepare you to teach about the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary's aquatic ecosystem. Through a combination of field trips, classroom sessions and hands-on activities, you investigate the estuarine environment, learn basic scientific concepts and discover new ways to engage students.

At the workshops, we introduce Estuarine Encounters, an activity guide for grades K-12. Estuarine Encounters, a curriculum guide developed by Friends and the Estuary Project, presents eight key habitats within the Bay and Delta, including mudflats, tidal marshes and riparian corridors. By studying an organism that lives within a habitat, students learn about current Estuary issues. The interdisciplinary guide blends natural science with social science, history, geography and literature. Estuarine Encounters includes a chapter on nonpoint source pollution and related activities.

Estuarine Encounters received As and Bs in the California Department of Education's recent statewide grading of environmental education materials. Citing this guide's "incredible scope" and "excellent format," the Department recommended it for both primary and secondary students. Workshops conducted in 1995 were in Sonoma for Napa and Sonoma County teachers. Promotional sessions were conducted at the BAEER Fair, Heather Farms Center, Marine Watershed meeting and at the Corte Madera Madera Creek Watershed Program.

Workshops are held at a school site or community center and require a minimum of ten participants. Fee: $35 per educator, includes Estuarine Encounters and background materials.

Estuary Outreach

Estuary Outreach brings a naturalist to your classroom for a two-hour session with you and your students. Sessions are activity oriented and build on Teacher Workshops or your course of study.

We can help you plan to use Bay-Delta materials with your current lesson plans, conduct activities with your students and provide informative presentations on current issues.

Fee: $75 per class for a two-hour session.

Field Sessions

Field Sessions give students firsthand knowledge of the estuarine environment. Naturalists lead field trips to local habitats for up to 35 students.

Students investigate the ecology of estuarine plants and animals through a variety of exciting activities and games. Transportation is the responsibility of the school.

Fee: $75 for 2 hours; $150 for 4 hours.

Estuary Restoration Group (ERG)

The Estuary Restoration Group provides a hands-on opportunity to improve a local habitat. During the six- to ten-week program, you and your students select an Estuary habitat to study in-depth. Then you adopt this habitat and implement a specific restoration or enhancement project in partnership with your community. Estuary Restoration Group projects require local sponsors.

Friends conducted two ERGs during 1995, one in Benicia and one in Concord at Glenbrook School.

Please call for fees and funding ideas.

For more information

If you'd like further details about the Estuary Education Program, please contact Steve Cochrane at (510) 622-2337.