Student Stewardship Projects

Active Participation in Restoring our Watershed

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Through Student Stewardship Projects, we seek to cultivate student watershed stewards by integrating interdisciplinary studies- creative writing, art, and science- into meaningful hands-on restoration. Every year, hundreds of students from local schools participate in projects that are designed to elevate student motivation for learning about their watershed and provide them with restoration skills, experiences, and watershed knowledge.

Through active participation in these restoration projects, students develop a sense of pride and care for their home waters. During their projects, students have the opportunity to interact with professionals in the “real world” of watershed restoration, such as conservation groups, federal agency representatives, and local scientists. This in turn encourages these natural resource professionals and community members to view youth as informed and capable stream stewards.

"Tumalo Creek is magnificent and the best place to be. It sounds like the wind rustling through the trees and the water flowing.
It smells like home sweet home to me."

Past student stewardship projects have included removing non-native vegetation and planting native plants at sites such as Riverbend and Farewell Bend Parks, restoring riparian plants along Whychus Creek, and planting ponderosa trees in Shevlin Park. When possible, we connect students with their student stewardship project sites multiple times to help them develop a genuine connection to the river or stream. In addition to participating in on-the-ground stewardship, students may also spend time writing poetry or creating artwork to create a connection to the natural world.

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"Am I a river? Am I a song? I am a melody which always lulls on. My body, it moves with pride. I shape this land and make it home."