Watershed Program for Salinas Teens

Ventana Wildlife Society's Teen Watershed Program offers nine weekly recurring classes designed to connect youth with nature through science, environmental education, and hands-on activities.

​Our program explores our relationship with the land surrounding rivers, lakes, and streams, highlighting local environmental issues and empowering students with informed actions they can take. Topics include use of natural resources, water testing, geology, topography, human impact, stewardship, the biodiversity of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and more.

Classes are engaging and interactive, featuring activities such as hiking, whale watching, kayaking, arts and crafts, and discussions about natural history, wildlife, and flora and fauna. We serve students enrolled in alternative education programs throughout Salinas, visiting new outdoor locations each week, and exploring beautiful areas within our local watersheds.
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Our experienced instructors — Matea Meadows-Hills, Marci Greenberg, Sofi Fielden, and Fern De La Cruz Reynoso — lead these immersive experiences, fostering a deeper connection to the natural world."

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Program Highlights

Teen Watershed Program participants, ages 14-18, are currently enrolled at the Monterey County Youth Center, where we meet with them weekly for engaging lessons both in and out of the classroom.

In recent sessions, we've explored topics like biomimicry, outdoor skills, and the magic of water - experimenting with concepts such as cohesion, adhesion, capillary action, and density. We've also delved into the parts of an ecosystem, blending science with creativity through crafts, art, hands-on experiments, active play, and mindful moments in nature.

The students have embraced these activities with curiosity and enthusiasm, and their artwork reflects their growing connection to the natural world - a testament to their learning, creativity, and care for our planet.

The students recently created these posters as part of their ongoing outdoor education journey. ​

Watershed Education

Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (pronounced me-wee) are learner-centered experiences that actively engage students in building knowledge and meaning through hands-on investigation of local environmental issues.​ MWEEs help connect students with their local environment and equip them to make decisions and take actions that contribute to stronger, sustainable, and equitable communities. ​More detailed information on MWEEs can be found on NOAA's B-WET pages.

MWEE Essential Elements and Supporting Practice

The MWEE consists of four essential elements that describe “what students do”: 

• Issue Definition
• outdoor field experiences
• synthesis and conclusions
• environmental action projects​

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