VENTANA WILDLIFE SOCIETY
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Annual Reports / Documents
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • Our Beginning - Bald Eagles
    • Our Story
    • Staff
    • Wildlife Sanctuaries
  • CONDORS
    • Biology
    • Field Work
    • Live Cams
    • My Condor Bios
    • Nesting
    • Releases
    • Species Status
    • Survival Threats
    • The Condor Chat
    • Vultures of the World
  • Education
    • Education Overview
    • PUBLIC PROGRAMS >
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Hubs
    • PARTNER PROGRAMS >
      • Teen Watershed Program
      • Educator Support
      • Wellness Through Nature >
        • Salud Y Naturaleza
    • Big Sur Discovery Center
    • SMORE in Big Sur
  • Services
    • Condor Presentations
    • Ecological Services
    • Non-Lead Ammunition
    • Wildlife Data Management Tools
  • Media
    • Media Coverage
    • Condor Filmography >
      • 2025: Condor Canyon >
        • Order Copy of Condor Canyon
      • 2022: Giants of big Sur
      • Full Collection
    • Short Videos
    • Reward for Arrest of Condor Shooter
  • How You Can Help
    • Donate >
      • Adopt-A-Condor
      • Donate
      • Save The Condors Fund
      • Stewardship Circle
      • Legacy Society
    • Subscribe
    • Supporters
    • Volunteer
    • Your Opinion Matters
  • donate
  • Shop

Teen Watershed Program

​Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences
for ​Local Teens
Picture
Funded by NOAA California Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant program promoting Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs). The MWEE is a learner-centered framework that focuses on investigations into local environmental issues and leads to informed action. Teen programs include learning outdoors as well as in the classroom, that is designed to increase the environmental literacy of all participants.

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.
​
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."
Vertical Divider
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. ​
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
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.
Picture
Picture
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​
Vertical Divider
Picture

ventana wildlife society

Conserving native wildlife and their habitats through science, education, and collaboration.

our address

9699 Blue Larkspur Lane, Suite 105
Monterey, CA 93940

(831) 455-9514
​​
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY 
© COPYRIGHT 2024.​ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

support

ADOPT-A-CONDOR
Donate
​
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION
STEWARDSHIP CIRCLE
​legacy society
shop

Donate now

connect

​​condor cams
​facebook
Films and Shorts​
instagram
​
​SUBSCRIBE/CONDOR UPDATES
​
The Condor Chat
TWITTER
​Videos and photos
​YOUTUBE

CALIFORNIA CONDORS IN BIG SUR (PDF)

​an organization you can trust

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Ventana Wildlife Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
​​Tax ID# 94-2795935
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Annual Reports / Documents
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • Our Beginning - Bald Eagles
    • Our Story
    • Staff
    • Wildlife Sanctuaries
  • CONDORS
    • Biology
    • Field Work
    • Live Cams
    • My Condor Bios
    • Nesting
    • Releases
    • Species Status
    • Survival Threats
    • The Condor Chat
    • Vultures of the World
  • Education
    • Education Overview
    • PUBLIC PROGRAMS >
      • Youth Programs
      • Community Hubs
    • PARTNER PROGRAMS >
      • Teen Watershed Program
      • Educator Support
      • Wellness Through Nature >
        • Salud Y Naturaleza
    • Big Sur Discovery Center
    • SMORE in Big Sur
  • Services
    • Condor Presentations
    • Ecological Services
    • Non-Lead Ammunition
    • Wildlife Data Management Tools
  • Media
    • Media Coverage
    • Condor Filmography >
      • 2025: Condor Canyon >
        • Order Copy of Condor Canyon
      • 2022: Giants of big Sur
      • Full Collection
    • Short Videos
    • Reward for Arrest of Condor Shooter
  • How You Can Help
    • Donate >
      • Adopt-A-Condor
      • Donate
      • Save The Condors Fund
      • Stewardship Circle
      • Legacy Society
    • Subscribe
    • Supporters
    • Volunteer
    • Your Opinion Matters
  • donate
  • Shop