KIDS for the BAY

Fifth grade students at Gregory Gardens Elementary School in Pleasant Hill explored healthy and unhealthy elements of their local environment with KIDS for the BAY (KftB) in their Watershed Action Program (WAP) and were eager to take action to make their own watershed healthier for all.

“Is there really a shed in your backyard that’s full of water?!” KIDS for the BAY Instructor, Ms. Sienna asked students at Manzanita Community School. “No!” exclaimed the students. Mr. Wallace’s third grade class was learning about the San Francisco Bay watershed, the complex and layered environment that they live in, but most students hadn’t ever heard the word ‘watershed’ before this lesson.

Kaelin, a third grader in Berkeley, couldn’t believe her ears when she learned that over seven trillion pieces of microplastic enter the San Francisco bay every year! She had just learned that pollution enters the bay through storm drains and the sewer system, but it was hard for her to wrap her mind around how much it is! She knew she had to do something — and she wasn’t alone.

In fall 1993, KIDS for the BAY third grade students at Dover Elementary School in San Pablo decided that they had had enough of all the trash in their local creek!

During the Coastal Clean Up dat KftB staff and volunteers cleaned up 2550 pieces, totaling over 46 gallons, of trash! Across the East Bay volunteers removed 24,856 lbs of trash and 2,195 lbs from the coast! Continue to celebrate the spirit of Coastal Clean Up Day with your own #TrashTag!

Home to the Coastal Miwok Tribe, the Tennessee Valley Trail meanders through the Marin Headlands to the Tennessee Valley Beach. The Marin Headlands area is known for beautiful trails, abundance of wildlife, and native plants. It’s the perfect spot for a special Summer Camp hike!

Forest bathing is a Japanese concept of the healing properties of being in nature. It posits that using all five senses to enjoy nature helps keep one centered and healthy. KftB takes our campers out to nature so they can explore the many ways humans interact with and appreciate natural spaces

During Summer Camp KftB has a special Girls Science Session where we highlight women’s accomplishments to empower young girls to love science! According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, “in 2011, women made up 26 percent of the science workforce” and we know that the more women in STEM the better!

In late May, fifth and sixth grade student scientists from Verde Elementary School in Richmond took their education outside to Muir Beach in Marin, where they explored everything from the sand to the sea! This beautiful ocean beach became an outdoor classroom where students learned about different types of seaweed, the components of sand, and how to explore the tide pools that were teeming with sea life!

Why is marine plastic pollution an important issue? KIDS for the BAY Instructor Cynthia DeLeon and third grade students from James Madison Elementary School in San Leandro set out to investigate this pressing question in the Storm Drain Rangers Program.