EDUCATION PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMISSION
On June 5, 2003 the Board of Directors of the San Lorenzo
Valley Water District adopted Ordinance No. 100 which
established an Education Program Advisory Commission.
The duties of the Commissioners are to advise the Board
of Director's of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District
regarding the selection and allocation of education
program grants and/or scholarships, to adopt such rules
and regulations for their own guidance as deemed necessary,
and to perform such other duties as may be directed
by the Board of Directors. The Education Program Advisory
Commission consists of five (5) members. Each member
is a registered voter of the San Lorenzo Valley Water
District and maintains residency within the geographic
boundaries of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District.
The appointed Education Program Advisory
Commissioners are as follows:
Dir. Vierra appointed Margaret Bruce.
Dir. McPherson appointed Henry Helbush.
Dir. Nelson appointed James Gilkey.
Dir. Rapoza appointed Peggy Focha-Smart.
Dir. Prather appointed Donna Ziel.
Appointments to the Education Program
Advisory Commission shall be for the same term as the
appointing member of the Board of Directors.
All meetings of the Education Program
Advisory Commission will be open to the public and noticed
in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act.
|
| District
Education Program Grants 2004 – 2010 |
|
Each year since 2004, the District has budgeted $17,500
to fund education grants that advance the mission of the
District's education program. In 2010, because of the
number of high-quality grant proposals, the District awarded
more funds than the amount budgeted. After careful review
and evaluation by the Education Advisory Commission, and
approval by the full board, the following grants have
been awarded:
|
|
Year
|
Project Title
|
Description
|
Grantee
|
Award amount
|
|
2010
|
"Environmental
Monitoring Course" |
This course
gives 10-15 SLV High School juniors & seniors an opportunity
to apply their skills in science, math, English & aquaculture,
working on a one-year long field project, with a professional
mentor in the field. Projects are displayed at SCC Science
Fair, Monterey Bay Sanctuary Symposium and Environmental
Monitoring Symposium. |
Jane Orbuch,
science teacher, San Lorenzo Valley High School, Watershed
Academy |
3,000.00
|
| |
"Wetland
Pond Monitoring" |
Part
of the SLV High School's watershed academy, this project
monitors the wetland pond near the school's aquaculture
facility. The pond was developed to successfully treat campus
sewage. Water will be tested for pollutants such as nitrates,
and for pH and temperature. |
Terry
Umstead, aquaculture teacher, San Lorenzo Valley High School,
Watershed Academy |
2,500.00
|
| |
"San
Lorenzo River Water Temperature Record Project" |
Project
to analyze and format stream temperature data collected
in 2005-2006 by SLVHS students under direction of fisheries
biologist Don Alley, research additional data collected
by City of Santa Cruz; prepare sampling maps; report to
be written and sent to State Water Quality Control Board. |
Lompico
Watershed Conservancy |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Riparian
Corridor Wood Survey within SLVWD Lands along Zayante Creek,
2010" |
Fisheries
biologist to mentor one or more SLV High School Watershed
Academy students in a project to survey large wood on ~
1 mile of Zayante Creek riparian corridor adjoining District-owned
land. Results will be compared to other surveys on other
creeks that used the same methods. Recommendations to be
made to improve fish habitat conditions. Article to be written
for publication in local papers to emphasize to public the
importance of retaining instream wood |
D.W.
Alley & Associates |
3,000.00
|
| |
"Preserve
and Protect: Helping the Wildlife of Our Watershed" |
Local
children to learn about the importance of a clean, healthy
river through the day camp experience. Campers will including
research causes of pollution in Fall Creek using GPS units
to track animals, perform water quality testing, pick up
trash, and create journals & posters to show what they
learned. Leader will provide eight 75-90 minute class visits. |
HOWL
Science Program 501 c(3) |
2,974.00
|
| |
"Watershed
Nature Walks" |
This
project organizes a series of six Watershed Nature Walks,
free & open to the public, accessible to all ages and
physical abilities. Well known guides, experts in their
fields, will lead the 2+ hour walks, which will occur regularly
on Saturday mornings. Grantee to write six promotional pieces,
prior to each walk, in the Press Banner. |
Carol
Carson |
2,300.00
|
| |
"Walking
in the Watershed: Kindergarten - 5th Grade Field Trips &
Cross-Curricular Watershed" |
Grantee
to lead six watershed field trips to Fall Creek State Park,
one trip for each grade level K-5 at SLV Elementary. Instruction
to include 6 hours of lessons & experiential learning
per class, serving a total of 150-175 students in fall 2010.
Project aims to strengthen the connection between child
and watershed through discovery-based and teacher-directed
curricula. |
Kristen
M. VanKlootwyk, certificated teacher |
2,496.00
|
| |
"6th
Grade Labs and Exploring Watersheds" |
Project
to help turn middle school classrooms into science laboratories
by funding purchase of lab equipment used in the two-year-
old Exploring Watershed Program for sixth grade students.
Promotes classroom and field research to increase student
knowledge of conserving, improving, protecting, and sustaining
watershed functions and values. |
San
Lorenzo Valley Middle School |
2,481.00
|
| 2010
Total.................................................................................................................................................. |
$21,251.00
|
|
Year
|
Project Title
|
Description
|
Grantee
|
Award amount
|
|
2009
|
"Bean
Zayante Creek Initiative Phase I"
Final
Project Report |
Survey/mapping
by 6th/7th grade students of woody material in stream corridors
of Bean & Zayante Creeks on property owned by Mount
Hermon Association. |
Mount Hermon
Outdoor Science School |
2,300.00
|
| |
"Benthic
macroinvertebrates in the upper reaches of the San Lorenzo
Valley watershed: Establishing baseline data and educating
citizens"
|
UCSC researcher
& team of undergraduate interns to assess abundance
& diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in 3 SLVWD
diversion streams; establish baseline data & share information
regarding water quality with local citizens. |
Dr. Katie
Monsen |
3,000.00
|
| |
"Watershed
Nature Walks"
|
Series of
6 watershed nature walks free & open to the public,
guided by local experts in local natural and historical
resources. |
Valley Women's
Club |
2,300.00
|
| |
"Project
Protect It: Rivers of the Redwoods"
|
5 scholarships
to SLV low-income families for outdoor summer science camp
program; campers to test water, study water cycle &
water conservation techniques, map watersheds & plants;
Clean-Up Day to engage families & friends in trash pick-up
& removal of invasive plants.
|
HOWL Science
Program, Inc. |
2,985.00
|
| 2009 Total.................................................................................................................................................... |
$10,585.00
|
|
Year
|
Project Title
|
Description
|
Grantee
|
Award amount
|
|
2008
|
"Distribution
& Nesting Ecology of Yellow Warblers (Dendroica petechia)
on the Central Coast of California"
|
Study of distribution
and nesting ecology of yellow warblers in the region, including
the SLR watershed, to help conserve the species
|
Matthew Strusis-Timmer,
graduate student, SJSU
|
1,460.00
|
| |
"Water
quality study of feeder streams leading into the San Lorenzo
River"
|
Experienced
kayaker to visit, document & test various tributaries
of the SLR, not normally accessible, for water quality.
|
Carl Reuter,
kayaker
|
1,000.00
|
| |
"Henry
Cowell Redwoods State Park Anadromous Fish Education Program"
|
Create an
anadromous fish exhibit & school curriculum to educate
a wide spectrum of park visitors; hands-on curriculum specific
to the SLR focused on ecosystem connections & demo of
practical preservation methods
|
Mountain Parks
Foundation
|
2,401.00
|
| |
"Smart
Gardening Faire"
|
3rd annual
fair in Skypark, public education promoting gardening &
landscaping practices to conserve water thru use of native
plants & water-saving technologies
|
Monterey Bay
Master Gardeners
|
1,400.00
|
| |
"Healthy
Salmonid Habitats"
|
Hands-on project
for 4th & 5th graders to learn about life-cycle &
habitat requirements of steelhead, and to assess health
of watershed for salmon thru water quality testing.
|
Boulder Creek
Elementary
|
2,500.00
|
| 2008 Total................................................................................................................................................................. |
$8,761.00
|
| Year |
Project
Title |
Description |
Grantee |
Award amount
|
| 2007 |
"Water
Quality Testing for Watershed Studies" |
Teach concepts
of chemistry, lab techniques, through water quality testing
|
SLV High School;
Watershed Academy |
1,718.00
|
| |
"Smart
Gardening Faire" |
Public educational
event; focus on landscaping to conserve water, native plants;
reduce pesticide/herbicide use |
Monterey Bay
Master Gardeners, Inc. |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Exploring
Watersheds" |
6th grade
educational program to promote watershed knowledge; classroom
& field research |
SLV Middle
School |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Wireless
Weather Station for Watershed Studies" |
Monitor real-time
weather data collection from the classroom to teach natural
science & environmental concepts |
SLV High School
Watershed Academy |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Runoff
to the River" |
Public informational
brochure on non-point source pollution |
Valley Women's
Club |
2,500.00
|
| 2007 Total................................................................................................................................................................. |
$11,718
|
| Year |
Project
Title |
Description |
Grantee |
Award amount
|
| 2006 |
"Ruggedized
Laptop for Watershed Studies" |
Purchase of
specialized computer hardware for outdoor use in field studies
|
SLV High School
Watershed Academy |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Creek
Exploration Curriculum Enhancement for Improved Watershed
Health"
|
Development
of the school's watershed and creek curriculum, as well
as the purchase of books, water quality sampling materials,
and work gloves
|
Mt. Hermon
Outdoor Science School
|
1,898.00
|
| |
"Design
and Install Interpretive Panels Describing the Santa Cruz
Sandhills"
|
Design, create,
and install two interpretive panels, describing the uniqueness,
fragility, and rarity of the Santa Cruz Sandhills.
|
Sandhills
Alliance for Natural Diversity
|
2,440.00
|
| |
"Watershed
Cruzin' Teachers Workshops for San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts
Valley Teachers in Grades 4-8"
|
Series of
2-hr. teacher workshops to introduce watersheds of Santa
Cruz County, and how to use Watershed Cruzin' guide and
CD-ROM
|
Santa Cruz
County Resource Conservation District |
2,500.00
|
| |
"Boulder
Creek Elementary Loves the San Lorenzo River"
|
Purchased
four computers and used multi-media software to create reports
of outdoor watershed research.
|
Boulder Creek
Elementary
|
2,000.00
|
| |
"Smart
Gardening Faire"
|
Public outreach
event to educate area residents about water-wise gardening
and drought resistant plants
|
Monterey Bay
Master Gardeners
|
970.00
|
| |
"The
Outdoors as a Contest for Cultivating Little Learners in
the San Lorenzo Valley Watershed"
|
Implementation
of watershed curriculum for pre-school children |
Little People's
School of Boulder Creek
|
2,492.50
|
| 2006 Total................................................................................................................................................................. |
$14,800.50
|
| Year |
Project
Title |
Description |
Grantee |
Award amount
|
| 2005 |
"Invasive
Plant Education and Eradication implementation in the San
Lorenzo River Watershed" |
Invasive
plant eradication and community education about invasive
species and how to control them
|
Santa Cruz
County Resource Conservation District |
2,475.66
|
| |
"Sea
Odyssey Watershed Model" |
Enhance watershed
education through construction of a new watershed model
|
O'Neill Surf
|
788.00
|
| |
"Monitoring
the Wetlands-Sewage Ponds at San Lorenzo Valley High School" |
Instruction
of students in monitoring water quality of SLV High School's
leach fields
|
SLV High School
|
2,256.00
|
| |
"An Introduction
to Riparian Hydrology & vegetation Sampling in the Rare
and Unique Plant Communities of the San Lorenzo Valley Watershed" |
Three educational
slideshows for the SLV High School Watershed Academy focusing
on riparian plant communities & their relation to watershed
hydrology
|
SLV High School
Watershed Academy
|
2,500.00
|
| |
"Educational
Labels for Plants in the Watershed Environment" |
Increase public
awareness of native plants by making and placing interpretive
signs in Linear Park's Nature Trail
|
Monterey Bay
Master Gardeners
|
2,500.00
|
| |
"Healthy Rivers, Happy Fish"
|
One day conference
with invited speakers expert in the areas of fisheries,
hydrology, watershed management |
Citizens for
Responsible Forest Management
|
2,180.00
|
| 2005 Total................................................................................................................................................................ |
$12,699.66
|
| Year |
Project
Title |
Description |
Grantee |
Award amount
|
| 2004 |
"Long
Term Monitoring of San Lorenzo Watershed Amphibian Population
with San Lorenzo Valley High School's Watershed Academy"
|
Catalog abundance
of amphibians; identify monitoring sites in the SLR watershed
and select survey methods for monitoring amphibians
|
SLV High School
Watershed Academy
|
2,496.13
|
| |
"San
Lorenzo River Watershed Educational Display"
|
Construction
of environmental kiosk overlooking the SL River
|
YMCA Camp
Campbell
|
2,500.00
|
| |
"Protecting
City Creeks and the San Lorenzo Watershed"
|
Printing of
4,500 color brochures emphasizing watershed protection;
brochures mailed with Scotts Valley & SLV Water District
bills
|
City of Scotts
Valley
|
1,563.84
|
| 2004 Total................................................................................................................................................................ |
$6,559.97
|
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