Ventura County
Ventura County
The Santa Paula Coastal Access and Education Project provided after-school coastal lessons and field trips to Santa Paula 5th graders between 2022-2024.
This program provided fun learning opportunities to students and parents who have limited opportunities to access the coast. Field trips introduced healthy physical activities that were affordable, such as hiking, birding, and biking.
Participants from the ASPIRE Program, Santa Paula School District’s after school program were able to learn about coastal ecology and recreation. Over the course of the program VCRCD hosted 6 field trips and 6 classroom lessons.
This project was funded by:
Connecting children and the general public to the California Coast
and its watersheds through experiential education, stewardship,
and outdoor experiences
Students and parents traveled to the Ventura pier where bikes and other vehicles were available to ride and learn about human influence on beaches, sea level rise, and the landmark “managed retreat” of a parking lot. They also learned how to ID native birds, spread native plant seeds, and conduct beach fauna surveys in the “splash zone” near the Ventura River to see what lies beneath the sand.
Students and parents were offered either a kayak, stand up paddleboard, or multi-person paddleboat to explore the calm, protected harbor. After the paddle, we walked one mile to the river estuary. A bird expert and plant guide joined us and assisted in pointing out wildlife and plant species. After the nature walk, students conducted a simple water quality testing in the harbor and estuary, understanding the differences and reasons for pollutants.
This trip went over the local flora and fauna of the coast. Students and parents walked through the Nature Conservancy land and ended up at the beach where they used binoculars to identify avian species and other wildlife. Youth made observations in their field journals as well as drawings of the outside environment. Discussion focused on the coastal dune system, its importance, as well as the threats caused by climate change. Youth were given a list of things to ‘find’ on a nature scavenger hunt.
To learn more about this project or discuss ways to bring similar programs to your school please reach out to the Conservation Education and Outreach Coordinator at [email protected]
