Creek Lands Conservation

Got medicine? Come join a special hands-on Native Plant Knowledge workshop, and check out the new Prefumo Creek Trail at City Farm SLO!

Interested in inspiring young minds and promoting environmental stewardship? Creek Lands Conservation is looking for a dedicated Trout in the Classroom Intern for the 2025 season! This hands-on role helps classrooms raise and release native rainbow trout into our local waterways. Head to bit.ly/CLCinternship to learn more and apply today!

These stewards of art and creativity have been hard at work across biomes this summer during our CC YES camp! We encourage creativity by giving students plenty of opportunities for expression, especially in the arts. Equipped with their own journals and a set of colored pencils, along with introductions to materials around them that they could incorporate into their creations, students translated their experiences with nature onto paper. They pressed flowers that stained their pages, scribbled leaf pressings, and drew landmarks and maps of the watershed. They used beets and clay to paint their faces and crafted intricate designs in the sand. Students also had reflective opportunities to write letters to other species, deepening their relationship with wildlife. No matter the creative medium, students were encouraged to channel their experiences in ways that felt inspiring and invigorating. #youtheducation #outdoorart #naturejournaling #summercamp #outdooreducation #youthempowerment #naturecamp #youthart #natureart #alternativeeducation #naturaldyes #centralcoast

Our group of 5th graders embarked on an educational adventure at the intersection of Prefumo Creek and City Farm SLO, an organic farm nestled next to Highway 101, as part of our Protecting Our Watersheds (POW!) educational program. Their journey began with a sensory exploration of the diverse habitats along the creek, from aquatic creatures to terrestrial sights and sounds. A favorite activity was identifying plant species by their smells! Armed with dissolved oxygen (DO) probes and pH papers, the students then delved into the task of measuring water quality, gaining hands-on experience in environmental science while dipping their toes in the cool creek waters. The students also contributed to local conservation efforts by helping spread 25 cubic feet of mulch around the native plant garden along the creek bank! #protectingourwatersheds #environmentaleducation #centralcoast #watershed #organicfarming #outdooreducation

What are estuaries? Why are they so muddy? What is a gizzard? Isn’t a weir the same thing as a dam? ?? These are just snippets of the many inquisitive and often amusing comments from this year’s 4th graders as they set out on the Bob Jones trail through Avila Estuary and San Luis Obispo Creek as part of our POW! program.??? Throughout the estuary, the students witnessed a habitat teeming with life - graceful herons poised by the water's edge, swift swallows darting through the air, and adorable ducklings paddling beside their mother mallards. We tasted the peppery tang of black mustard and the aromatic sweetness of wild fennel and examined ladybugs and larvae up close with hand lenses. We reflected on Avila Beach's landscape changes and the resilience of riparian, estuary, and marine ecosystems that persevered through challenges like the 1989 oil spill. The journey culminated with lessons on fish ladders, weirs, and the life cycle of rainbow trout, connecting the dots between the ocean and the streams that nourish it. A big thank you to the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust for sponsoring the 2024 POW! program. With their support, we were able to take 484 students out on this epic exploration of one of SLO County’s most vital watersheds for steelhead trout!? #conservationeducation #steelheadrestoration #educationalhikes #avilabeach #estuary #SLOcounty #youtheducation

Our Protecting Our Watersheds (POW!) program had an incredible season! By the end of our 3rd-grade field trips, 694 students helped hand-release 673 rainbow trout fry into Lopez Lake.? ? Thanks to the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust, 3rd - 5th graders across SLCUSD learned about their local watersheds through curated POW! classroom lessons and a culminating field trip hosted by Creek Lands Conservation and partner organizations.? ? The 3rd graders received precious rainbow trout eggs from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and watched them hatch and grow all winter long. By spring, the trout had reached their fry stage and were ready for release.? ? In April, the students ventured to Lopez Lake for a hands-on experience with the fish and local ecology. Fish were released, squeals of delight and laughter ensued, predator-prey interactions were seen, and the natural wonders of oak woodland and freshwater ecosystems were explored.? ? We're so proud of these junior eco-stewards and can't wait to continue the program next year!? Do you know a student who attended our POW! field trips this year? What did they think? #EnvironmentalEducation #CentralCoast #slocounty #getoutside #conservation #watershed

Anya Weinstein and Zoe Vavrek are currently working as Corpsmembers for the?Watershed Stewards Program?in San Luis Obispo. We work with multiple environmental organizations in the area to assist with watershed restoration work. We would like to invite you all to our hands-on restoration volunteer event on?Saturday, April 13th?9-1PM?on the west side?of City Farm SLO’s property along the banks of Prefumo Creek. The purpose of this event is to?support the establishment of recent native plantings by removing invasive species! The greater goal is to inspire people to fall in love with their local watershed and get more involved in their community! We are very excited to partner with?City Farm SLO,?Creek Lands Conservation?and the?City Of San Luis Obispo?for this event. Daisy Wiberg, the Homelessness Response Manager for the City of San Luis will speak about her role in the City and the intersection between creek systems and homelessness. Resources will be shared regarding how to support the unhoused community here in SLO. Please make sure to bring closed toed shoes, long sleeves, sun protection, water, and snacks. The appropriate gloves and tools will be provided. We would really appreciate your presence! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Anya or Zoe at [email protected] or [email protected]. And please RSVP if you can come! https://lnkd.in/gF_sj3iM #creeklands #creeks #conservation #creeklandsconservation #EnvironmentalEducation #centralcoast #slocounty #california #getoutside

The San Luis Obispo Creek watershed's upland tributaries flow through a highly urbanized area while and supports many native aquatic species. One is the Central California Coast Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) which was listed as threatened by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 1997 due to loss of critical habitat. NMFS designated the watershed as Core 1 meaning SLO Creek is a high priority for implementing recovery actions for the steelhead. Creek Lands Conservation received a grant from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust for the San Luis Obispo Creek Resiliency and Rewilding Plan. The “rewilding” side, in partnership with Stillwater Sciences, focuses on the identification and undertaking of restoration actions that will revive critical habitat within the watershed. Healthy habitat for steelhead includes cold, fast-flowing, and oxygen rich waters, quality gravel, and deep pools with adequate cover for young smolts. In addition, connectivity between coastal streams and the ocean is necessary to encourage anadromy (the migration to and from the ocean). Rewilding efforts will outline where these habitat requirements are lacking in the watershed and prioritize future projects to address these insufficiencies. Restoring the health of local disturbed habitat will both help steelhead return back to their historic range and benefit the rest of the ecosystem, as steelhead presence serves an indication of general watershed health. Photo credit: Nick Fernella (Left), Freddy Otte (Right) #creeks #creeklands #conservation #creeklandsconservation #environmentaleducation #centralcoast #california #getoutside

Thanks to a grant from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust,?Protecting our Watersheds (POW) offers a multi-year environmental science education program focused on the ecology of the Central Coast. POW immerses students in the natural world to feel connected to their surroundings and inspires them to become the next generation of eco-stewards by learning practical ways to preserve watershed health and our coastal marine ecology. In grades 3-6, students receive 10 hands-on, place based, cross curricular lessons that teachers deliver in the classroom. The lessons culminate in a springtime outdoor field experience. POW is being delivered to students in San Luis Coastal Unified School District, where 3rd?graders will visit Lopez Lake to release native rainbow trout that they have raised in their classrooms, and 4th?graders will explore SLO Creek and its estuary along the Bob Jones Trail. This May, 5th?graders will go on the first field trip to City Farm SLO to experience the new Prefumo Creek restoration project! 6th?grade is still under construction - stay tuned for more information coming soon! We need volunteers to help with field experiences: sign up here! We aim to make POW available to every school district in the Central Coast: if you are interested in exploring POW for your school district, please give us a shout!?

As you know by now if you follow our posts, we're excited about the Prefumo Creek Trail and Restoration at City Farm SLO. Check out this 2 minute video to find out why! #CityFarmSLO #creeklandsconservation #miossitrust #slocreek #centralcoastconservation #cityofslo https://lnkd.in/gEhXRbNv Don Chartrand Bill Buck Sarah Spilseth Sandstrom Timothy Delany