Gold Ridge RCD Gets Kids Outside,
Onto Farms & Connected with Nature

Occidental, CA - Through funding from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District), the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (GRRCD) launched its TEAM Conservation Program in Fall 2010, bringing over 220 kindergartners and third- and fourth-graders to the Bianchi family's Mountain View Jerseys dairy. Working with Stephanie Lennox of Envirichment, GRRCD staff led students from Apple Blossom and Sun Ridge Charter schools through a tour of the dairy's milking parlor, calf barn, and cheese factory.

The hands-on field visits allowed the kids to learn about care of the animals, explore nutrient cycling, and even pet newborn calves, while incorporating math and vocabulary sessions that mesh with their grades' curricula. "Every work day that involves a TEAM field trip is an adventure and an absolute joy. The students ask the most amazing questions and at the end of the day every person involved has learned something and leaves with a smile," says Gold Ridge RCD's project manager Brittany Heck.

Beginning in late March, the students will participate in the second field trip of the program, during which they will visit a restoration site along Salmon Creek, on the Gilardi Ranch just outside of Bodega. During their half-day fieldtrip, students will explore the great diversity of insect life living in the creek, which serve as a vital food source for the endangered coho. Then, the students will learn about the benefits of restoration plantings for native pollinators, whose numbers are in decline despite the essential role they play in pollinating food crops. Students will also be learning about the life cycles and needs of endangered species that use Salmon Creek including, California fresh water shrimp, California red-legged frogs and Coho salmon. Finally, kids will end the day using the information they've learned to face a challenging Salmon Skills obstacle course, meant to demonstrate the challenges facing coho salmon during their lifecycle both in the creek and in the ocean.

"This is our opportunity to teach the next generation about the cause and effect relationship between agricultural practices and the environment," said Bill Keene, General Manager of the District. "By working with Goldridge RCD and the landowner, we can create connections with the land and develop a deeper appreciation of land conservation."

The Gilardi Ranch is a working ranch with a conservation easement that is part of the GRRCD's Save Our Salmon (SOS) Program, funded by the NOAA Restoration Center through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The RCD finalized implementation implemented the first phase of the SOS program in December 2011. The SOS program is a suite of projects with the goal of attaining self-sustaining coho populations in Salmon Creek, a coastal watershed located in Sonoma County. Restoration projects implemented as part of the SOS program include installation of large instream wood structures along two key stream reaches to enhance salmon habitat, enhancement of riparian vegetation to provide shading and a future source of instream wood, and erosion control projects designed to reduce delivery of fine sediment to the stream.

"This NOAA funded project that we are now able to share with our children demonstrates the power of partnership," said Lisa Hulette, Executive Director for the Gold Ridge RCD. "In the Salmon Creek Watershed, we are thrilled that stimulus funding from the federal government can now be explored with our children. We really appreciate that the District has afforded Gold Ridge RCD this tremendous opportunity to connect our kids with local farms."

Established in 1941, Gold Ridge RCD been a leader in promoting stewardship of the natural resource in western Sonoma County for the past 63 years. Since its establishment, GRRCD has been providing educational, technical, and funding support to landowners in western Sonoma County watersheds. GRRCD has been awarded the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2009 Environmental Achievement Award. Similarly, GRRCD is the recipient of the 2008 National Association of Conservation District's (NACD) award for Successful Collaborative Partnerships for the entire Pacific Region.

The District offers students a variety of outdoor experiences on District protected lands through its Agricultural and Environmental Education Program. The program is managed by five non-profit partners, including GRRCD.

For more information, please contact:

Brittany Heck, Project Manager, Gold Ridge RCD,
brittany@goldridgercd.org, 707.874.2907

Peggy Flynn, Community & Government Affairs,
Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District,
pflynn@sonoma-county.org, 707.565.7347