The lower columbia estuary partnership (estuary partnership) will build on and foster new partnerships in collaboration with the US fish and wildlife service and the US fish and wildlife service urban…

The lower columbia estuary partnership (estuary partnership) will build on and foster new partnerships in collaboration with the US fish and wildlife service and the US fish and wildlife service urban refuges team, to educate students and engage ethnically and culturally diverse urban communities with the columbia river gorge refuges (steigerwald lake and oaks, franz lake, and pierce national wildlife refuges). The estuary partnership will provide classroom lessons, educational field trips, stewardship events for diverse community groups, and communication in partnership with the US fish and wildlife service to further enhance the projects impact. Specific deliverables include: the estuary partnership will provide six classrooms from the camas washougal area (approximately 180 4TH or 5TH grade students) with 2-3 environmental science lessons in their classroom. The estuary partnership will provide the same six classrooms with a place-based, educational field trip to a columbia gorge refuge. The estuary partnership will provide 13 hands-on stewardship and or engagement events that engage people from diverse community groups and or the local camas-washougal area. The estuary partnership will community 10-12 times to the public highlighting the education and stewardship and engagement programming taking place in collaboration with the US fish and wildlife service. The projects intended beneficiaries include: students, teachers, and parents who live in close proximity to gorge refuges but who otherwise dont have opportunities to learn about or visit these landscapes. Diverse black, brown, indigenous and other people of color who lack opportunities to learn about and engage with gorge refuges. There are currently no known or expected subrecipients. However, the estuary partnership may contract with a vegetation management contractor to complete site prep work in advance to student and community planting events.