This project is all about helping nature and restoring habitats for pollinators, birds, and fish

The Galt Joint Union Elementary School District was awarded a $419,685.21 Cooperative Agreement by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Recreation and Visitor Services program (CFDA 15.225). This five-year award, effective from January 14, 2025 to January 13, 2030, supports student field trips, habitat restoration projects, and environmental education programming at the Cosumnes River Preserve in California. Key activities include:

1. Students will participate in planting trips to restore habitats for pollinators, birds, and fish at the Cosumnes River Preserve, led by wildlife biologists, fisheries biologists, and botanists.
2. Students will have opportunities to paddle canoes and plant wetland vegetation through the Canoemobile program provided by Wilderness Inquiry.
3. Students will learn about outdoor careers and be encouraged to explore public lands like those managed by the BLM.
4. The project will promote increased visitation and stewardship of BLM lands through online meetings and outreach.

The Cooperative Agreement aims to introduce students to the importance of habitat restoration and outdoor recreation, while also exposing them to potential careers in fields like wildlife biology and environmental conservation.

Students will have fun learning about why restoring these habitats is important. Outdoor experts like wildlife biologists, fisheries biologists, and botanists will help teach students about ways to restore habitats during trips they will lead.activities to be performed on trips with wildlife biologists, students will plant special plants that are important for birds at the cosumnes river preserve. Trips with fisheries biologists will focus on planting important plants in areas where young chinook salmon live in the cosumnes river. When students go on trips with botanists, they will plant flowers and plants that help insects and other pollinators.students will also get to join canoemobile, offered through wilderness inquiry, who will come to the cosumnes river preserve, and students will paddle in canoes. Starting in 2025, one canoemobile stop will be for planting wetland plants to help improve the homes of animals in that area.expected deliverables 1. Students will go on planting trips to help restore habitats at the cosumnes river preserve.2. Canoemobile will offer more chances for students to help with restoration.3. Students will learn about jobs in outdoor fields.4. More people will visit BLM lands.5. We will have online meetings to promote the trips and help students learn how to properly restore habitats.intended beneficiaries this program will introduce students to outdoor jobs they might not know about. By joining in the project, students will get excited about exploring nature, and they can encourage their families to enjoy outdoor activities on public lands like BLM lands.