Sharing our shores: south BAY education programs engage elementary school students through in-class lessons and field trips to the SAN diego BAY national wildlife refuge to teach students about the…

Sharing our shores: south BAY education programs engage elementary school students through in-class lessons and field trips to the SAN diego BAY national wildlife refuge to teach students about the biology and threats to birds that utilize SAN diego BAY as their nesting or migratory resting locations. Each class participates in two field trips to the bayside birding and walking trail in imperial beach where students are able to see first-hand the shorebirds in their natural habitats and contribute to restoration efforts to transform the barren landscape into rich wildlife habitat. Students will also educate visitors to the bayside birding and walking trail by creating conservation themed signs that are installed at the refuge and educate guests on ways to protect local and migratory birds. SAN diego audubon will provide fifteen sharing our shores programs to south BAY youth, providing nearly 1,000 student visits to nature. SAN diego audubon staff will also prepare the student planting sites and maintain the site for the students and wildlife through the year. We will weed, water, and replace plants when needed, and we will add plants to the halophytic areas of the western edges of the projectareas. We will share this work with the bayside birding and walking trail users through shared ebird lists, loterias and signs. Through these efforts, SAN diego audubon aims to engage not only the students of our programs, but the entire community through outreach and restoration events. By improving the landscape to benefit both humans and wildlife, we can ensure that the next generation of SAN diegians will grow up with an appreciation and respect for our local nature spaces.