Throughout any Coastal Watershed Council field trip to the San Lorenzo River, to the Montery Bay Sanctuary Exploration Center, to Loch Lomond or any of the locations that CWC’s Watershed Rangers K-8th grade students visit, you’ll hear CWC educators Sam Adelson and Mollie Behn recognize all those who have made the visit so special. When they do, they might say, “Can we say ‘thank you’ again?” and an echo of “thank yous” follow from the students, who are grinning and giddy from a fantastic adventure.
If you have ever wondered how Sam and Mollie, provide watershed education to 2,700 local students each year, it is with lots and lots of support. CWC’s educators are overflowing with thanks and gratitude for your support every single day, and in this month of Thanksgiving it is quite appropriate to amplify our appreciation and to recognize those who have contributed greatly to the success of CWC’s Watershed Rangers program.
Thank you to the 58 classroom teachers throughout Santa Cruz County who collaborate and partner with CWC’s Watershed Rangers program. You are the bridge between CWC and the youth of our community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Thank you to the thousands of parents and guardians for supporting our brilliant young watershed stewards. You are the reason youth are present and prepared to make a difference for our San Lorenzo River community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Thank you to the dozens of CWC’s community partners for making Watershed Rangers possible and successful. Whether you donate money or materials, register your youth to participate in Watershed Rangers programs, or support our efforts in a myriad of other ways, you are the reason that the Coastal Watershed Council and Watershed Rangers are so engrained in our community. We couldn’t do this without you.
Lastly, let us recognize a few specific individuals who have helped get this 2019-2020 school year off to an incredible start. Thank you, Donna Geffken (ASES After-School Coordinator), for balancing logistics and meeting the needs of hundreds of amazing students. Thank you, Emil Frates (Santa Cruz City Schools), for providing and coordinating school bus transportation for unforgettable field trips. Thank you, Tremain Hedden-Jones (City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation), for managing the permits that allow our students to have memorable interactions with the San Lorenzo River and its inhabitants. Thank you, Amity Sandage (Santa Cruz County Office of Education), for providing opportunities for teachers and education partners to collaborate and strengthen our relationships. Thank you to so, so many more.
And, if you don’t fit into any of the categories above, this one is for you: Thank you! CWC is grateful to have people like you on our team, encouraging us as we do our part in helping the San Lorenzo River community thrive. We couldn’t do this work without this incredible network of support. Each and every one of you make that possible. Thank you.