Rain Barrel Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

George Washington Carver High School students Abigail Parayo, John Hixson, Viktoria Neufeld, Antonio Ramirez are concerned about drought in California and wanted to focus their Caring for Our Watersheds project on ways to conserve water at home. As almost half of residential water in CA is used on outdoor landscapes, they decided to install a water barrel at one of the student’s homes. Rainwater would be collected during winter and spring storms and could be used to water plants in the yard during the drier months. The group connected the barrel to the existing rainspout using an adapter kit and built a stand for the rain barrel to help gravity feed water through a hose to reach further plants. This project allowed them to get one step further toward their water conservation goals, gave them some basic construction experience, and allowed them to safely complete an outdoor project at home during COVID-19.

Lincoln Village Clean-Up Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

When George Washington Carver High School students Imani Stroman-Valdez, Nyah Parker, Andrey Sasevich, Max Musacchia were planning their Caring for Our Watersheds project, they knew they wanted to complete a stewardship project close to their high school. They identified the Lincoln Village Community Park and the adjacent Neil Orchard Senior Activities Center as an area that could use some attention and care. The students planned and conducted a litter clean-up event at the park and center.

In addition, they identified areas to place 2 low-maintenance continuous composters, to reduce organic waste in the trash bins. The compost created would be used to enrich the soil in the flower beds around the Center. While the group is awaiting approval for the placement of the composters, they were able to complete the clean-up and be stewards of a park quite close to home and their school community.

Addressing Food Insecurity

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Sabrina Lee, MaiChong Lee, and Faye Lee, students at Grant High School in Sacramento, were concerned about food insecurity in their community, especially during COVID-19, quarantine, and the associated economic pressures. They wanted to help students and families start small vegetable gardens at home to help supplement and ensure access to nutritional foods. To demonstrate the process, the group planted tomatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables in their school garden, created short videos and a website to educate youth about gardening, which they shared with the 10^th grade class. They also provided many of these students with seeds to start their own gardens and asked for those students to document and share about the experience. Jesse Garcia, Marielle Magalong, and Jared Matias were among the students that received and planted seeds, thus benefitting from the food gardening education provided by their peers.

Water-Wise Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Malisa Cheng and Samantha Vang, students in Grant High School’s GEO Academy, know that drought in California is an ongoing issue. In an effort to reduce the amount of water used on landscaping, the students decided to focus their efforts on planting a variety of water-wise plant species that would still serve as habitat for native bees and butterflies. The students researched plants, and found that yarrow, penstemon, and salvia sp, were especially suited to the local climate and region and provide nectar sources during spring and summer. In addition to planting these species, the students also planted a few drought tolerant trees that will provide habitat, fruit, and can help sequester carbon, especially when mature.

Drought Tolerant Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

For their Caring for Our Watersheds project, Grant High School students Madeline Her, Cady Moua, and Alexa Martinez focused on conserving water through water-wise gardening. The team worked to identify drought tolerant plants, such as lavender, ceonothus, and blanketflower, that not only require less watering than traditional landscape plants, but also provide habitat for a variety of pollinator species. Due to COVID-19, each team member planted a small demonstration garden in her own yard that utilized these species, and, in 2 yards, removed a section of the grass area that needed frequent watering. The project allowed for the students to reduce landscape water use as well as share their new knowledge about the process with family and neighbors.

Planting for Pollinators

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Julia Vang, Cinthia Hernandez, Jorge Martinez, and Hansome Lee worked together to propose and plant a drought-tolerant garden that would provide excellent habitat for pollinators. Their project addressed the issue of ongoing drought in California as well as declining pollinator populations. When students came back to campus part-time, the group planted salvias, lavenders, and select roses in a new section of the garden dedicated to pollinators. These species will attract and provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies as well as be a beautiful addition to campus that students can be proud of.

Water Conservation with Shower Start Adapters

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Jazmen Figueroa, Jose Benitez, and Alexander Martin, students at Grant Union High School in Sacramento, put forth a solid proposal to reduce household water use by promoting and distributing the Shower Start adapter to local households. This adapter is designed to reduce “behavioral water waste”, the water lost during the time frame from when you start the shower to when you get in, and may save up to 2700 gallons/ year and $75 in utility bills. After the team shared the potential water savings benefits of the device, they distributed 20 adapters (and installation instructions) to teachers and/ or students at school. They plan to follow-up with recipients to track water savings and further promote through social media.

Campus Garden Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

In an effort to promote water-wise landscaping while providing a biodiverse habitat for local birds, Grant High School students Alex Thao and Harmony Xiong designed a garden project which included several different drought-tolerant species that would provide nectar and food sources for species such as Anna’s hummingbird and Western Meadowlark. In addition, their design placed the garden near the outflow of a downspout off the roof, thus utilizing and slowing the flow the storm water. The original design proposed the garden in Harmony’s yard, but they were unable to build it there. While Harmony and Alex remained in distance learning, their classmates, Brianna Garcia and Alexander Martin helped find a place at school that was quite suitable and put in the plants, which included a Crape Myrtle tree, several Salvia species and bunch grasses. The students also plan to add signage to the garden to educate others on campus about the plantings and their benefits. This is a great example of students working together to accomplish a project despite the circumstances of COVID-19.

Tree Planting Project

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Grant High School Students Wendy Mora Cervantes and Cherish Jackson proposed a Caring for Our Watersheds project that was straightforward, yet had multiple benefits. With their tree planting project, they were able to plant several different species of trees which would provide shade, help reduce the heat- island effect in urban areas, absorb CO2, and sequester carbon. As the students were not on campus for most of the year due to COVID-19, they planted these in their own yards. This will actually help ensure the trees’ survival as the students will be able to access and care for them during the first several months as they get established. Not only a source of shade and fruit, but also a source of pride as Wendy and Cherish beautify their neighborhood and make a simple, positive addition to their environment. Caring for Our Watersheds funding helped purchase the trees, soil, and basic materials for planting and staking the new trees.

Urban Tree Planting

2021, Sacramento, CA, USA

Anh Nguyen and Nicholas Vang, students in Grant High School’s GEO academy, are concerned about climate change. They live in a highly urbanized area, with little natural vegetation, and therefore wanted to add elements to the landscape that might help minimize the effects of climate change. They did some research and learned that doubling Sacramento’s urban tree canopy has the potential to remove thousands of tons of Carbon dioxide annually. The students decided to plant trees in their community, as they would absorb CO2, provide shade, and help reduce the heat-island effect. As they were choosing different species to plant, they decided to also include apple trees that would provide fresh fruit to residents as well as habitat and nectar for pollinators. The students also planned to reach out to the diverse cultural groups that they are connected to (Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese) to make information about tree planting and watershed benefits accessible, even to those who do not speak English.