The Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship Program (SLEWS) was developed by the Center for Land-Based Learning, in Sacramento, to engage high school students in environmental stewardship that allows students to practice scientific skills, learn from natural resource professionals, and expand on classroom concepts, while accomplishing real habitat restoration projects on farms, ranches and open spaces.
If you would like to check out our interactive Story Map please click the picture abobe or here
Students visit a field site at least twice throughout the year to perform conservation work and meet with their mentors. By visiting the site more than once, the students feel connected to the land they are working on and look forward to returning and further positively impacting the site. The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District works with two student groups and two landowners each year to implement the SLEWS Program in our region. For more information on the program, visit the SLEWS website: http://landbasedlearning.org/slews or contact IERCD Project Manager, Susie Kirschner at skirschner@iercd.org
2016-2017 SLEWS Groups and Activities
Building bat boxes
Students from Rialto High School are participating in our 2016-2017 SLEWS program at Huerta Del Valle (HDV) Community Garden in Ontario, CA. Maria Alonso and Arthur Levine manage the garden with the vision of providing healthy produce and a gathering space for their community. The first field day took place on October 26th at which time students built a rain capture system to collect rainwater from the roof of HDV’s greenhouse to recycle throughout the garden. The greenhouse was constructed using funds from our federal partner the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Students also helped compost a truckload of food waste that HDV collected from sites throughout the community including schools and local businesses. The students were shocked at the amount of food waste produced and the excellent condition of the food waste. Rialto High School students will return in the spring to plant fruit trees and perform an insect inventory to monitor the health of the garden.
Analyzing owl pellets
Students from Citrus Valley High School are working at Highland Springs Resort, in Cherry Valley, CA, for the 2016-2017 SLEWS program. Highland Springs Resort was historically an old stagecoach stop, but today hosts a resort, restaurant, gift shops, and acres of lavender, olive trees, and livestock. Tina Kummerle, Farm Manager, explained to the students that the resort operates its farm under a no kill policy, meaning they cannot use pesticides or traps to deter pests. For the November 29th event, students built and installed several owl boxes and raptor perches to attract raptors to the area to hunt ground squirrels and other rodents. This allows the farm to control the populations of pests in their production areas naturally. The students also planted a native plant hedgerow on the property to attract pollinators, provide native habitat, and serve as a windbreak. The students will return in the spring to work on additional conservation projects on the property.