May 2006 – Grasslands Today
Charleston Elementary School’s Read-A-Thon fundraiser for GEECe exceeded expectations by most.  The students organized, gathered pledges and conducted their Read-A-Thon in less than a month to bring in a profit of $4, 073.  Landowners in the district matched the funds at $3,010. 

Stephanie Sparks’ fourth and fifth grade class were the organizers behind the scenes at Charleston Elementary School.  The combined classroom of students approach GEECe Education Coordinator Candace Sigmond in their desire to support GEECe’s move to the Los Banos Wildlife Area through a fund raiser.  From that point on it, it exploded to the entire school becoming involved and challenging the local landowners to match the money raise during their fundraiser.  The students at Charleston read from when they arrived to school through the first recess.  Active readers in the Read-A-Thon were from Kindergarten through fifth grade.  Many students read in the hundreds of pages in less than 2 hours.  In an effort to keep the students comfortable and enjoying the fun of reading, the school declared the day “Pajama Day.”

Sparks’ class has supported GEECe many ways in the past year.  The students have created an activity guide for fellow students that visit GEECe.  It includes information on the wildlife found in wetlands in this area along with a conservation note including the contribution of hunting.  Last month, the class assisted the steering committee of Wild of Wetlands! with activities for kids that are visiting the street faire in downtown Los Banos.  The students had developed 5 activities for participants to teach them about the importance of wetlands. 

Sparks’ class was competing in the Jiminy Cricket’s Challenge sponsored by Disney.  The “Crazy about Wetlands” project was over a four month period where the students concentrated on wetlands.  The January/February issue of Grassland Today outlined all the activities within the class’ project.  Sparks’ class was awarded a State Finalist in the challenge last month.  The students are disappointed with not getting to go to Disneyland for free, but are empowered about the difference they made in the past few months within the wetland community.

GEECe will be relocated this fall to the Los Banos Wildlife Area.  A proposal is being reviewed by California’s WCB in the May meeting to assist in funding the move.  The relocation will ensure GEECe being open to the public year around. 

For further information or questions, please contact GEECe Education Coordinator Candace Sigmond at (209) 704-4772.

March 2004 – Grasslands Today
Children are tomorrow’s decision makers.  In the not too distant future they will be making important choices concerning the environment, and specifically our local grasslands and wetlands in the San Joaquin Valley.  What better way to educate kids about the value of wetlands than with a visit to the Grassland Environmental Education Center (GEECe)?  GEECe is a field trip facility established by Grassland Water District in 1995 as an opportunity for elementary school students to learn about the ecologically significant environments in the San Joaquin Valley.  Through a visit to GEECe, children learn about the ecology of the Valley’s freshwater marshes and the shared roles of sportsmen, the farming community, and wildlife managers as wetland stewards.

A typical visit to GEECe begins with an opening discussion about wetland ecology, including the history of the local wetlands, the plants and animals found in wetlands, and why wetland conservation is an important matter that directly affects everyone.  The students then divide into groups for California curriculum standards-based activity stations.  The stations use subjects such as art, science, and the language arts to stimulate thoughts and ideas about wetlands. 

Indoors, students work at a laboratory station where they dissect owl pellets to determine what the local owls have been eating, as well as analyze invertebrates in pond water to examine the health of the wetlands.  These activities spark discussions about food chains and webs.  A computer station allows children to discover different types of wetlands found around the world.  An art table challenges young artists to color pictures of wetland animals the way they actually appear in nature.  Also at the art station are animal track rubbing plates that encourage students to think about adaptations in foot structure.  A six-foot working river diorama quizzes students about watershed issues.  At the library station, students search through wetland-themed reference books and literature to discover the answers to the indoor scavenger hunt. 

Outdoors, the new wetland experts hike around the seasonal and permanent wetlands while participating in a variety of activities, including searching for pond water bugs and insects, identifying wetland animal tracks, and writing from the senses.  Through these activities, students are exposed to the broader concepts of food chains and webs, adaptations, and language arts.

Thousands of children have visited GEECe since its opening.  This is often the first instance a child gets to experience an activity of this nature.  From this initial visit may develop a lifetime of curiosity and interest for the environment and protecting our natural resources.  GEECe is open for tours by reservation only from November through May to school classes, youth groups such as Boy and Girl Scouts, as well as interested adult groups.  GEECe is made possible by a partnership between Grassland Water District and the CA Department of Fish and Game, along with grants and donations.  For more information or to schedule a field trip, contact us at (209) 704-4772.