In the Spring of 2012, Tucson Audubon partnered with Audubon Arizona and the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Tucson Field Office to pilot the River Pathways curriculum in two Vail district high schools: Empire High School and Cienega High School. River Pathways is an experiential education program that was developed by Audubon Arizona and funded by the BLM. The goals of the curriculum are to get students outdoors, introduce them to Arizona’s native habitats, and build their interest in careers managing public lands and natural resources.
In the classroom, students completed a five module curriculum focused on riparian ecology and resource management. The students then participated in two field trips. The first field trip was to Sweetwater Wetlands, where they were trained in riparian monitoring techniques. Then, they took a second field trip to Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, a riparian area administered by the BLM, to apply what they learned at Sweetwater and assist agency scientists in collecting data used to make management decisions.
At both field trip locations, the students engaged in three activities: water quality and invertebrate sampling, riparian woody species monitoring, and a bird walk/survey. We reached 52 students this spring from Grade 10-12, in the two high schools. We have one more classroom from Cienega High School scheduled for a fall program and this summer we will be planning for the next phase of River Pathways. If you are high school teacher who is interested in the program, or a volunteer interested in engaging with high school students in the field, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 520-209-1812, for more information on how to become involved.
RIVER PATHWAYS TEACHER TRAINING: FEBRUARY 2013
If you are a high school teacher interested in implementing a hands-on science curriculum focused on riparian ecology, attend a FREE teacher training for River Pathways on February 16th from 2pm – 4pm. Receive a FREE copy of the standards-based curriculum developed in partnership with Audubon Arizona, Bureau of Land Management and Tucson Audubon.
Click here to view the workshop invitation!
Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 520-629-0510 X 7012 to register! Limited space available!
