Farewell Living Wetlands

by Colter Cook

Dear Teachers, Volunteers & Partners,

We regret to inform you that after nearly 20 years of environmental education and interpretation, the Living Wetlands program will be discontinued as of June 30, 2018. Recent changes to priorities, grant program requirements, and outreach strategies at the City of San Jose (City) and the Regional Wastewater Facility have resulted in the City’s decision to end the program.

Formed through a partnership between the City Environmental Services Department on behalf of the Regional Wastewater Facility, the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society (Society), and the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), Living Wetlands has offered Santa Clara Valley communities a unique connection to the South Bay and its habitats. The program touched the lives of many through its field trips, classroom presentations and special events.

Children participating in the Living Wetlands program

At its core, the program focused on encouraging and fostering life-long environmental stewardship, and we have appreciated the many years of opportunity to provide these services.

In those 20 years approximately 144,850 people have participated in the program and outreach events. We appreciate every one of you. Thank you all for your participation and support.

Children watching wildlife in the wetlands program

For questions or comments regarding the discontinuation of the Living Wetlands Program please contact Ken Davies (Sustainability & Compliance Manager for City of San José’s Environmental Services Department) at (408) 975-2587 or at Ken.Davies@sanjoseca.gov.

While we do not currently have the staff or capacity for environmental education and outreach to replace that supported by Living Wetlands, the Refuge and the Society will still continue to offer environmental education opportunities albeit on a more limited basis and look forward to new partnerships to help us deliver new program opportunities in the future.

We will continue to provide our popular Habitat Restoration Service Learning (5th-12th) and College Group Field Trips that are offered through the Watershed Watchers Program. If interested, please contact Hope Presley (Coordinator) at hope.presley@sfbws.com or 408-262-5513 x104.

Children taking a tour of the marshes on the boardwalk

In addition Field Trips for K-4th grade are offered through the Wetland Round Up Program by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If interested please contact Genie Moore (Education Director) at genie_moore@fws.gov or 408-262-5513 x100.

Thank you.

Colter Cook
Living Wetlands Program Coordinator, San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society
livingwetlands@sfbws.com