Our Current Initiatives
What we’re working on, right now
This Semester’s Theme:
STREAMS OF STRENGTH
Emphasizing the protection and refinement of Bay Area watersheds to reduce the impacts of climate change on healthy habitats for people and wildlife
THE WATERSHED PROJECT
This Semester’s Partnership
The Watershed Project is dedicated to inspiring Bay Area communities to protect and restore their watersheds for a sustainable and thriving future. With over two decades of leadership, the organization has empowered some 7,000 educators in place-based environmental education and served some 30,000 students and 50,000 volunteers to engage in hands-on restoration projects, community science, and environmental education. Focused on creating resilient ecosystems, The Watershed Project works to enhance urban watersheds, reduce pollution, and promote biodiversity in San Francisco Bay and beyond. The organization fosters climate resilience throughout the Bay Area through creek restoration, green infrastructure, and habitat conservation. Offering engaging volunteer opportunities, educational programs, and advocacy initiatives, The Watershed Project unites communities to create healthier environments where nature and people can flourish together for generations to come.
For more information, visit their website. Follow them on Instagram (@thewatershedproject_) to stay up to date on their events and projects.
CASE STUDY
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), the San Francisco Bay Estuary is one of the six estuaries most sensitive to the risks of climate change. The Bay Area is biodiverse, urban, and coastal, making its watersheds uniquely positioned as they are both heavily relied on, and very much at risk. In the last 150 years, 40% of the SF Bay’s aquatic ecosystems have experienced habitat destruction (EPA, “San Francisco Bay Delta”).
Pesticides, metals, and other chemicals threaten the Bay Area's aquatic environments, bombarding watersheds through urban runoff. These contaminants have caused a decline in biodiversity and compromised the SF Bay Delta as a source of drinking water. Most of the harm done to these environments is due to the chemicals that are currently in use.
Additionally, as the effects of climate change become more and more prominent, the quantity and quality of available drinking water in the Bay Area will likely be threatened. Due to shifting temperature regimes, snowpack in the Sierra Nevadas (one of California’s main freshwater sources) is projected to decrease almost 20% in the next few decades (“San Francisco Bay Area Region Report”, California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment). Sea level rise and subsequent flooding and saltwater intrusion will become more frequent, threatening a dwindling water supply
OUR IMPACT
Restoring and protecting the Bay Area’s watersheds is a complex pursuit that holds nuance within individual communities. To achieve healthier aquatic ecosystems, we must work with a community-based approach, focusing on equitable and mindful impact through educational workshops and hands-on work in our local watersheds. Increasing local awareness of the issues we seek to address can build a more resilient watershed and ensure its benefits for all.
Join us in our mission to create a healthy and equitable watershed for the Bay Area. Stay updated with EthiCAL to learn more!
