The Salmon Drift Creek Water Shed Council’s year-end fundraiser was successful in meeting their $4,000 goal in order to claim the matching funds from a generous private donor. Most funds have been collected and they announced a total raised of over $9,000, Funds were specifically raised for an education program that reaches students with a variety of learning styles and motivates kids to become environmental stewards in their own back yard. This is called the  Restoring Ecosystems and Educating Future or REEF conservation program.

Funds raised will be used to support SDCWC’s education and outreach program, which targets Taft Elementary 5th and 6th graders, and Taft 7-12 students. Each year, through REEF, 200 kids have classroom and field experience, 300 students attend Ecology Camp, and 200 high schoolers attend Conservation Career Day. SDCWC’s REEF program partners with resource agencies, community volunteers, schools and teachers to engage students in meaningful and technically sound environmental education.

These generous partners allow REEF to offer the highest quality programming to the most students and still keep costs low. REEF students apply math, science, robotics and physics, art, and writing to address ‘real world’ projects. Through this engagement, they gain insights into their own aptitudes and interests for future studies and careers. Ongoing support helps SDCWC serve more local students and give them quality, hands-on watershed education. Each donation is fully tax-deductible.