MARSH MADNESS YOUTH DAYS

CWA partners with refuges and wildlife areas to hold Marsh Madness Youth Days for under-served elementary schools with limited resources in both metropolitan and rural areas. Each Marsh Madness Day brings 20-60 students to a public area near their community to spend the day learning about wetlands, wildlife, and conservation.

The students receive small group instruction and hands-on experience identifying birds, searching for signs of animal life, examining pond water, studying wetland plants, and much more. Their day includes discussions about conservation, hunting, and other outdoor issues. A mid-morning snack features samples of wetland foods. Pre- and post- trip classroom programs are also available, including an Introduction to Waterfowl and Wetlands and/or a Marsh Makers activity that ties together the lessons of the field day as students role play as special interest groups and learn the challenges of creating a wetland. This follow-up activity emphasizes partnerships, finances, the food web, consumptive use, and other issues that promote critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Transportation scholarships are available. Partners have included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the Yolo Basin Foundation, and the Community Youth Center at both the Rancho Esquon and Grizzly Ranch Campuses.

To see a video from a recent Marsh Madness Event, click here >>

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If you are interested in volunteering to help with a Marsh Madness Youth Day, or know a school that should be considered for this program in the greater Sacramento area, please feel free to contact the education department at CWA.