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 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. Following a lunch that features samples of wetland foods, the students play a Marsh Makers activity that ties together the lessons of the morning. During the activity, students role play as special interest groups and learn the challenges of creating a wetland. The activity emphasizes partnerships, finances, the food web, consumptive use, and other issues that promote critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Buses and a barbecue lunch are provided by CWA. Ten to 12 volunteer naturalists are on hand to assist throughout the event. Partners have included the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the Yolo Basin Foundation, and the Sacramento Zoo.

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.