Helping you care for our land, water, soil, and wildlife
Napa RCD Weekly Activity Digest - 6th Edition

Greetings from Napa RCD!

This week, we want to give a special shout out to all those nature-loving high school students who are staying at home. We've got some special opportunities that will help connect you to investigating the environment and opportunities to learn about environmental careers:

  • Teen Nat Program at Pepperwood Preserve in Sonoma County is accepting applications until May 1
  • Napa RCD Emerging Environmental Leaders Scholarship due date has been extended to May 31. Apply here.
  • Napa County Water Conservation Video Contest is a great chance to showcase your creativity and win a prize! The theme for this year's contest is "I Save Water Because..." and submissions are due May 22. This year, the contest is open to individuals, groups of students, family members, or others that wish to work together while keeping apart!
  • Student Speak-Off, hosted by the California Association of Conservation Districts, is an annual competition designed to help California high school students learn about natural resource issues in their area, build public speaking skills and confidence, and enable conservation practitioners to hear from youth about issues that matter most to them. Napa RCD is looking for students interested in working with us to enter the competition! Find details and deadlines here or contact Eric@NapaRCD.org

Check out the rest of this week's digest for even more ways to support and study the environment at home!

As always, don't forget to share the things you're finding and doing on social media, tagging @NapaRCD and #WILDnapa. We can't wait to see what you're up to!

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Many thanks to the following education and outreach activity sponsors for their support: NOAA, County of Napa, Napa County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, City of Napa, the Watershed Information and Conservation Council, and Friends of the Napa River.
Online & Inside Activities
Go on a virtual scuba dive with marine scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ). Virtually explore marine sanctuaries across the planet, including Monterey Bay to American Samoa.

Online & Outside Activities
Collect and submit data for research! Download the GLOBE Observer app and help scientists, both beginning and advanced, study the natural phenomena of clouds, trees, land cover, and mosquito habitat!

Nature Journaling
Forming a Nature Journal Club

Not only is keeping a nature journal an enriching personal activity, but joining a nature journal club can connect you to a whole community of environmental enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds.

Start a group now and share your work virtually! When it's safe to gather again, your club may enjoy meeting in person to observe, explore, and share. The John Muir Laws website has some great tips to help you make your Nature Journal Club happen!
No Tech Needed
Make your own watershed!

Learn more about what a watershed is and how water moves through your home environment! Check out this great video from Solano RCD about how to make a watershed model in your own home!
Weekly Challenge
Water Conservation

How do germs spread? How does soap really work to combat germs? Try one of these free activities from Project WET and learn about ways to conserve and observe water in our daily lives.
Weekly Nature Nugget
What are these small birds doing in the Napa River tidal zone ? Cliff swallows!

Cliff swallows gather mud from the Napa River to create and form nests for their eggs and chicks. These birds are migratory - they make nests, lay their eggs, and care for their young in Napa in the spring and summer, and then travel 3,000 miles to Argentina during our fall and winter. Cliff swallows can consume over 5,000 mosquitoes per bird per day, so they are a great bird to share our watershed with!
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Napa County Resource Conservation District | 707-252-4189 | NapaRCD.org