Education at the Tijuana Estuary

The Tijuana Estuary has exciting, hands-on education programs for students as well as tours, informative lectures and other outreach opportunities for adult audiences. In addition to our ongoing programs, the Tijuana Estuary also puts on special events throughout the year, such as Fiesta del Rio in October and Earth Day activities in April. Click here for our calendar section and more information on activities.

Both our ongoing activities and special events follow our mission statement:

Provide interactive, hands-on, thematic, bilingual, environmental education
to local and regional students and the community, working in partnership
with local schools, community groups and government agencies.

Go With the Flow! Tijuana Estuary Calendar & Newsletter
March - May 2009
Check out our most recent edition of “Go with the Flow!” (1.1MB). This quarterly publication serves as our event calendar, as well as a general public outreach tool. It includes the dates and times of our nature walks, bird walks, Junior Ranger Programs, Speaker Series, and volunteer events. And it also features a special “Volunteer Spotlight” section to recognize some of our many volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. Enjoy, and feel free to pass it along to others!
For earlier editions of the newsletter, please contact Marya Ahmad, .

Sand in My Shoes by Mary Louise Richards, a memoir of the thirteen years (1931-44) the Richards family lived in the Sloughs at the end of what is now called the McCoy Trail.
http://www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvm/netlinks/1estuary/eagle/cover.html

School Groups

The Tijuana Estuary offers free visits to elementary, middle and high school groups and other youth groups (ecology clubs, service groups, etc.). School visits to The Tijuana Estuary are theme-based and integrated with the California State Science Framework. We encourage school groups to visit while their classes are studying related subject matter. We have activities that can integrate art, language and social studies as well. Activities usually focus on general estuary ecology, plants and birds. Other subject areas are available upon request.

Limited transportation reimbursements are currently available for schools who currently cannot attend the Reserve's free, high quality environmental education programs due to lack of transportation funds. Please contact Anne Marie Tipton for details if you are interested, or (619) 575-3613, ext. 304.

Before bringing groups to the Tijuana Estuary, teachers must participate in an on-site training. After completing the workshop, teachers will have curriculum and pre- and post-visit materials to use with their classes. Curriculum materials are available in both English and some in Spanish. After completing the workshop, teachers are ready to schedule guided tours at the Tijuana Estuary or may bring groups on their own. Bilingual guides are available. To sign up for a teacher training please call (619) 575-3613 ext. 305 or 306.

Tijuana Estuary Explorers - Grades 3-5
NEXT TRAINING: Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 9:00am to Noon. Please call for more information and dates of upcoming trainings (619) 575-3613 ext. 305 or 306.

"Tijuana Estuary Explorers" is an in-class and field trip program, targeted at 3rd - 5th grade, that meets state standards and incorporates reading, writing and science into four comprehensive activities about the Tijuana Estuary and its watershed.

Using a personalized field journal, students will read the field notes written by two characters, Pablo and Silvia Hernandez, as they explore the watershed and estuary that the students too will soon visit. Along with their journal notes, students will find pages to start their own journal, using the questions and activities provided.

At the end of the field trip, teachers and students will be given Take Action magnets and worksheets to assist them in working to conserve wetland habitats.

A mandatory four hour teacher training is required for all teachers who wish to participate in this program. The training will guide teachers through the student journal, which encompasses the in-class and field portion of the program. Trainings are held 3-4 times a year. Please call for more information and dates of upcoming trainings (619) 575-3613 ext. 305 or 306.

There is no fee for this program or materials at this time. This program was also made possible by the San Diego Zoological Society and Chevron.

Back To Top

M.A.R.S.H. = Marsh Awareness with Resources for Slough Habitats - Grades 1-6
NEXT TRAINING: To set up a orientation, please email or call
Lorena Warner-Lara ( or 619-575-3613 ext. 305) OR
Marya Ahmad ( or 619-575-3613 ext. 306)

One of the original education programs of the Tijuana Estuary, M.A.R.S.H. was developed to introduce students to basic wetland & upland ecology and cultural history. The program has basically two components that vary depending on the grade.

In the field, students use hand lenses and binoculars to observe and record upland plants and shore birds with an emphasis on adaptations and/or cultural history.

Inside, students may watch a video, play an adaptation game or explore the center and its interactive exhibits. It is not required that students do any of the supplied pre-visit activities although it is encouraged. All teachers who participate in this program must attend a 1-2 hour orientation and will be provided with optional classroom activities as well as required materials for the classroom field trip (please email or call us for an orientation form).

Back To Top

Tijuana Estuary High School Teacher's Guide - Grades 9-12
Next Teacher Training: September 26 & 27, 2008
(Friday, 9:00am - 5:30pm AND Saturday, 9:00 - 11:30am).
Click here to view the flyer or here for the agenda.
Please call 619-575-3613 ext.304, 305, or 306 to inquire about and be notified of upcoming trainings.

The Tijuana Estuary High School Teachers' Guide is an inter-disciplinary high school curriculum designed to educate students about the valuable Tijuana River Estuary natural and cultural resources. It was developed to align to State Content Standards and it is the only field-based estuary science high school program in the County. To learn how to reserve a field trip, please open the section below titled Field Trip Activities.

The target audience of the Tijuana Estuary High School Teachers' Guide are the biology, ecology, marine science, English, and art students and teachers in San Diego County, especially South Bay.

The following pdf files make up the High School Teachers' Guide, they include both the chapters and lesson plans to be done in the classroom and also the field trip guide for programs done here at the Reserve which are based upon the knowledge gained in the classroom portions of the teacher's guide. Please be sure to read the introduction first to get a better understanding of how to use this curriculum:

Back To Top

Jr. Rangers

The Tijuana Estuary offers free activities for students 7-12 years of age, every Thursday from 3:30-4:30pm (check calendar for holidays), with different topics presented at each session. Jr. Rangers learn about the ecology of estuaries, the importance of wetlands and will discover an appreciation for this disappearing ecosystem by participating in related hands-on activities. Kids can earn patches, buttons and more as they progresss through the program! Programs are held rain or shine and it's FREE! Click here to view the 2009 Jr. Ranger Schedule.

Back To Top

Scout Groups

Scout groups interested in programs at Tijuana Estuary will find that they can earn a particular badge (i.e. Cub Scout Naturalist Badge) or fulfill a required project. Interested groups or individuals must call at least 4 weeks in advance to make a reservation and discuss with the education staff which badge they are trying to earn. Programs are generally one hour in length. Binoculars are provided for the group to use.

Back To Top

Speaker Series

Once a month, on the third Saturday of the month, from 11:00a.m. to noon, the Tijuana Estuary offers a FREE lecture series (no speaker in December). Speakers usually include enthusiastic biologists, specialists or researchers who share information on estuary-related topics or other topics of interest. A lively question and answer session usually follows the presentation.

The Speaker Series is open to everyone - our Imperial Beach neighbors, volunteers, colleagues and the general public. If you'd like to be added to our Speaker Series e-mail list or would like to recommend a speaker, please e-mail .
See calendar of events page for upcoming presentations.

Just a few of our past topics:
EcoParque Video Presentation and Discussion on Environmental Border Issues; The History and Conservation Status of the Snowy Plover; The Role of Advocacy in Protecting and Restoring San Diego Bay; A Living History of the Tijuana Estuary; Sea Turtles of the San Diego Bay; Natural History and Rehabilitation of Predatory Birds; Reptiles & Amphibians of the Lower Tijuana River Valley; Plant and Insect Interactions.

Back To Top

Directions & Maps | Contact Us
Cooperating Agencies