Students at the Opening Assembly

Students compare their "wingspan" to the California Condor

Ventura FWO employees Ashleigh Blackford and Jen Lechuga help students plant in their Native Plant Garden.

Students sport buttons with a message: Let's Go Outside! (USFWS Photo)

Mallory Eidson, Ventura FWO:

“This is the best day of my life!”  That is how some of the 1,000 students at Rio Vista Elementary School described the 2nd annual Environmental Awareness and Career Day on April 3rd.  The event, sponsored by the National Hispanic Environmental Council was coordinated by Linda Valdes, a third grade teacher at the Canyon Country school.

The full day event gave Rio Vista students the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of topics and careers associated with the environmental and natural resources fields.  Representatives from many different organizations including The Sierra Club, Placerita Nature Center, Los Angeles County Sanitation District and Fire Department, U.S. Forest Service came to the school to educate and inform students on environmental issues, and careers in the industry.  In addition to the informational booths that filled the recreation room, there were special presentations and hikes lead through the Santa Clara River bed that is adjacent to the school.  It gave students the opportunity to get outside and see that nature is right in their backyard.

The Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office worked together with the school to help reach out to the student body.  Ten employees of the Ventura office set up and ran the information booth providing information about the Service and careers, helped the children plant in their native plant garden and led students on exploratory “Nature Hikes.”  The Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office was also able to provide one pair of folding binoculars for every student to keep and use on their hike.

The day started off with a school-wide assembly, numerous guest speakers and a special appearance by Smokey the Bear. All the students sang an “environmental rap song” that showed their passion about the environment and their desire to conserve.  Once the assembly was complete, the eventful day begun.  There was a constant rotation of students from one activity to the next, and the excitement never died down. The day concluded with another assembly and the student choir singing “Don’t Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)” by Fleetwood Mac. 

The Environmental Awareness and Career Day was a huge success and exposed children to a new field that many had never explored before.  This event created much needed awareness about our environment for the next generation of environmental stewards. Ms. Valdes summed up the day by thanking the volunteers, “Your generous donation of time, resources and knowledge allowed us to provide a comprehensive "environmental" learning experience for our children.  Many of them will remember what they learned on April 3rd, throughout their lives, and it may even influence their career choices.  Wow!”