Solano Resource Conservation District presents free watershed education programs to FSUSD board

Marion Butler, education director for the Solano Resource Conservation District, presented to the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District Governing Board on March 20 about the district’s watershed-education and conservation programs that serve Solano County students.

Butler described the RCD as a special district based in Dixon with a seven-member, supervisor-appointed board, roughly 55 programs and an approximately $4,000,000 annual budget. She said about one-quarter of that budget supports education programs, and that the RCD has secured roughly 18 funders to cover program costs so schools incur no fees, including transportation.

Among the RCD’s offerings Butler highlighted watershed-education field trips. She said the organization brought more than 500 third-graders from the county to Rockville Park this year for hands-on activities such as creek exploration, aquatic invertebrate study, native-seed planting and take-home seed packets. Butler said the programs aim to expose students and high-school cohorts to local watershed and career opportunities and to remove cost barriers for districts.

Butler said the RCD also works on habitat restoration, water-quality projects, fire prevention and post-fire recovery, and that adult-education programs complement its school offerings. She asked the board to be aware of those programs as a no-cost outdoor education resource for FSUSD students.