Tumwater highlights regional REAP/Stream Team work, expands school programs and internships in 2025 plan

Tumwater — At the Jan. 28 City Council meeting, Grant Gilmore, a water resource specialist and professional wetland scientist with the City of Tumwater, presented the Regional Environmental Education Partnership (REAP) annual report and a 2025 work plan that expands education, outreach and habitat-restoration activities across the South Sound region.

The presentation, delivered to Mayor Sullivan and council members, outlined REAP’s regional partnership with the cities of Lacey and Olympia and Thurston County, described Stream Team’s 35-year history and said the program will scale up business outreach, school-based career pathways and internship opportunities in 2025.

The report matters because much of REAP’s work fulfills conditions in the region’s stormwater permit and supports local efforts to improve water quality and salmon habitat. Gilmore and staff said the partnership helps provide consistent public messaging across jurisdictional boundaries and leverages local and regional expertise to reach residents and businesses.

Gilmore said the partnership’s work is driven by stormwater regulatory requirements and by community demand for hands-on programs. He described the program’s reach in 2024 — 99 in-person regional events, 32 of them in Tumwater — and reported that Tumwater-hosted events recorded 355 participants and 2,057 volunteer hours. “We just, actually are celebrating 35 years this year,” Gilmore said of the Stream Team brand.

City staff and REAP leads told the council they are expanding online and classroom training, using Thurston County’s Thinkific platform for on-demand business trainings, and integrating career and technical education (CTE) programming with local schools and South Puget Sound Community College. Gilmore said REAP piloted two CTE tracks — forest and stream ecology and water resource management — and that both are planned to continue if funding and district capacity allow.

Staff also described efforts to increase accessibility and equity: REAP has begun translating materials into Spanish (including salmon life‑cycle documents and a “nature sleuth” scavenger program) and is planning additional language and culturally tailored translations. Gilmore said the team tracks program effectiveness with surveys and online analytics and is using those data to refine training modules and outreach. He described wait lists at many events and said demand now exceeds current capacity.

The presentation listed regional partners and contractors with REAP work, including Thurston County stream‑team leads, the Tumwater School District, South Puget Sound Community College, Thurston Conservation District (under the South Sound Green brand), Capital Land Trust, Nisqually Land Trust and the Pacific Shellfish Institute. Gilmore said REAP coordinates with state agencies and tribal partners and that the city recently approved a five‑year contract with the REAP partnership.

On workforce and career pathways, Gilmore said the city is drafting internship descriptions and working with local colleges and the school district to align credit, accreditation and pay structures. He reported seven internship descriptions in draft form and said some internships will be paid stipends if funding permits; others may be unpaid but tied to accreditation requirements.

Council members asked about REAP’s definition of “sustainability,” how climate‑change science is incorporated into programming, and how the program addresses chemicals of concern such as PFAS and changing state or federal drinking‑water thresholds. Gilmore said the curriculum and restoration work incorporate climate models and changing storm patterns, and he said staff will continue working with partner agencies to integrate specific contaminant guidance as it becomes available.

Gilmore and council members also discussed business outreach and compliance under the municipal stormwater permit. He said Thurston County currently hosts business training on Thinkific and that REAP plans locally tailored “natural yard care” and “habitat at home” modules for Tumwater in 2025.

The presentation closed with a note that an annual, public‑facing REAP report will be published in 2025 and with a request that residents sign up for Stream Team and One Water newsletters. Gilmore also thanked his Water Resources and Sustainability colleagues — Alyssa Jones Wood, Dave Congheiser, Patrick Soderberg and Nick Bugoski — for support in delivering the work.

Looking ahead, staff listed priorities for 2025: expand accessible online training and translations, grow partnerships with state and tribal agencies, refine analytics and equity measures, and pilot or continue CTE classes and internships to build a local career pipeline in water and environmental sciences.