Water, water...everywhere

Sometime back in the cold Winter months, or the rainy Spring ones, I hatched this Grand Summer Plan wherein Derek would engage in all sorts of school-approved activities to serve his community, thereby racking up copious amounts of SSL (Student Service Learning) hours required for his high school diploma. (I know, I know, he's only 12...but why wait 'til the last minute, right?) During the hustle and bustle of the academic year, with soccer and homework and...other stuff...it seemed like the relaxed, unscheduled vacation months would present the perfect opportunity to spend time volunteering. Well, here we are in late July and so far we've accomplished exactly (drum roll): zip, zilch, nada. But I'm nothing if not organized, motivated, and determined--so I took to the school system website to research possibilities. This proved slightly tricky, as I had to narrow down selections by both Derek's interests and his age (many organizations or specific duties list "over 14" as a requirement). Throw in "geographic area" and the choices shrink even more dramatically (but it's a necessary step, as we don't really want to drive several hours, either).

So I played around for a bit, and then, armed with several options, described them to my son. The first one, a "dog handler" at Petco's Adoption Events, sounded brilliant, at least to me: "You get to put the "Adopt Me" bandana on the animals, walk them, give them water, tell people about them..." To which Derek just gave me a slightly puzzled look and said, "But I don't really like dogs!" Reaaaaaly? That's certainly news to me. Okay, then, back to the drawing board. I switched my focus to environmental issues, given that that's a big area of concern for our family. I found one group who removed "non-native, invasive plants" from parks. Evidently they dig up unwanted species that can damage the ecosystem, to allow the beneficial green stuff to thrive. It sounded pretty cool to me, but again, Derek wasn't too keen. (I tried to sweeten the deal--"But buddy, they even give you your own shovel!" Still no dice...) Sigh. One more attempt...I happened upon the Stream Stewards Program, which--just like it sounds--monitors and cares for the various water sources in our county. I pictured being outdoors in a lovely wooded setting, picking up garbage, clearing debris...just our kind of job! And there was an Orientation Session soon! Sign us right the heck up!

I pretty much explained this to Derek in terms of "we are attending the meeting". But I couldn't fathom his quizzical expression until he finally blurted out, "Stream...steward...why would we want to stream video of a guy named Stuart?" Oh. Good. Grief. That's my gifted Honor Student right there, folks. After I cleared up his little misconception, he agreed that it had promise. And Riley, not one to ever be left out of anything, excitedly declared that he wanted to come with us to hear all about it as well. (I shouldn't be surprised, as right now one of his aspirations for the future--you know "what do you want to be when you grow up"--is "environmentalist". My little fellow-tree-hugger. Also he is still nurturing his obsession for frogs and toads, so any event that involves even the possibility of protecting or saving amphibians has his full attention and support.) So off we went to learn all about what we could do to help our local wetlands.

Let me just tell you, this presentation was like a dream come true for a nerd like me, or a nightmare for my school-phobic Middle Schooler. We were handed a binder chock-full of information to keep (chapters and chapters worth)! There was an informative lecture...accompanied by a Power Point slideshow! And (wait for it) a written assignment! (Questions to answer, and then share with the group.) It was totally like a mini-class--bliss! Riley, my souvenir hound, even got to bring home some swag: an anti-litter poster, and a cardboard rectangle that grows into a sponge when placed in water. Good stuff. Oh, and the program itself? Super cool. We learned all about our local watershed area and the dangers it's currently facing from such threats as: pollution, erosion, water runoff due to overdevelopment, and unchecked harmful plant growth. We heard what the county is doing to address these problems. And of course, what we can do to help out. For example, one can become a Watershed Keeper, assigned a certain area or structure to watch, clean up when necessary, and report upon if problems occur. One can participate in Stream Monitoring Volunteer Internships, maintaining the actual waterways. In one's own habitat, you can utilize cisterns to capture and recycle rain water. (And be reimbursed by the county. Win...win!) You can even design a Rain Garden in your yard, using vegetation and rocks that will help promote proper drainage and filtration of the water into the soil. Yes...yes, and yes!

Obviously, I left the orientation all kinds of hyped-up about getting out there and preserving our natural water areas. Fortunately, my children were enthused as well (albeit in a more subdued way). Now we're totally ready to go out into the wild...and get wet!