STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed)
Point Blue Conservation Science / STRAW Program sites (multiple restoration locations across 15 California counties), 999 Mesa Road, Bolinas, CA 94924
About
STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed) offers integrated watershed science education that includes in-class lessons, field studies, and hands-on, professional habitat restoration. The program involves students and teachers in restoring streams and wetlands through full-service restoration project management, including site selection, climate-smart project design, volunteer education and training, implementation, maintenance, monitoring, and reporting. STRAW also supports native gardening through resources available in English and Spanish.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Price: hands-on, professional habitat restoration opportunities that are free of charge to participants
STRAW’s classroom and field programs are aligned with science standards and include professional development and annual training events for teachers, along with resources and technical support to integrate watershed science into classrooms year-round. The program develops partnerships between students, teachers, county planners, habitat managers, ranchers, businesses, and scientists to work toward shared goals related to water quality, carbon sequestration, community involvement, and habitat creation. STRAW continues as a collaborative network spanning 15 California counties and annually engages approximately 4,000 K–12 students, teachers, and young adults. Through the Community College Conservation Internship (CCCI) for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, and an apprenticeship program, STRAW is working to broaden the conservation field and support the next generation of conservation leaders.
STRAW was founded by a 4th grade class in 1992 and is part of Point Blue, whose scientific research enables STRAW to address climate change through innovative restoration practices implemented by students. Restoration projects are described as cutting-edge and proven to increase ecosystem health and resilience, and with each restoration, STRAW builds nature-based solutions to climate change by engaging local community members, especially children, in work that heals damaged landscapes, generates cleaner water, sequesters carbon, and revitalizes wildlife habitats. The program’s mission is: “With an educator’s mindset, we provide learning experiences that prepare people of all ages to tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our time.”
The STRAW leadership team includes Laurette Rogers, STRAW Program Founder and Ambassador; Diana Humple, Senior Avian Ecologist & Banding Coordinator; and Melissa Pitkin, Chief of Staff. Steve Herman, PhD and professor at Evergreen State College, has described Point Blue as “a leading champion of science-driven conservation” and has sent students there from 1974 through 2014, calling the organization “my finishing school.” Virginia DeBenedictis has stated that donating to Point Blue honors Paul DeBenedictis and the work he began in 1965, and Tim DeBenedictis has noted that Point Blue has well-established methods and tools for measuring environmental trends over a 60+ year time horizon.
Last updated August 6, 2026.
• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Price: hands-on, professional habitat restoration opportunities that are free of charge to participants
STRAW’s classroom and field programs are aligned with science standards and include professional development and annual training events for teachers, along with resources and technical support to integrate watershed science into classrooms year-round. The program develops partnerships between students, teachers, county planners, habitat managers, ranchers, businesses, and scientists to work toward shared goals related to water quality, carbon sequestration, community involvement, and habitat creation. STRAW continues as a collaborative network spanning 15 California counties and annually engages approximately 4,000 K–12 students, teachers, and young adults. Through the Community College Conservation Internship (CCCI) for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, and an apprenticeship program, STRAW is working to broaden the conservation field and support the next generation of conservation leaders.
STRAW was founded by a 4th grade class in 1992 and is part of Point Blue, whose scientific research enables STRAW to address climate change through innovative restoration practices implemented by students. Restoration projects are described as cutting-edge and proven to increase ecosystem health and resilience, and with each restoration, STRAW builds nature-based solutions to climate change by engaging local community members, especially children, in work that heals damaged landscapes, generates cleaner water, sequesters carbon, and revitalizes wildlife habitats. The program’s mission is: “With an educator’s mindset, we provide learning experiences that prepare people of all ages to tackle the greatest environmental challenges of our time.”
The STRAW leadership team includes Laurette Rogers, STRAW Program Founder and Ambassador; Diana Humple, Senior Avian Ecologist & Banding Coordinator; and Melissa Pitkin, Chief of Staff. Steve Herman, PhD and professor at Evergreen State College, has described Point Blue as “a leading champion of science-driven conservation” and has sent students there from 1974 through 2014, calling the organization “my finishing school.” Virginia DeBenedictis has stated that donating to Point Blue honors Paul DeBenedictis and the work he began in 1965, and Tim DeBenedictis has noted that Point Blue has well-established methods and tools for measuring environmental trends over a 60+ year time horizon.
Last updated August 6, 2026.
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