River Source: Watershed Restoration with New Mexico Youth and Communities

River Source Mission
River Source supports people as good stewards of their watersheds by providing science and policy education, planning, monitoring, and ecological restoration services throughout New Mexico. We do so by weaving current science and traditional knowledge to create work/learn opportunities in school/youth programs and outdoor education.

Description
Education programs with youth are at the heart of our work. We bring students to watersheds and streams to learn about water quality, conduct science assessments, and share results with communities and agencies, where youth are empowered to present their research to the public and decision-makers. As our education programs have a strong focus on tribes and Pueblos, we work with schools in Jemez, Cochiti, and Santo Domingo Pueblos as well as schools across northern and southern New Mexico. To combine traditional knowledge with contemporary science, we bring in elders to provide their knowledge and language, and teach students how to use technologies such as drones and survey programs to assess our scarce water resources. Our programming includes field trips, outdoor classrooms, and schoolyard sites to provide a dynamic and hands-on experience. 

We also provide learn/work opportunities for teens and young adults focused on outdoor watershed restoration. In collaboration with experts, advocates, and elders, we provide an array of opportunities to provide participants a rich experience. Our program focuses on bringing jobs to predominantly rural areas such as El Rito, Peñasco, Pecos, Las Vegas, and the urban center of Santa Fe. Participants in our program show increased knowledge of watershed-related issues and gain increased confidence in their abilities to help the environment and their communities. 

We provide 2,100 unique experiences annually, working with 18 teachers to develop outdoor classrooms and engaging 750 people in watershed restoration projects. There is currently more demand for our work than ever before, as our long-term commitments and unique offerings become increasingly important to our partners. 

You can see River Source programming in action on our YouTube channel. 

Contact Rich Schrader, Director rich@riversource.net (505) 660-7928 River Source

Populations Served
We primarily serve youth who are in grades 6-12 and up to 26 years old; the populations we work with are 85% Native American, Hispanic, or African American/Black. Before the pandemic in 2019 and the arrival of federal relief to feed more kids at school, well over 70% of our participants received free and reduced lunches, which increased to about 75% in the past year.

Services Offered

• Work/learn experiences and programs through our Watershed Academy for teens and young adults
• Watershed Watch program, which teaches stream health and watersheds for grades 6-12 (an award-winning program)
• Implementation of stream and watershed monitoring, restoration, and planning for agencies and nonprofits through restoration projects that improve wildlife habitats and protect water sources for communities

Cost to Participate
While we generally do not charge for our education and work/learn programs, we provide our services for a fee with certain schools. Our technical assistance cost varies depending on the scope and duration of the project. 

Staff Composition
We have five staff positions: our Director, Rich Schrader, who has been with the organization for around 28 years, and our Projects Director, Carlos Herrera, who has been here for over 14 years. Anabella Miller is the forest and watershed coordinator and Kathy Hillock is the education & science coordinator. Eliza Kretzmann serves as the Communications Manager. We also have several consultants who help with Traditional Knowledge and Subsistence education. We also have an advisory group comprised of 5 community members.