The Watershed Project is an environmental nonprofit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 based in the University of California

University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

’s Richmond Field Station. Its mission is "To inspire Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

 communities to understand, appreciate and protect our local watersheds."

History

The Watershed Project started in 1987 as Education Department of San Francisco Estuary Institute, a nonprofit devoted to research and monitoring of the San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay

San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...

. The mission then was to educate local residents about the dangers of urban runoff to human health

Health

Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...

 and the environment. In 1997, the Department became its own 501(c)(3): The Aquatic Outreach Institute. In 2004, it changed its name to The Watershed Project. They serve the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California

Northern California

Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...

. The Watershed Project has won awards at local, state and national levels.

Programs

• Community-wide Volunteer Days

three organized volunteer events on International Coastal Cleanup Day, MLK Day

Martin Luther King Day

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around the time of King's birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform...

 and Earth Day

Earth Day

Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...

, in addition to monthly workdays at the Richmond Greenway

Richmond Greenway

-History:It runs along what was formerly the right-of way of the Santa Fe Railroad parallel to Ohio Street, between the end of the Ohlone Greenway adjacent to the intersection of Macdonald and San Pablo Avenues, and Point Richmond. There is a connector from the trail to the Macdonald 80 Shopping...

as well as other sites.

• Public Workshops

subjects include gardening, urban runoff and pest management

• Teacher Workshops

Educators learn how to teach students subjects related to watershed, creek, marsh and garden ecology.

• After School programs

free 12-part program for children teaches students about their local creek.

External links

• http://squidlist.com/events/index.php?com=detail&eID=185321&year=2009&month=09
• http://dogood.sfgate.com/nonprofits/the-watershed-project#
• http://www.napaenvironmentaled.org/pdfs/watershed_proj.pdf
• http://www.nps.gov/pwro/rtca/ca_state_fact_sheet_2009.pdf
• http://www.thewatershedproject.org