Watershed Field Trips


Through a partnership with Orange County Coastkeeper and its W.H.A.L.E.S. program, Moulton Niguel is excited to bring water education into and outside of the classroom! For middle schools and high schools located in our service area, we offer in-class presentations and field trips to a local watershed to teach students about the importance of water quality, water efficiency and global sustainability.

Students will go on field trips to a local watershed in Moulton Niguel’s service area, take part in interactive learning activities and even conduct a water quality test of their own. Coastkeeper’s W.H.A.L.E.S. program, which stands for Watershed Heroes: Actions Linking Education to Stewardship, was conceived as a way to make it easier for students to understand water efficiency and sustainability.

Interested in signing up? Check out the program details below!

Program Details:

  • Open to all middle school and high school classes in the Moulton Niguel Water District service area
  • Funding covers the in-class presentation, field trips, and busing to and from a local watershed and creek.
  • Each field trip can accommodate 40 students, but can accommodate for larger groups over multiple days
  • The program is funded by Moulton Niguel Water District and administered by OC Coastkeeper

Each Class Will Receive: 

  • In-Class Presentation discussing their local watershed, urban runoff, water conservation, global sustainability, and watershed function and health. Additionally, students will learn about the District’s water budget-based rate structure and how it can be used as a tool to indicate whether a household is over-watering their landscape. Students will learn how over-watering contributes to dry-weather runoff, which carries pollutants into storm drains and eventually into local creeks and beaches.
  • Two Field Trips:
    • Exploring Your Watershed: Field trip entails a guided hike at a local trail with a naturalist. Location Options: Salt Creek Trail, Aliso Creek Trail, and San Juan Creek Trail
    • Water Quality Testing: Field trip entails a water quality lesson and tests at a local water body.

Sign Me Up! 

Teachers or school administrators who are interested in participating should complete the following survey: http://bit.ly/MNWDCoastkeeper

For any questions about the program, please contact Dyana Pena with the OC Coastkeeper at dyana@coastkeeper.org