Educators Submerged in Western Rivers for a Week

​Fifteen educators from across Colorado convened for a River Ecology and Water in the West courses during the 3nd annual Western Rivers Teacher Workshops during the 2019 Western Colorado University's Summer Teacher Institute. In addition to five days of instruction in the field and classroom, participants learned to use ESRI story maps and Google My Maps to share special watershed topics and create walking field trip maps from their school. 

• view Walking Field Trip Maps
• view Watershed Topic Story Maps

Plans are underway for the 2020 Western Rivers Teacher Workshops at Western Colorado University. If you would like to be added to the educator alert email list, let us know, and we'll keep you up to date on upcoming registration deadlines.

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River as Text: Ecology course

River Ecology course group

National Park Service park ranger gave us a history of Curecanti National Recreation Area

Studying aquatic macroinvertebrates

Our river classroom

conducting a stream flow survey

visiting Roaring Judy Fish Hatchery with Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Water in the West course

learning from Upper Gunnison Water Conservancy District at Taylor Park Reservoir

Water in the West course group

watershed map

using primary sources

Curecanti National Recreation Area ranger sharing management issues

learning from maps

thoughtful discussions

learning from Bureau of Reclamation about Blue Mesa Dam and Aspinal Unit

Feedback from participants:

• There were many hands on activities and outdoor experiences to support the learning of concepts about watersheds and the appropriation of water in the west. The variety of guest speakers: Bureau of Reclamation, Taylor River User Group, and the National Park Rangers greatly enhanced my knowledge and understanding.
• The topics were all relevant and and useful to K-12 teachers. I loved that the class was mostly field experiences.
• I loved the other participants, being outside, and learning about River Ecology.
• This course helped me understand the value of the river and how much demand it has.
• It was informative, helpful for lesson planning and hands on.
• Information and activities were well-organized. Hands-on experiences that can be directly applied to the classroom. Knowledgeable leadership.
• It was an outstanding experience! Thank you for all of the work you put into making this workshop meaningful for the broad range of participants. That's not an easy thing to do.
• Sarah did a great job with these classes. It is always a challenge to meet the needs of every participant but she did a great job accommodating everyone involved.