Agua Pura: Exploring Salmon and Steelhead in California Communities is a collection of activities designed to encourage exploration and action. This curriculum is very flexible. It meets the state-wide standards for 6^th grade classroom education, or can be used as a non-formal education guide. It can be easily adapted to meet the needs of other age groups. All activities can be completed, or only those that fit your needs and available time.

Agua Pura is structured in a place-based learning framework. Place-based learning is using were we live to learn, explore, take action and to reflect. Critical thinking and meaningful projects intensify understanding about participants themselves and the geographical environment in which they live.

The goals of the curriculum are to:

• Help youth understand their relationship to their immediate environment and how their actions affect water quality.
• Develop critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills in youth.
• To encourage active participation, community service and commitment.

The project director for this fantastic resource is our Youth Development Advisor, A. Michael Marzolla. Agua Pura can be downloaded for free. The user guide is in English. Letters to parents/guardians and worksheets are in both English and Spanish.

The USDA has announced $18 million is available for the restoration of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land damaged by natural disasters. Funding is through the USDA’s Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) and is administered by the Farm Service Agency.

To be eligible for EFRP, land must:

• Have existing tree cover (or had tree cover immediately before the natural disaster and is suitable for growing trees); and,

• Be owned by any nonindustrial private individual, group, association, corporation, or other private legal entity that has definitive decision-making authority over the land.

Additional details, eligibility requirements and information on how to apply can be found in English here and in Spanish here.

What is happening with the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in Southern California? We are happy to report that the areas were ACP has previously been found have not expanded much.

However, two adult psyllids were recently found in San Bernardino County.

And as of late November, no huanglongbing (HLB) disease has been found in California.

It is very important growers, landscape professionals and home gardeners continue to be on the lookout for this pest. Early detection is imperative for keeping this dangerous pest/disease complex in check. For further information about ACP and HLB, including how to inspect your trees please see the USDA's Save Our Citrus website.

Our office has hard copy outreach materials for those that are interested. Please contact our office if you would like some.

Put together by a coalition of stormwater quality management agencies in the cities and unincorporated areas of Ventura County, The Community for a Clean Watershed website is a great place to learn more about our local watershed and provides simple ways we can work to protect them. There is an amazing amount of information and suggestions available including:

• Beach water quality reports
• Watershed pollution prevention for home and work
• Learn which watershed you live in and about groups working to keep it healthy
• Great resources for teachers and plenty of places for kids to learn independently
• Useful resources in English and Spanish
• And much more at http://www.cleanwatershed.org/.