The Estuary Program works with a network of partners to conduct monitoring, restoration, and education efforts throughout our watershed. One such partnership is the California Conservation Corps Watershed Stewards Program (WSP). For the last several years, the Estuary Program has hosted two Corpsmembers as part of the San Luis Obispo Steelhead Initiative (SLOSI) placement site. The Corpsmembers placed at SLOSI serve for ten and a half months and split their time between the Estuary Program, the California Conservation Corps, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District, and Creek Lands Conservation. As our Corpsmembers’ term of service comes to an end, we’d like to share some of their experiences and reflections from the past year.
Meet Maeve
Maeve’s love for the environment started early in life, with her free time spent romping in the redwood forests of the Bay Area. She later spent many summers working as a whitewater raft guide. Her passion for the outdoors followed her through school, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Geology. After receiving her degree, Maeve spent two years working in environmental education. This long-running passion for the environment helped guide Maeve to WSP.
This year’s service term was full of exciting moments, but a highlight for Maeve was conducting snorkel surveys on Chorro Creek with the CCC Fisheries Crew. “I was expecting to put my face in the water and see maybe three fish,” said Maeve. “Snorkeling in the creek gave me a greater appreciation for the work we and our partners are doing. There really are so many trout hiding down there, and they’re beautiful!”
Maeve also supported the Estuary Program eelgrass monitoring efforts during the fall and spring. She describes this experience as another highlight. “We usually paddled out onto the estuary near sunset or sunrise, and both were beautiful times to be on the water. I loved the quiet paddle out to our sites, and how sweet and tender it felt to assess the eelgrass.”
Meet Shannon
Shannon graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Environmental Studies focusing on conservation. Prior to WSP, Shannon had an internship with NOAA Fisheries based in Santa Cruz. During this internship, Shannon had the opportunity to work hands-on with migratory fish, solidifying her passion for fisheries conservation and working with threatened and endangered species.
One of Shannon’s highlights from the year was conducting spawner surveys for Creek Lands Conservation. During this effort, Corpsmembers walk the length of the creek and look for steelhead spawning grounds, also known as “redds.” Shannon’s favorite part of the spawner surveys was seeing an adult steelhead build a redd on Stenner Creek. “Maeve and I sat there on the bank watching her for nearly thirty minutes,” said Shannon. “She was beautiful, and it was so special seeing a steelhead spawn in the Central Coast.”
Like Maeve, Shannon also enjoyed working alongside Estuary Program staff. Another highlight for her was supporting our staff during bioassessment survey season. “There were so many different tasks to complete like collecting macroinvertebrates, measuring rocks, assessing vegetation, and measuring slope,” said Shannon. “Nothing bonds a team more than working together to climb through debris jams to collect data!”
Next Steps
Shannon is looking forward to spending a season working as a ski instructor in Lake Tahoe. After that, she’ll pursue a career in conservation science. “I’m so appreciative of my site partner, Maeve, and all my mentors at SLOSI,” said Shannon. “They truly made this experience remarkable!” Maeve is excited to return to the Bay Area and continue working in the conservation and restoration field. We wish these two all the best in their next endeavors!
If you’re interested to learn more about WSP, please visit https://ccc.ca.gov/training/wsp/.
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