“Teach children to love nature. People take care of what they love.” – Elizabeth Terwilliger

WHO WE ARE…
An innovative and cooperative program between Carlsbad schools and the AHLF to awaken in our children the need to appreciate and care for the natural environment.

WHAT WE DO…
Provide “hands-on” demonstration classes which stress responsible interaction with our natural surroundings and create an awareness of the impact of day-to-day human activities.

HOW WE DO IT…
By providing a unique environmental educational experience which includes:
• Hands-on learning experiences in a small group format with a low student-teacher ratio.
• A comprehensive, in-depth, participatory curriculum aligned with California State academic standards.
• 4 visits and 18 hours of on-site instruction per student at the Lagoon Discovery Center in one academic year (3rd grade).
• Integration of professional “edutainers” during the lunch break to enhance and complement each day’s subject matter.
• Incorporation of innovative teaching tools such as the “Jeopardy” game and authentic ethnic and historic “props”.
• Participation by local Native Americans.

LAGOON HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY
• Immersion into the history and culture of early lagoon inhabitants.
• Discovering “artifacts” through a mock “dig”.
• Learning about Native American rock art and petroglyphs.

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS
The importance of native plants as they relate to:
• ethnobotany
• critical wildlife habitat
• water conservation

WATERSHEDS & WETLANDS
• Importance of a healthy watershed for both wildlife and human existence.
• Negative consequences of disappearing wetlands.

BIRDS & MIGRATION
• Migrating birds face many hazards in their seasonal journeys.
• Many species are endangered and numbers are greatly reduced due to human activities and disappearing habitat.

OUR GOALS
• To enrich our children’s understanding and appreciation for critical conservation issues.
• To promote a love of nature and a life-long awareness of the need for responsible environmental stewardship.
• To offer specialized curriculums for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades.

EMPHASIS ON QUALITY
In its first year of existence, our program received the award for Outstanding Science-Based Educational Program given each year by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

The Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation urges and welcomes you to become involved in our environmental stewardship efforts. For more information about funding and volunteering opportunities call 760-804-1969.