Foundation Teaches Kids About Water, Conservation

Surrounded by lush landscaping and under the looming skyline of downtown Los Angeles, 40-odd students toted water, faced off in a trivia contest and built their own aqueduct one recent June morning. The students were learning about water use and conservation as part of the Wildwoods Foundation's "A Drop in the Bucket" program at Vista Hermosa Park.

The Wildwoods Foundation, says executive director Dwain Wilson, is meant to educate urban students that “nature is all around us.” The foundation, in the words of its mission statement, “provides outdoor programming for young people to help them acquire a sense of stewardship for the natural environment.” Different programs emphasize taking personal responsibility for your actions as well as realizing how interconnected all of life is.

Founded in response to the Columbine school shooting of 1999, the Wildwoods Foundation aims to foster both character development and community building. Although the first few years saw programs hosted across the city, for the majority of the time they have focused on schools in the Echo Park and Silver Lake areas.

That way, says Wilson, the “results are going to compound,” and one can see the effects of their programs on the community.

For instance, one in five students at Thomas Starr King Middle School have experienced a Wildwoods workshop. Wilson would like to be able to reach all those students during their elementary school years. 

Teacher Nite Po watched her students scurry across a grassy hillside, assembling a model aqueduct from PVC piping. “This is very hands on,” she said, “ so they’re excited.” She said this was one of the better field trips the class had been on this year and it “goes well with the units” she teaches on the water cycle. “And I’m having fun,” she added.

Group leader David Knott took the students through various activities. Students began by carrying a gallon of water through the park and emptied it in a large blue plastic drum. Knott went on to relate this activity to the one billion people around the world without access to ready water or plumbing.

The Eco-X after-school program and Full Circle in-school programs are other ways in which the Wildwoods Foundation reaches local students. “Each of us is a drop in the bucket,” said Knott, tying together the lessons the students had learned. Each student was encouraged to take individual action to preserve water for others. This is especially important in Los Angeles, where we get 75 percent of our water from elsewhere.