South Yuba River Citizens League
The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) is a grassroots organization founded in 1983. They are the leading voice for the protection and restoration of the Yuba River watershed. Their goals focus on river and forest restoration and educating and mobilizing their communities to be good stewards of their environment. To achieve their goals, SYRCL has developed into a vibrant community organization with over 3,500 members and 1,000 volunteers.
SYRCL’s River Restoration team is leading the effort to rehabilitate the lower Yuba River for salmon, steelhead, riparian habitat, and wildlife. The Meadow Restoration team is assessing and restoring meadows because of their hydrological and ecological importance as they sequester carbon, act as natural firebreaks, and as important habitat for wildlife. The Forest Health team works with the U.S. Forest Service, private land owners, and other nonprofits to plan and implement projects that address forest health and to prepare for catastrophic fires.
The River Education programs integrate science into the curriculum to provide educational opportunities that inspire life-long stewards of the Yuba River watershed. Using a variety of educational tools, they teach students of all ages from their community, as well as surrounding areas, lessons about watershed health, Yuba salmon, climate change, water conservation, meadow restoration, and scientific monitoring. They strive to empower, engage, and collaborate with local youth and learning communities, and create linkages between the River Education program and other areas of SYRCL’s work. The Salmon Expeditions are an amazing opportunity for students and families to adventure down the Yuba River to see spawning salmon. Experienced river rafting guides offer different options to get wet and learn about the salmon life cycle, local ecology, and human impacts on these fish.
The Youth Outdoor Leadership Opportunity (YOLO) is a free, five-day summer science expedition in mid-June for local 9th-12th graders to engage in local climate action and watershed restoration efforts. Surrounded by the gorgeous Sierra Mountains, students get a chance to learn about ecology and build skills in real time. They conduct hands-on field work and meadow restoration research, collect necessary data, connect with teammates to discuss important environmental justice issues, hone leadership skills, and explore the beautiful landscapes of the North Yuba Watershed.
The High School Water Quality Project offers opportunities for high school students to become trained in water quality monitoring practices, collecting water quality data, analyzing and interpreting the data, and learning river etiquette to become River Ambassadors.
SYRCL recently held their annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival. This school program presents film programming for over 3,000 students for their local community and neighboring counties. They curate age-appropriate, engaging, and inspiring content for TK-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12th grade film screenings.
Each student audience gets their very own film festival. In years past, students have had the opportunity to see their films on the big screen – TK-8th graders at the Del Oro Theatre and High Schoolers at school sites. An important part of the school program, the Wild & Scenic education team creates film-specific, standards-based curriculum for participating educators from local elementary, middle, and high schools for further classroom enrichment. The Wild & Scenic education team offers a wide array of low-cost programs for audiences throughout the community.
The South Yuba River Citizens League supports its communities in so many ways. Visit their website to learn more about the education programs they offer schools and the wide-range of activities for community members. For specific questions about their education programs, contact Monique Streit, Education Director, at monique@yubariver.org.