In 2014 CRCD  was awarded a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct a hands-on watershed education project for fifth graders in Guadalupe. CRCD’s partnered with the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center and Mary Buren Elementary School.

The project included in-class experiments and demonstrations to explore non-point source pollution, ocean acidification, the water cycle, and characteristics of different soil types. Students visited the Marine Science Institute Research Experience and Education Facility (REEF) at UCSB, took a boat to Anacapa Island and participated in a beach restoration project at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve.

Students shared their experiences with the community, including a list of suggested actions to improve the quality of the watershed presented to the Guadalupe City Council.