Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment has announced the start of its grant funded watershed education program at McGrath Elementary School.

The program will be integrated into RISE School Programs, the after school and summer program provider for McGrath Elementary.

RISE, which has worked in the Newhall School District and McGrath Elementary for seven years, operates after school, before school, summer, enrichment and sports programs at 33 public schools across Northern Los Angeles County.

This program will be funded through a grant of $90,000 awarded by the Rose Foundation and the Regional Water Quality Board and includes lessons created by RISE instructors about the sources of the water supply, riparian habitats, water quality and plastic pollution.

Activities will include wildlife observation, plant restoration and gardening, creek clean ups, water quality testing, watershed field trips and student-created public service announcements about the importance of protecting watersheds.

“SCOPE has been working for many years to bring this grant to fruition. I am especially excited that it will focus on Newhall Creek, a tributary to the Santa Clara River that is still mostly in a natural state. It is our hope that as the students learn of the importance of this waterway right in their own neighborhood, they will want to protect it.” said SCOPE President, Lynne Plambeck.

The program will begin this year at McGrath Elementary and expand next year to include Newhall Elementary.

For more information about SCOPE visit http://scope.org/.