Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/748197
art projects and public service announcements related to the water cycle, conservation and associated topics, too. As they learn about the connections between water and the wider nat- ural landscape, students will be equipped to share those lessons beyond the classroom. "We found that students knew a lot about water and drought in California, but many of them didn't understand where their water comes from and how it gets to us. These activities will help to clarify those topics, and set students up to proactively explain how certain activities might benefit or harm the environment," says Martin Morones, education assis- tant at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. Such lessons support the museum's educational goal of connecting local children with nature, while also encouraging them to help protect it. "We tell them how people from all over the world come here to enjoy the area's unique and diverse natural beauty," Morones says. "We want kids to become stewards of this beautiful place where we live, so that oth- ers can enjoy it, as well." To learn more about the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's Eco Ambassadors program, or to support the work of its partners, visit the Arts Council for Monterey County at arts4mc.org. 180 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 6 (Clockwise from top left) Fifth graders practice interpre- tative speeches before giving garden tours; 5th graders label native plants for the 4th graders to examine; sponsor State Farm Insurance visits a program garden. Photos: Courtesy of Jaqui Hope