The event, hosted by the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District was held on October 17th at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center overlooking Lake Merritt.
The team arrived after school, convening on a patch of grass on the banks of the lake. Students took some time before joining other attendees to review their data and reflect on what they hoped to learn from speakers and posters. The group joined the conference starting with a mid-afternoon poster session, during which they shared last year’s water quality findings with participants, and took the opportunity to discuss plans for the coming year with local professionals.
Attendees were interested to hear about the effects of pet waste on water quality, as many of them own dogs themselves and love to use the recreational and open spaces studied by Earth Team. Some participants were also surprised to hear about the rainbow trout living in Sausal Creek, which confirmed the team’s survey findings suggesting that a surprising amount of community members lack knowledge about their local ecosystems.
After presenting their poster, the team was able to hear from various Friends Of groups about different watershed restoration efforts happening throughout the East Bay. They also listened to a discussion about public and non-profit partnership from a City of Oakland representative and a Friends of Sausal Creek Board Member.
While the team enjoyed networking with like-minded people, appreciated the insight of the various speakers, and noticed the beautiful conference space, their favorite part (not surprisingly) was the snack bar at the end of the event. Everyone had a great time, and are looking forward to future presentations thanks to the hard work of the Alameda County Watershed Confluence Committee!