In May, educators, scientists, and storytellers gathered at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve for a special edition of Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE), a nationally recognized professional development program that helps educators bring estuary science and environmental stewardship into their classrooms and communities. This immersive two-day experience combined field exploration, scientific inquiry, cultural learning, and collaborative curriculum design.
Participants explored the Tijuana River Valley and Border Field State Park, gaining a deeper understanding of the region’s unique ecology and multinational context. Throughout the weekend, educators engaged with reserve scientists, California State Parks staff, National Geographic Explorers, and one another to discover new ways of connecting communities to nature.
One highlight of the weekend was a data-driven paint pouring activity that transformed long-term water quality monitoring data into abstract works of art. Using data collected at the Reserve from three different years, participants assigned colors to environmental indicators such as salinity, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, rainfall, and nutrient levels. The amount of each paint color reflected the quantity of that parameter in a given year, creating paintings that visually represented the environmental conditions of the estuary.
Once completed, participants compared the paintings side by side, observing how shifts in color patterns reflected changes in water quality over time. The activity sparked conversations about the power of art to communicate scientific information, making complex datasets more accessible, engaging, and memorable for diverse audiences.
The training concluded with a co-design lab where participants reflected on their experiences and began developing new bilingual resources inspired by the estuary. By bringing together educators, scientists, and storytellers, the Teachers on the Estuary training demonstrated the power of place-based learning and collaboration to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.