08/20/2026
Last week, the Estuary Youth Council (EYC) ventured to the Eden Landing Ecological Reserve in Union City. One of many former industrial salt ponds being restored through the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, this tidal marsh habitat supports the life cycles of a variety of plants, fish, and birds, including the federally endangered Snowy Plover. Equipped with binoculars, the group learned about the reserve’s natural history and ongoing restoration efforts with guidance from Save The Bay (San Francisco)’s Education Program Manager, Haymar Lim. Putting down the binoculars and donning gardening gloves, the group practiced biodiversity monitoring and removed invasive species. 🌿
In the afternoon, EYC visited the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center to eat lunch and reflect on the morning’s activities. Later, Wendy Pacheco from the Youth Leadership Institute led the group through an educational activity on Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR). YPAR emphasizes the valuable perspectives and community-centered insights youth can bring to important research questions. The cohort will continue developing these research skills as they advance their capstone projects. 🔎
🌊 Learn more about the EYC program at https://www.sfestuary.org/estuary-youth-council/
