Protecting Water and Land – River Source

The work of River Source (RS) is rooted in advancing water and land protection and restoration to achieve long-last impact by partnering with local communities. They partner with community members, schools, and land managers to spark action for caring for water, forests and land by connecting youth with ecological science, intergenerational learning, and ecological restoration. RS’s goal is to be weavers, bringing together elders, youth and land managers for collective action for watershed restoration and for creating job pathways for young adults to nurture the next generation of land and water protectors.

Since 1997, RS has seen a growing demand for their programs which include: (1) Watershed Watch to provide outdoor watershed education through schools, (2) the Watershed Academy to create paid work/learn experiences for youth focused on on-the-ground watershed restoration, (3) Youth for a Secure Water and Climate Future to amplify youth voices, and (4) technical assistance to advance ecological and watershed restoration. Through these integrated efforts, River Source advances environmental protection, cultural preservation, and climate resilience.

As they see New Mexicans living on the front lines of climate change, RS builds capacity for people to slow, sink, and spread water, improve soil health, increase desirable vegetation cover and monitor and learn from ecological restoration efforts. Learning comes from, and connects, youth with elders who hold traditional ecological knowledge that offers important insights for how we can care for the land and water that sustains all of us. River Source is honored to partner with several tribal schools and communities to offer river restoration experiences such as river forest restoration that combine with traditional practices such as willow basket making.

The New Mexico Community Foundation offers crucial support for River Source’s work. An investment made to River Source connects New Mexican youth, particularly in rural communities in northern New Mexico, with science and stewardship of local rivers and creates job pathways in water, land, and forest conservation.

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River Source is a Fiscally Sponsored Organization of NMCF.