1. Fresh Water: Creek (riparian), pond, lakes, river (Upper Penitencia Creek and the Guadalupe River)
   
2. Salt Marsh (Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge)
   
3. Ocean (Monterey Bay)

Fresh Water: Penitencia Creek and the Guadalupe River     We studied about our local watershed.  We adopted our local creek, Upper Penitencia Creek and helped clean it up a few times during the year.      Some of our GATE students participated in the BioSITE program in studying the Guadalupe River, which is the major river flowing through San Jose on its way to the salt marsh and eventually into SF Bay and out into the ocean.  They measured, at both upstream and downstream at 3 different times of the year the pH levels, salinity, turpulence and speed of the river. Student Work: www.sjteach.org/freshwater5.html

Brackish Water: Salt Marsh    We studied about the  salinity of the water in the salt marsh in San Francisco Bay.  we learned from our class presenter, Dawn from the Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge, that things such as  runoff and the discharge of treated waste water effects the habitat of plants, small mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles and fish that live in the salt marsh and the many local and migratory birds.  Some are even endangered.    Student Work: http://www.sjteach.org/saltmarsh5.html

Salt Water: Ocean   We studied the oceans of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  We did our main study while on a cruise on Monterey Bay courtesy of the O'Neill Sea Odyssey.  Our students tasted kelp, felt the pelt of a sea otter and they "caught" plankton for study under a microscope.  We also had a group of students study the marine mammals found in Monterey Bay. Student Work: http://www.sjteach.org/aaa_ocean5.html

Wetland Habitat Resources