Youth Eco-Guardianship Programming
“For in the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught. ”
“It is time for radical creativity. Fantasy and imagination are the source of innovation and solutions”
Mermaid Society’s Youth eco-guardianship programming is designed to engage children’s natural curiosity and enthusiasm for art, nature and the world around them. The traveling educational programs will help to introduce the idea of how children can become stewards of the river by combining science with fantasy. Children learn about nonpoint source pollution, and ecological conservation - focused on the river as a unique habitat in our planet - and inspiring socially and environmentally responsible behaviors. This programming also encourages children to explore and connect with other pertinent resources available to them in our community.
Mermaid Society's goals of serving every child in San Marcos, is reinforced through interactive presentations and multi-sensory based learning. Two programs already in place are the SPLASH Patch Program and The Mermaid Chats, with many more exciting partnerships in development incorporating music, geology and writing, as well as bilingual programming. Additionally, the inclusion of art education centered around sustainable art - REUSE, RECYCLE and REIMAGINE. Through art we can show our children how to be environmentally conscious, while also developing their understanding of why we need sustainable practices.
Implementing STEAM disciplines to integrate a cohesive approach to learn about community stewardship and river guardianship is currently in the planning stage.
Our goal is to instill in tomorrow’s leaders a lifelong interest in our town’s history and the preservation of the fragile and wondrous microcosm that is the San Marcos River. Through this programming we aim to foster a culture that contributes to generational protection and preservation of our unique community and natural resources.
“The Girl Scouts of the Texas Star Service Unit in Buda/Kyle regularly participate in educational programs and recreation involving the San Marcos River, so when we heard that the Mermaid Society needed help developing curriculum for a river guardianship patch program, we were eager to get involved. Our girls love finding innovative ways to help their communities, especially if that involves protecting natural resources and animal habitats. The icing on the cake of this project is that it involves MERMAIDS! We are developing this program so that any child who participates learns not only how to make river conservation a lifetime initiative for themselves, but how they can teach and inspire others to do the same.”
Mermaid Chats
"A superhero to children, a vision of artistic beauty, and our connection to the past, present and future. She is as unique and vibrant as San Marcos itself, a freshwater Mermaid deep in the heart of Texas."
An interactive multi-sensory based presentation where students learn the unique heritage of Spring Lake, San Marcos River, endangered and threatened species that inhabit our local waterways.
SPLASH Patch
"Girl Scout Troop 1098, of the San Marcos Service Unit, Central Texas Girl Scout Council appreciated the opportunity to present their projects they had been working on as Daisies and Brownies. The project included researching and learning about conservation and how they needed to be a part of it. Being able to present to the Mermaid Society gave the girls the experience to apply their knowledge and practice spreading it to others. Letting them develop confidence and community awareness to build on. The girls, parents and leaders were all very excited to present at the Mermaid Society and we look forward to future collaborations in the community." Stephanie Brown, Troop 1098 - Texas Star Service Unit
Working in collaboration with Girl Scout troop leaders in the surrounding area, the SPLASH Patch will be made available for all youth who want to be part of helping to inspire community stewardship and river guardianship.