Our project goal is to reduce the amount of trash in coastal waterways by improving our understanding of urban neighborhood trash sources through development of standardized protocols and implementation using an experiential education program. We are drawing on our past community science efforts within a highly urbanized, impoverished neighborhood in San Diego to:
(i.) Research and design a standardized trash monitoring protocol for urban neighborhoods that can be conducted by novice citizen scientists and students
(ii.) Develop transferable educational curricula and materials for use in training and educating citizen scientists and students in the implementation of protocols and other topics related to the issues of trash pollution and the building of science identity.
(iii.) Conduct an education program to educate middle school students and their high school student mentors while piloting the educational curriculum and activities, and the trash monitoring protocols
California Sea Grant, Ocean Discovery Institute, NOAA Marine Debris Program, City of San Diego
