WATSONVILLE WETLANDS WATCH 2024–2026 STRATEGIC PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Organizational Values
To achieve WWW’s mission and vision, our Board and staff have defined the central values that will guide our work, both internally and in partnerships.
These include:
• Stewardship
• Equity
• Community
• Dignity
• Caring
• Vision
• Connection
With over 800 acres of freshwater and tidal wetlands, the Pajaro River and tributaries, and 5 natural lakes, the Pajaro Valley supports one of California’s most important coastal wetland systems. These wetlands and their watersheds provide habitats to over 270 resident and migratory birds and 23 different native plants, fish, and wildlife that are state and federally listed as threatened, endangered, and species of special concern. Seasonal wetlands provide flood attenuation, water quality improvement, groundwater replenishment, natural habitat, and recreation to more than 65,000 residents of the Valley and thousands of visitors each year.
The wetlands underlie the City of Watsonville and surrounding farmlands and neighborhoods. As throughout California, where over 90% of the wetlands have been lost since 1850, Pajaro Valley wetlands have undergone dramatic transformations resulting in loss of habitat, impaired water quality, and loss of ecosystem services over the past centuries. However, over the past three decades, through the work of Watsonville Wetlands Watch and many partners, a reverse of this long-term loss of wetlands and impairment of our watersheds has begun. Increasing appreciation and community stewardship of these natural resources has supported large scale, collaborative watershed restoration work. The result is the return of wildlife once thought to be lost to this valley, the beginnings of a reversal of groundwater overdraft, and the reinstatement of natural habitats and ecosystem services to protect our community and create a more enjoyable, livable, and climate resilient place for the generations to come.
For the full version of the strategic plan, please go to: www.watsonvillewetlandswatch.org/strategic-plan-2024-2026
WWW envisions a wetland ecosystem that thrives within Watsonville and the greater Pajaro Valley, with our community at the center of its conservation.
Watsonville Wetlands Watch (WWW) has been a leader in environmental conservation and community engagement in environmental issues in the Pajaro Valley since our founding in 1991. WWW envisions a wetland ecosystem that thrives within Watsonville and the greater Pajaro Valley, with our community at the center of its conservation. Our education and volunteer programs serve thousands of youth and students, ensuring that the next generation of leaders is equipped to take on the complex environmental challenges our community faces. Our habitat restoration programs strengthen the natural resources of our region, cleaning our waterways, improving trails and greenbelts, and laying the foundation of the return of wildlife species whose future survival depends on thoughtful actions taken today. More recently, our work has expanded to urban forestry and other activities related to climate resilience. As we look towards a future of increasing climatic challenges, we will build on our significant accomplishments to strengthen wetlands and environmental health, environmental education, youth leadership and workforce development, and climate resilience for all community members.
Over the next three years, our Strategic Plan will guide the thoughtful implementation of environmental restoration, tree canopy expansion, community building, outreach and engagement, climate resilience and climate action, improved access to nature, and youth and community education and workforce development. This work will be aligned with the unique needs of our community and be done in ways that enhance community health as a guiding principle.
WWW is deeply aware of the growing impacts of the climate crisis and the key roles that community members and the wetlands can play in building capacity to mitigate climate impacts and adapt successfully to environmental changes. To advance our mission in the coming years, we will focus on strengthening community engagement, in partnership with the diverse and multicultural population in the Pajaro Valley, and assisting Watsonville and the surrounding region in addressing climate change with the wetlands as a key resource for climate resilience.
Community Partnerships
This Strategic Plan is developed with the understanding that creating and preserving healthy natural and human communities in the Pajaro Valley requires many partners, each playing key roles in developing and implementing strategies and actions now and into the future. Education, restoration, and advocacy are key strategies of WWW’s work to achieve our mission and vision. WWW’s 2024–2026 strategic plan outlines the goals and activities that will provide our unique contribution to these communitywide efforts. We invite your participation and support. In partnership, we will advance critical conservation goals for our region.
3 to 5 Year Vision
Over the next few years, WWW will achieve important milestones toward the organization's 15-year vision.
• Integrate cultural relevance, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusivity in all aspects of the organization, including staffing, work culture, board, volunteers, programs, and community engagement.
• Increase focus on climate resilience and the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on the area’s most vulnerable populations and the wetlands.
• Expand restoration work with more wetland corridors restored, greater geographic reach, new partnerships, greater engagement of the diverse and multicultural Pajaro Valley community, farmers, and businesses; increase tree canopy and expand organizational capacity for urban forestry work; enhance coordination between restoration work and educational work.
• Empower community-led conservation. Some elements may include: projects led by youth, programs responsive and more relevant to Spanish-speaking, low-income communities, Latino/a adult community participation and leadership program, and ongoing ways to listen to and engage with this community.
• Expand educational and community outreach work, reaching more schools, offering innovative programming to reach diverse, multicultural, and Latino/a community, hosting engaging programs on-site at the Watsonville
Nature Center starting in fall of 2025, increasing youth participation in camps and field trips, and significantly deepening community engagement throughout our work.
• Develop youth leadership and academic and career pathways: expand the pipeline of young environmental leaders with a focus on learning leadership and civic engagement skills, increase paid internship opportunities for youth environmental leaders in environmental fields.
• Forge stronger, more coordinated partnerships with local organizations, particularly those working with Latino/a, Spanish-speaking communities.
• Engage a broader range of voices in advocacy on environmental issues, in coordination with other partners.
• Involve more volunteers from diverse backgrounds, making volunteer activities more accessible through location and outreach; increase volunteer engagement and retention and re-energize WWW docent program.
• Increase work with science and research institutions and sharing of lessons learned through multimedia communications and published technical papers.
Middle Struve Slough Habitat Enhancement and Water Quality Protection Project
