Riverside County Watershed Protection

Riverside County high school students can become Watershed Leaders of Tomorrow by hosting a cleanup in their community.
Organize one on your own, with friends, or with a class or club. Clean up a park, neighborhood, trail, or local waterway and help protect the places we all share.
🎉 What you can earn:
👕 Free t-shirt for every student who hosts a cleanup
🍕 Pizza party for participating classes or clubs
💳 One individual, class, or club will win a $200 gift card
You do not need to register ahead of time. Just complete your cleanup and submit the form afterward to be eligible for prizes.
Submit your cleanup here: bit.ly/RC-Watershed-Leader
Need ideas or planning help? View our Student Cleanup Guide for additional resources: bit.ly/HS-Student-Cleanup-Guide

Garden Know-How Series: Getting Started Right
Do you know the difference between direct seed and transplant?
Direct seeding is when you plant a seed straight into the ground where it will grow for its full life cycle. Plants like zinnias, sunflowers, alyssum, celosia, and marigolds often thrive this way because they prefer not to have their roots disturbed.
Transplanting is when a plant is started in a tray or small pot and then moved into the garden once it is more established. Tomatoes, peppers, and many herbs are common transplants because they benefit from a strong early start in a controlled environment.
Understanding which method to use helps plants grow with less stress and higher success rates, which means healthier gardens that need fewer replacements, less excess watering, and fewer inputs overall.
That matters for watershed protection here in Riverside County. Well-established, properly planted gardens are less likely to contribute to runoff from overwatering or excess fertilizers, helping keep our local waterways cleaner and healthier.

Final reminder, Riverside County residents! We’d love your input. Help improve our program by taking our short Annual Survey. It only takes a few minutes and can make a big difference in what we do next.

As a thank you, one resident will be randomly selected to win a $50 gift card to a retailer of their choice.

Take the survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/9CHB9N9

Deadline: May 27