King County makes it easy for educators and students to find guidance on habitat, invasive plants, clean water projects and more in curricula that meet state and federal education requirements, that is customized for Pacific Northwest conditions and environment, and that can offer students ideas for future careers.

Many water quality problems are due to development, our activities and the pollutants that are washed into streams, lakes and Puget Sound by storms.

King County offers stormwater guides that connect educators with ways to teach and learn about clean water and environmental issues. The guides list services and resources that include curricula, transportation, in-class trainers, workshops, costs, presentations, camps, and grant and professional development opportunities.

King County’s Solid Waste Division sponsors a Green Schools Program to provide K-12 schools in the county with environmental stewardship tools and support to start and expand waste reduction, recycling and conservation projects.

Education resources such as the Stormwater Runoff Education Resource Guides, the Green Schools Program, internships and more, are at kingcounty.gov/EnviroEd. There are also links to internship opportunities for college and high school students.

“Drain Rangers” are tested classroom lessons to help build an understanding of stormwater runoff and the actions we can take for clean water. Students use practices similar to the problem solving an engineer would use to address polluted runoff and drainage problems.

Find Drain Rangers videos and lesson plans at pugetsoundstartshere.org, under Classroom Tools.

Look for the Spanish-language versions of the Drain Rangers curricula to be posted soon! Drain Rangers curricula was created by the Puget Sound Starts Here coalition of cities, counties, and education nonprofits, led by City of Bothell, and supported by a grant from Washington State Department of Ecology.

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks participates in the Puget Sound Starts Here efforts connecting with residents and businesses to preserve clean water, open space, and healthy habitats for wildlife and people.