Huron
About Wings of Knowledge, Apr 2025
The Wings of Knowledge program empowers young people to improve their communities through action-research projects.
Blue Oak Ranch
Hardware and software update at Blue Oak Preserve, April 2023
The Blue Oak Ranch Preserve north of Springville is the site for a number of future projects, including a project to study the habits of the western pond turtle. Last summer (August 2022) a team Read more…
Gonzales
Installing a gateway on the Santa Lucia range, August 2022
Gateways are systems that wirelessly collect information from sensors and upload that data to the Internet for easy access. Gateways are usually installed at farms and have a wireless range of about 1 to 3 Read more…
Blue Oak Ranch
Helping the western pond turtle, July 2022
The western pond turtle is found along the West Coast ranging from Baja Mexico to Canada. These turtles are found at the Blue Oak Ranch Preserve located north of Springville, California and managed by the Read more…
Gonzales
A new tool for soil sensor installations, May 2021
We use different types of sensors in the farm projects. Some sensors are large and some are quite small. One particular soil sensor has a diameter of about 1 inch and we were installing it Read more…
Arvin
Remote pond monitoring at the Buckeye Ranch, January 2020
A new requirement for land owners in California is reporting the water levels of ponds on their land. Measuring and recording pond levels on a monthly basis requires extra time, effort and fuel. Youth from Read more…
Poplar
Creating a water tank level sensing system, April 2019
A team of middle school students from the town of Poplar visited a grower in Strathmore to discuss the idea of installing soil moisture sensors in the pistachios. After a conversation with the grower a Read more…
Chualar
Setting up a weather station in Chualar, May 2018
To forecast the weather NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) gathers and analyzes data from local weather stations to understand what’s happening today. There are places where NOAA does not have access to local weather Read more…
Gonzales
Installing soil moisture sensors at Rava Ranches, May 2017
Each day growers make many decisions in order to grow the food that we eat. These decisions include deciding when to irrigate and for how long. Soil moisture sensors, buried next to a plant’s roots, Read more…
Art
Art with elementary school children, March 2015
Watsonville High students expressed an interest in going back to their elementary schools to teach art to children. The school supported their idea.
Gonzales
Pilot Project with Gonzales Unified, March 2015
After the pottery wheel project the principal of the middle school in Gonzales asked if we could extend the program to engage 2 STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) focused classes, about 60 youth in total. Read more…
Gonzales
Building pottery wheels, July 2014
An 8th grade student at Chualar School had mentioned the idea of building a pottery wheel. The idea was to have access to more art activities. The idea caught the imagination of a few youth Read more…
Mural
Service project in Watsonville, November 2013
Across the street from Cesar Chavez Middle School is a long fence. Youth from the middle and high schools felt it would be nice to add some color to the fence as a service project.
Gonzales
Welcome to Gonzales mural, August 2013
Upon entering the town of Gonzales you drive by fields and then a large fence. Some youth and young adults decided to paint a large, colorful welcome mural.
Chualar
Adding some color in Chualar with a mural, July 2013
In the town of Chualar, local youth work together with youth from the nearby town of Gonzales to paint murals over graffiti to add color and beauty to the neighborhood.
Gilroy
Making our own soccer field, July 2012
In the town of Gilroy there’s a small neighborhood of trailer homes near Luchessa. On one side are railroad trackers and on the other a wide street with fast traffic, leaving local kids with few Read more…
Watsonville
Preparing food for the homeless, April 2012
High school students from Watsonville got together on a Saturday to prepare and serve meals to homeless persons. They were accompanied by a teacher from Pajaro Valley High School and a couple of adult volunteers.
Gardens
Planting flowers to add color to our neighborhood, February 2012
The Junior Youth Empowerment Program in Gilroy placed an emphasis on equipping young people with capabilities that enable them to improve their communities. In this weekend service project, children and youth from the El Cerrito Read more…