The Splash program began in February 1999 to fulfill two needs.
One was the need of a consortium of water agencies to build
awareness of Sacramento’s water resources and the public’s role
in their protection. The other was the desire of Eva Butler, a
local biologist, to encourage science education by introducing
children to vernal pools and streams. Splash emerged from their
common belief that nature inspires learning, and informed kids
can help protect water and habitat.
In 1997, Eva began volunteering at Crocker Riverside Elementary
to share the magic of vernal pools with her friend’s class of
fifth graders. With funding from the consortium, a small team of
local scientists and educators assembled to create two curricula
to meet the complementary objectives of science education and
water resource protection.
While the Splash classroom programs offer thousands of students a
once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience nature in our urban
environment, we believe that kids deserve multiple opportunities
to discover, explore, and connect to the living world around
them.
Our series of public programs give children and their parents
opportunities to explore the wildlands at Mather Field
with local scientists who love sharing what they know about
life in the great outdoors. These experiences at Splash can open
eyes, warm hearts, and expand minds to possibilities for future
pursuits.
The Splash Education Center is one of many buildings at Mather
Field that once served the Air Force and its military
community. Over the years, it has housed a convenience
store, the Mather Credit Union, and more recently, the sales
office of the Independence at Mather developer that converted the
military’s family housing units into new homes. The building
is currently owned by Sacramento County and leased for use by the
Splash program.
Vernal pools were once common in the grasslands around
Sacramento, especially in the vicinity of Mather Field. The vast
majority of pools have since disappeared under the plow or in the
wake of expanding urban development. Experts estimate that we now
see fewer than 10 percent of the vernal pools that existed in
California in John Sutter’s time.
