As the summer weeks roll on, parents are often trying to find new ways to encourage their kids to get outside. Photography not only encourages creative expression, but it can also be a way to get children excited about capturing local wildlife or plants that they can later identify.

Children today are maturing in an environment entirely different than earlier generations. They have constant access to technological stimulation, which has largely come at the expense of outdoor experiences. As technology and media continue to be paramount in our lives, the understanding of our relationship with nature is often overlooked and forgotten. 

Wildlife photography has the power to bring the natural world, foreign places and all that they encompass, to the viewer. Capturing tender moments between a mother tiger and her cub, or the delicate and deceiving beauty of a camouflaged praying mantis ready to ensnare a hummingbird. These photographs bring to life places and species that we may never otherwise see and appreciate. These moments captured on film elicit strong feelings and we are changed; suddenly, we are connected to a new place and new animals. 

At our 2019 Student Showcase this past April, we recognized the commitment and passion of Jessica Dennen by awarding her the Watershed Educator of the Year. This year we were particularly struck by Ms. Dennen’s consistent enthusiasm for her students, for her curriculum, and for our Petaluma Watershed. We are honored to have her participate in the Watershed Classroom.

In 2017, Jessica Dennen was nominated for the Sonoma County Teacher of the Year Award. Carpe Diem and Sonoma Mountain principal Gregory Stevenson described Ms. Dennen as "a teacher that both recognizes and embraces the gaps in achievement of her students, and works extremely hard to differentiate instruction, cater to individual needs, and make every student feel important while moving them forward academically and in life.”

Ms. Jessica Dennen, who has taught in Petaluma for 15 years, is one of four full time teachers at Carpe Diem and Sonoma Mtn. High School. These two magnet schools offer an alternative program for students struggling in the traditional setting. Much of the success of the schools and students can be directly connected to the close relationships between the teachers and students, a bond strengthened by a unique daily schedule. Students receive instruction from only two teachers each day; the educators are responsible for providing the complete core program in English, History, Math, and Science. Ms. Dennen is responsible for teaching both Science and Art, and is the online coordinator as well.