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Irvine Ranch Water District honored Discovery Science Center at its September 26 Board of Directors meeting as a key Partner in Service. IRWD began a partnership with Discovery Science Center in 2008 to provide water science education to students throughout the District's service area.

"Discovery Science Center is a leader in developing engaging hands-on curriculum to align with grade-specific California Science Content Standards," said Interim General Manager Paul Cook.

The Discovery Science Center had its beginnings in 1984, when the boards of the Exploratory Learning Center and the Experience Center joined and formed the Discovery Museum of Orange County. The 59,000-square-foot Discovery Science Center opened at its present location in Santa Ana in 1998. The center is easy to locate with its unique 10-story high, 108-foot giant cube perched on one of its points on the top of the building.

Since 2008, Discovery Science Center has provided kindergarten through sixth grade water education programs and hands-on workshop-style middle school programs. Discovery Science Center has been able to weave in the IRWD educational message of Be Always Water Smart, including water recycling and natural treatment of urban runoff. During the 2010-11 school year, 8,167 Kindergarten through sixth grade students participated in the IRWD/DSC assembly program, while 1,605 students participated in the middle school program.

The Discovery Science Center has demonstrated exemplary collaboration with IRWD. Through the years, exceptional strides have been made in teaching students and families within the IRWD service area the value of water and the importance of protecting this vital resource.

From left, IRWD Board members John Withers, Mary Aileen Matheis, and Peer Swan; Janet Yamaguchi of Discovery Science Center; IRWD Interim General Manager Paul Cook; Discovery Science Center President Joe Adams; Toby Gant of Discovery Science Center; IRWD Board President Steve LaMar and IRWD Board Member Doug Reinhart.

The Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors honored the Nature Reserve of Orange County as a key partner in service at its meeting on November 28, 2011. The Nature Reserve was formed in 1996.

“The original partnership between the Nature Reserve of Orange County and IRWD began with NROC’s inception,” said IRWD General Manager Paul Cook. “However, we had the opportunity to enhance our partnership by welcoming NROC into the IRWD family in 2000 by providing them office space in our Sand Canyon building.”

The 1996 formation of the Nature Reserve of Orange County is the result of conservation planning by federal and state wildlife agencies, county and city governments, major landowners and the environmental community. The partnership was formed to establish a Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan for the Central and Coastal sub-region of Orange County. The result is a regional open-space reserve with 37,000 acres that permanently protects a wide range of local wildlife and natural habitats. NROC creates opportunities for people to enjoy and learn about this community of nature and it manages many monitoring and restoration programs throughout the reserve.

The 37,000 acres are located in two approximately equal sections - the Coastal Reserve extends from Newport Bay through Dana Point and north to Irvine. The Central Reserve is located in the county’s foothills and extends north of Irvine to the Santa Ana River. Some notable reserves in the IRWD service area include the City of Irvine Open Space Preserve, the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve and Irvine Regional Park.

The NROC Board of Directors is composed of public and private owners of reserve land, wildlife agencies, local governments and community representatives including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish & Game, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the County of Orange, the Irvine Ranch Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the University of California at Irvine, the Transportation Corridor Agencies, the City of Irvine, The Irvine Company, Headlands Reserve, LLC, the California Department of Forestry, the Coastal Greenbelt Authority and the Orange County Fire Authority. In addition three at-large public members representing the environment, business and recreation communities are elected to the board every two years. Board President, Steve LaMar serves as the IRWD representative.

Additional information about NROC can be found on their website, www.naturereserveoc.org.

From left, IRWD Board members Peer Swan, John Withers, and Mary Aileen Matheis; IRWD General Manager Paul Cook; Nature Reserve of Orange County Executive Director Lyn McAfee; IRWD Board President Steve LaMar and IRWD Board Member Doug Reinhart.