Subscribe - Austin Youth River Watch

Skip to main content

About Us
- History
- Staff
- Supporters
- FAQ’s
- Contact Us
Programs
Get Involved
Donate

About Us
- History
- Staff
- Supporters
- FAQ’s
- Contact Us
Programs
Get Involved
Donate

Press enter to begin your search

Join the AYRW mailing list

Austin Youth River Watch
P.O. Box 40351 Austin, TX 78704
Email: info@riverwatchers.org
Phone: (512) 708-9115

Quick Links

Contact AYRW
Water Quality Data
News & Events
Join the River Watchers Email List

riverwatchers

Transforming youth through environmental education, community, and adventure! 🌎🌿✨

The best way to beat the Texas heat? Go undergroun

The best way to beat the Texas heat? Go underground 🦇🪨

River Watchers spent the day exploring Whirlpool Cave, where we got to experience the Edwards Aquifer up close and personal and meet some of the amazing critters that call it home. From unique rock formations to cave-adapted wildlife, there was so much to discover beneath the surface. Thank you to Austin Watershed Protection for having us!

The coolest classroom in Texas might just be underground!

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Proof that everything somehow comes back to waters

Proof that everything somehow comes back to watersheds 🌊🌀

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

in our natural habitat! 🤿🩵🌀 Summer Cohort 2 recap

in our natural habitat! 🤿🩵🌀

Summer Cohort 2 recap so far!

Last week, we visited our friends at TreeFolks to learn all about Austin’s trees and the important role they play in keeping our watersheds healthy 🌳

This week was all about water! We visited Barton Creek Habitat Preserve to learn about water quality and then put our new skills to the test by monitoring the creek downstream of Barton Springs. We also got a snorkel tour with Save Our Springs, where we explored the creek from a whole new perspective and searched for creek critters 🤿🦎

We wrapped up Water Week with an adventure to Rio Vista Park to cool off after a busy week! One more week to go, and we can’t wait for what comes next! 🐟

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

We’re proud to be chosen to be a part of the 2026

We’re proud to be chosen to be a part of the 2026 Central Texas Climate Action Fund. The fund brings together nonprofits working across energy, natural systems, and community resilience.

When you donate, you’re supporting this collective work and for a limited time, your donation is matched up to $100,000 by the CTX Climate Philanthropy Collaborative. We appreciate your support!

Learn more & donate here: https://ctxclimate.org/donate

The fish were feeling the love this week! 🐟🩵 Week

The fish were feeling the love this week! 🐟🩵

Week 2 recap! We visited our friend Anne's ranch, where we got to explore, test the water quality of Wilbarger creek, feed cows and horses, and spend some time enjoying the Texas countryside 🐴🐮🌾

We also got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Austin Water Center for Environmental Research (CER) with Kevin Anderson, caught LOTS of fish at McKinney Falls State Park, and met some Barton Springs salamanders before heading out on a snorkel tour with Austin Watershed Protection 🦎🎣

This summer cohort may have been short, but we packed a lot into it!

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

We won a Texas Environmental Excellence Award for

We won a Texas Environmental Excellence Award for Education! 🩵🏆

Last night, we had the honor of attending the awards ceremony and celebrating alongside so many people dedicated to protecting and improving Texas' environment. One of the highlights of the evening was seeing a 3-minute video about River Watch on the giant IMAX screen at the Bullock Texas State History Museum

We're incredibly grateful to the TCEQ team for recognizing our work and for putting together such a special event. This award is a reflection of our students, alumni, families, staff, volunteers, and community partners who make River Watch what it is! 🌊

Check out this sneak peek and watch the full video on YouTube at the link in our bio!

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Looking for a new way to support our programs? 🩵🥕

Looking for a new way to support our programs? 🩵🥕

We’re looking for volunteers to help deliver meals to our students throughout the summer. Providing holistic support to our River Watchers is a core part of our mission, and we’re seeking weekly or biweekly volunteers to help deliver meals on Fridays!

Interested? ☀️ Find more details and sign up at the link in our bio!

#austin #education #volunteer #community #fun

just another day at our eco-house 🌾🌊🏡 what was yo

just another day at our eco-house 🌾🌊🏡

what was your fave? Ours is the pond full of tadpoles 🐸

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Senior highlights pt. 2 🎓🩵 More of our amazing se

Senior highlights pt. 2 🎓🩵

More of our amazing seniors! From creek days and field trips to countless hours spent learning, exploring, and building community, each of these River Watchers has left their mark on the program 🥹

We’re so proud of everything they’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see what comes next. Wherever life takes them, they’ll always have a home at River Watch 🌊🦦

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Senior highlights pt.1 🎓🩵 Our seniors have spent

Senior highlights pt.1 🎓🩵

Our seniors have spent countless hours at River Watch making memories, building community, caring for our creeks, and growing alongside each other. Now they’re getting ready for their next chapter, and we couldn’t be more proud 🥹

We will miss our graduates and wish them the best in their future endeavors. Once a River Watcher, always a River Watcher! pt. 2 soon 🦦

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

How the end of the school year has us feeling 😝🌊

How the end of the school year has us feeling 😝🌊

Afterschool programming has officially come to an end! Here are a few highlights from the past few months: visiting the Wishbone Bridge, macroinvertebrate sampling, water quality testing, fishing, and watercolor painting at McKinney Falls, and making s’mores together around the fire 🌿🐟🏕️

Soo many good memories were made with our River Watchers this semester. We are especially going to miss our seniors!! 🩵

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

WOW! Our 35th Anniversary Celebration was truly on

WOW! Our 35th Anniversary Celebration was truly one for the books 🎉

From catching up with students, alumni, families, staff, and community partners to enjoying live music, raffle prizes, food, and a sunset hike down to our very own Colorado River, the night was full of so much joy and community 🌅🌊

We were also incredibly honored to receive an official proclamation from the City of Austin declaring River Watch Day!! 🥳

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us. Your support, presence, and belief in this work mean the world to us and help make programs like River Watch possible year after year!!

We’re feeling very lucky to be part of such an amazing community! Here’s to the next 35! 🩵

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

We recently gathered at the EcoHouse to celebrate

We recently gathered at the EcoHouse to celebrate our graduating seniors 🩵

Surrounded by family, friends, and the River Watch community that’s grown with them over the years, it was a night full of laughter, memories, and a lot of appreciation for everything that led us here.

We shared a delicious meal from Three Chicks Soul Food, captured the night thanks to photographer @ericvryn, and honored each senior with a cord and certificate. Huge thank you to @lootrentals for sponsoring the tables and chairs and helping bring it all together.

We ended the night with a special video, dessert, and yes… a few tears. So proud of these seniors and everything they’ve brought to River Watch. We’ll miss them, but we’re so excited for what’s next 🎓✨

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Fishing day at McKinney Falls State Park with the

Fishing day at McKinney Falls State Park with the TPWD Angler Ed team 🎣

Ricardo caught his first fish EVER, and Jaeya pulled in a HUGE channel catfish… safe to say it was a good day! We spent the evening learning where fish live in the water, how to read the creek, and where to cast for the best chance at a catch.

Big thank you to Natalia and the TPWD Angler Ed team, we had so much fun 🩵

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Spring Break Eco-Adventure recap! 🛶🌲 We camped at

Spring Break Eco-Adventure recap! 🛶🌲

We camped at @caddolakesp and had an amazing week!

The Pineywoods were absolutely stunning and made the perfect backdrop for a week of exploring. We biked every nook and cranny of the park, canoed across Saw Mill Pond (where we even spotted a beaver lodge!), tried our hand at fishing, and went on an awesome guided boat ride with Capt. Mike 🪾🦫🎣

We also joined park interpreter Ranger Hilary for a guided hike, where we got to learn even more about the Pineywoods and the unique ecosystem that makes this place so special 🌿

And of course, every night ended with delicious meals thanks to Chef Emma 🩵

Safe to say this won’t be our last trip to the Pineywoods! 🌲🌌

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Join us at our adopted creek, Buttermilk Creek, fo

Join us at our adopted creek, Buttermilk Creek, for a trash clean up! 🧤🌿🌊

We’ll be spending the morning showing this space some love with a community trash cleanup to help keep the creek healthy, beautiful, and thriving for everyone who shares it!

We’ll be meeting at the park across the creek, so please plan to park nearby, since there will be an event happening at St. John’s Library that day.

Come out, get your hands dirty, and help us keep Austin beautiful! Sign up link in bio! 🚮

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

Did you know we’re not just pros at river watching

Did you know we’re not just pros at river watching? We’re also pros at geocaching 🧭🌿

During our East Texas eco-adventure, we hit Atlanta State Park and Caddo Lake State Park for some geocaching and found some pretty cool treats. Naturally, we left a little something for future adventurers too 👀

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

In March, we harvested some of our leafy greens, a

In March, we harvested some of our leafy greens, and they were oh so yummy! 🥬🩵

Now that spring has officially sprung, we’ve planted a few spring and summer treats and can’t wait to watch them grow (and eat)🌿

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

35 years of River Watch! You’re invited 🩵🎉 What s

35 years of River Watch! You’re invited 🩵🎉

What started in the 1990s as a small effort to connect young people to their local waterways has grown into a community of students, alumni, families, staff, and partners all working together to care for Austin’s creeks and rivers. This night is a celebration of that shared work and everyone who makes it possible 🌊🦦

Come by for food and drinks, a guided evening hike along the river trail, a special City of Austin proclamation declaring River Watch Day, and a 90s-themed celebration honoring where it all began 🎉🪩📼

Ticket link in bio! Free for all, but donations are always welcome 🙂‍↕️

#austin #education #adventure #community #fun

all sunshine and rainbows over here at River Watch

all sunshine and rainbows over here at River Watch!

want to be a part of this?! Our summer program application is open NOW! ☀️

Sign up at the link in our bio 🌊

#fun #education #adventure #summer #fun

Follow on Instagram

© 2026 Austin Youth River Watch.

twitter
facebook
RSS
instagram
email