The Bringing Baffin Back initiative, led by the Harte Research Institute (HRI) and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP), is a collaborative, science-based effort to restore the health and resilience of Baffin Bay, an iconic South Texas estuary experiencing long-term water quality decline and habitat loss due to nutrient pollution. A central component of this effort is the initiative’s education and outreach arm, which applies principles of place-based learning to connect youth, landowners, and community members living in a >1.5-million-acre rural watershed to Baffin Bay through hands-on education and outreach that fosters stewardship, ecological literacy, and community engagement.

A cornerstone of this education effort is the Exploring Baffin Bay Experience, a youth program offered annually in partnership with Texas Brigades, a non-profit youth education organization. This immersive, field-based event introduces participants ages 9–17 to watershed science, water quality monitoring, fisheries ecology, and birding through the lens of conservation and outdoor recreation. Delivered at no cost to participants and supported by volunteers, the program builds conservation knowledge about Baffin Bay and leadership skills in local youth, many of whom are experiencing the Bay for the first time.

Complementary efforts extend place-based education across the watershed through public workshops and outreach about riparian and stream health, septic system maintenance, soil health, grazing management, and sustainable lawn care. Direct mailers, community tabling events, and a growing social media presence help maintain stakeholder engagement and inform residents about ongoing restoration activities. Together, these efforts advance long-term watershed resilience by equipping residents with the tools and knowledge to make informed land and water management decisions.

This presentation will share lessons learned from integrating place-based education into a watershed restoration framework, including approaches to partnership-building, program evaluation, and adaptive outreach. The Bringing Baffin Back initiative's education program demonstrates how connecting science and community through experiential learning can cultivate stewardship, strengthen ecosystem literacy, and build local capacity for sustaining Gulf ecosystems for future generations.