ABOUT
Friends of the Pecos River formed in 2020 to bring education, science and awareness to the Forgotten Reach of the Pecos River—Imperial to Sheffield. Education is our foundational program.
We envision families becoming river enthusiasts and a new generation of local graduates pursuing higher education and careers in natural resources, river health, hydrology and stewardship.
Rural school districts are stretched thin, and introducing new programs can be a challenge. In 2024, Friends of the Pecos River created a new model for supporting STEM education programs, and it’s working. We created a part-time staff position to lead our Youth Education Program by providing much needed support and added capacity for local school districts and communities.
Grant funding from the Carl B & Florence E. King Foundation, Enel Green Energy and generous donations from Friends of the Pecos River founding board member Colin Odum and others, make this program possible.
Patina Crowder, a well-loved local retired science teacher who served local school districts for 30 years, serves as our Youth Education Coordinator. We are an official partner of the Iraan Sheffield Collegiate Independent School District (ISISD). And we aim to expand programs to Rankin, McCamey and Imperial (Buena Vista ISD) as funding and partnerships grow.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Summer STEM Camps
Since the summer of 2024, Friends of the Pecos River has partnered with the Hill Country Science Mill to host camp in Iraan. STEM Career Immersion (SCI) Camps provide immersive summer STEM experiences for students in grades 3–8 living in rural communities along the Pecos River, where access to STEM enrichment is limited. Through 35+ hours of hands-on learning in robotics, coding, engineering, and life sciences, students build confidence, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while exploring future career pathways in high-demand STEM fields desperately needing a skilled future workforce.
Pecos River 4-H Club
Working with the local AgriLife agent and representing Friends of the Pecos River, Patina Crowder created and now leads the Pecos River 4-H Club, Aquatic Science project. This program is available for students from 3rd grade through high school and home school students are welcome.
The Aquatic Science Project focuses its participants on the life in, on, and around the water and those specific live organisms, plants, and animals. This project area overlaps with several other project areas including Water Conservation & Integrates STEM with a focus on our local section of the Pecos River.
Families are welcome and it’s FUN! Registration takes place at the beginning of each school year at the ISISD. Email info@friendsofthepecosriver.org about the registration process.
Water Ambassadors Program
The Texas 4-H Water Ambassadors Program is administered through Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas 4-H Youth Development. The program prepares young leaders to become informed advocates for responsible water management and sustainability in their communities and across the state.
Samuel Sparks, an ISISD student, and Pecos River 4-H Aquatic Science Project participant, was selected as a member of the 10th cohort of this program. He is the first student to be selected from Pecos County and the Forgotten Reach of the Pecos River. Friends of the Pecos River is sponsoring his year as an ambassador. His responsibilities will include delivering educational presentations, leading local outreach efforts, and helping raise awareness about the importance of protecting Texas’ water resources.
We hope Samuel is the first of many Ambassadors from the Pecos River region. Applications open in March of each year.
Click to learn more about Samuel’s opportunity in the Water Ambassador’s program here.
Texas Stream Team
The Texas Stream Team is a statewide program based at Texas State University focused on community science and water quality monitoring. The Iraan Pecos River Park is an official monitoring site, and Patina is a certified trainer. Students and community members regularly visit the Iraan Pecos River Park to take water samples and report monthly as part of the official State of Texas database on water quality. Friends of the Pecos River provides all water testing equipment, supplies and resources and training.
Career and College Days
We participate as often as possible to bring awareness to opportunities for careers related to science and river health.
Caring for the River can be YOUR Career!
Contact Friends of the Pecos River for guidance. Here are a few areas to explore:
Ecological Restoration Specialist
Biologist/Aquatic Biologist Hydrologist/Hydrogeologist
Water Quality Technician
Rainwater Collection System Developer
Watershed Coordinator Conservation
Nonprofit Specialist
Water Utility Operator
Natural Resource Specialist
Wildlife Management Specialist
Conservation Delivery Resource Manager
Geographic Information Specialist
Internship Program
We aim to provide opportunities for college age students to experience nonprofit work first-hand.
Abbye Halata (Shattuck) served as our first intern while pursuing her natural resource management master’s degree at Sul Ross State University. Abbye grew up in the Iraan-Sheffield community and received her Bachelor of Science, Public Relations degree in 2023. She now works for the Texas Wildlife Association and continues her path connecting people to place, and protecting wildlife and natural resources in Texas.
Jodi Knight is our most recent communications intern, serving the spring/summer semester of 2026. Jodi completed her Environmental Science and Economics degree at Willamette University in May of 2026. With a background in field research, ranch work, and conservation outreach across Texas and South Africa, she is passionate about connecting people to the land through storytelling and creative communication.
If you are a college student who is interested in the Pecos River and conservation nonprofit work, please contact info@friendsofthepecosriver.org to express your interest in an internship opportunity. We welcome inquiries!
“I love that old Pecos River.
It taught me to swim.”
—Delmon Hodges, who learned to swim in the Reeves County reach in the 1930s, excerpted from Bitter Waters: The Struggles of the Pecos River