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A high school shop class turned into a conservation engine, and the results are changing a community. We sit down with Zach Smith, an ag mechanics teacher from California’s Central Valley, whose students built 70 wood duck boxes, partnered with California Waterfowl, and headed into the Grasslands to install and maintain them alongside refuge staff. What started as a woodworking unit became a hands-on lesson in habitat, stewardship, and the power of public lands.

Zach walks us through the ag mechanics pathway—woodworking, welding, electrical, and sheet metal—and how those skills translate directly to wildlife projects with real outcomes. We dig into why wood duck boxes matter for cavity nesters, the best practices for placement and predator protection, and how monitoring can guide better decisions season after season. The students don’t just build in the shop; they join U.S. Fish and Wildlife to brush up blinds, restore pollinator gardens, and see firsthand how wetlands are managed across the Los Banos, Kesterson, and San Luis complexes.

There’s also a forward-looking twist: an Ag Technology track that introduces ACDC fundamentals, motor controls, and robotics opens the door to conservation tech. We talk about practical ways to pair sensors and data logging with nest box surveys and water quality monitoring—turning shop projects into STEM-driven field research. Along the way, perspectives on hunting evolve as students and staff connect license dollars, volunteer labor, and habitat outcomes. Even those who don’t hunt leave with marketable skills, a deeper respect for wetlands, and a clear sense of how to contribute.

If you care about duck hunting, wetlands, education, or the future of the skilled trades, this conversation delivers insight and inspiration from the marsh up. Tap play, then share the episode with someone who loves the Grasslands—or a teacher who might bring a program like this to life. Subscribe for more stories that align skills with stewardship, and leave a review to help others find the show.