October 25, 1999
Students get hands-on experience in ecological restoration
As manager of the Social Science Media Lab, photographer Jon Kersey tries to get out in the field to document some of the activities being pursued by faculty and students in the Social Sciences Division. Last winter, he photographed students in a restoration ecology laboratory class. Some of his photographs are currently on display in the lobby of Social Sciences I. The class will be offered again this winter.
By Jon Kersey
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| Short bamboo stakes are used to mark plots for planting in environmental studies
graduate student Grey Hayes' research area. (more photos). Photos: Jon Kersey |
The lab section helped students integrate what they were learning
in class lectures. Students worked with Holl on a variety of restoration projects
in the vicinity of the UCSC Campus, recording their observations, thoughts, and questions
in field journals. The class project was to develop a monitoring program for Moore
Creek and complete the first round of monitoring.
For many students, the fieldwork helped them understand the complexities of ecological restoration, and it gave them a better grasp of the issues involved in the management of ecosystems.
"Restoration Ecology was a great class," said Kristen Gillis. "Doing hands-on work in the field with other people was one of the most rewarding experiences that I had as an undergraduate at UCSC." Much of the field work took place on the UCSC Campus Natural Reserve, which was established to preserve significant natural features and diversity on the UCSC Campus in support of outdoor teaching, field research, and environmental interpretation. Areas of the reserve are experiencing the management issues discussed in class and serve as "real world" examples. Because there is no travel time to the reserve, four hours of work in the field is four hours in the field. If students need to follow up on something, they can easily return to a field location to check data.
The course is intellectually and physically challenging, but it is a rewarding way to spend a Friday afternoon.
