Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

11 Nov, 09 AM - 14 Nov, 09 AM

Proposal: ENVS 42C Ecopsychology class to spend Friday through Sunday camped at UC Big Creek Reserve, with possible follow up visits. Our preference would be to stay at the camp near Gamboa Point (Boranda?), however, if the fire danger is still high, we can stay at Redwood camp, and take day hikes up the hill. We will be camping in tents, and only require water and outhouses. The land will be impacted only during the restoration project, which will be planned with the site maganer. I would like to arrive with my class to the UC Big Creek reserve on a Friday afternoon. Before dinner we would meet with the site manager, Kurt Merg, and receive a 20-40 minute introduction/orientation to the reserve. On Saturday I will lead my students through various activities that help them experience the place as an educational reserve, and explore the human connections to the land. First I would like my students to make an intuitive or spiritual connection to the land and its beings. To do this I will have my students break into pairs, blindfolding one partner. The seeing partner will lead the blindfolded partner to a natural being (tree, rock, etc.) which they will ?get to know? without the use of their vision. Later they will be asked to find the being they sat with, and will be given time to journal about the activity. Next I would like to teach my students about the natural history of the site. They will learn the native and invasive species of the area, and those species interactions. They will also learn about human impacts on the area, both presently and historically. After the natural history lesson I will have my students do a more scientific observation of the land and site. They will each pick a different plant or animal and spend 15-20 minutes observing it and its interactions with its surroundings. They will use their journal to describe it both with words and illustration. At the end of this activity we will regroup to share the two beings that we spent time with and have a discussion about the contrasting ways of observing the natural objects. The students will then have solo time to contemplate the place they are in and the day?s teachings. They will be given questions to meditate upon, such as: What is the importance of this place? Why is this place special? Why and how is this place important to education? What is threatening this place as an educational reserve? What can we do to help? Upon regrouping later in the day, I will facilitate a discussion addressing the above questions. Either late Saturday afternoon or early Sunday morning the class will meet again with the site manager to develop a plan to benefit the UC Big Creek Reserve. The class will spend Sunday morning and afternoon working on this plan (quite possibly a form of restoration, such as invasive species eradication). I will invite my students to continue work on this project as their final project for the course. Those students may continue the project in the manner they feel most beneficial. This could include doing follow up visits to continue the restoration work or by developing educational curriculum regarding the role of Natural Reserve land in our higher public education system. The class will return to Santa Cruz by Sunday afternoon.

Visit #6065 @Landels-Hill Big Creek Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 4664 | Class

Ecopsychology Exploration

undergraduate_student - University of California, Santa Cruz

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 4 Faculty Nov 11 - 14, 2004 (4 days)
Group of 15 Undergraduate Student Nov 11 - 14, 2004 (4 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Redwood Camp 19 Nov 11 - 14, 2004