Sagehen Creek Field Station

16 Oct, 06 AM - 19 Oct, 06 AM

The purpose of this field trip is to introduce our class of high school students to the diversity of organisms that live in the wildlands of California, and to techniques for studying this diversity. An additional part of our overall program is to develop a collection of natural history objects (insect and plant specimens, vertebrate sign, and photos of vertebrates and habitats) that the students will analyze, curate, and display at their school. Students will also learn how to enter information on specimens and observations into a computer database. Through these field trips, lessons conducted by graduate students in the high school classroom, and the students? own work and ownership of the collections, we hope to enhance their experience with and understanding of the study of biology and natural history, increase their appreciation of California?s biodiversity, and, perhaps open some pathways into further study of science. The activities planned for this visit center around sampling and comparing plant, insect and vertebrate diversity in 3 different habitats: meadow, chaparral and mixed conifer forests. Students will be divided into three groups of five to work with a taxon specialist in each habitat, rotating to sample a different taxon group in each habitat area. Sampling techniques will include vegetation transects, pitfall trapping (2 or 3 in each habitat type) and sweep netting for insects, live trapping (catch and release) of small mammals, lizard noosing (catch and release), and bird observations. Specimens of common plants, insects, and vertebrate sign (scats, plaster casts of prints, feathers), bird and reptile salvage, and photos of vertebrates will be taken for further study in the classroom; these items will form the basis of the students' museum collection. At night students will use a black light and bat detector to observe moths and bats, and will discuss how observability might bias estimates of biodiversity. We also hope to place a few pitfall trap (for insects) around camp buildings. If there is time, students will sample aquatic invertebrates in the creek areas. In addition to introducing the students to biodiversity in these Sierran habitats, this visit can form the basis for more focused research projects to be undertaken during a second visit in the spring, or for a seasonal comparison of the presence and activities of organisms found at the site. Schedule: FRIDAY: arrive ca. 1:30. Afternoon: Orientation during walk to chapparal/burn area near entrance road. Set up transect in chaparral. Sample vegetation in 1m quadrats placed at 10m intervals along transect. Use sweep nets and beating sheets to sample insects, observe activity and evidence of vertebrates, set a line of 50 Sherman traps to sample small mammals, set pitfall traps for terrestrial invertebrates. Evening: set up black light to observe night flying insects, use a bat detector to listen for bats, and/or take a night walk along the road. SATURDAY: Morning: Check and collect Sherman traps. Demo use of phosphorescent powder to study movements. Set up transect in second meadow habitat (across stream from fish house), sample vegetation, observe vertebrates, sample insects, set out mammal traps, as described for first transect. Afternoon: hike to forested habitat adjacent to fen and above meadow; set up and study third transect using same methods as in the other habitats. Evening: Black light for night flying insects, vole tracking with phosphorescent powder, bat detector. SUNDAY Morning: check traps from meadow and forest trap lines, mammal show and tell. Study invertebrates in stream. Depart ca. 1:00. Note: Two of our Graduate Student fellows (Pete Oboyski and Emily DuVal) plan to arrive at Sagehen on Thursday 10/16 to unload equipment and finalize locations for the transects. There will be between 12 and 15 students attending this field trip, accompanied by 3 graduate student fellows, the high school classroom teacher, one undergraduate assistant, and the project coordinator. This provides a staff:student ratio of between 1:2 and 1:3

Visit #2038 @Sagehen Creek Field Station

Approved

Under Project # 1146 | Public Use

University of California Berkeley - Berkeley Natural History Museums

other - University of California, Berkeley

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 7 K-12 Instructor Oct 16 - 19, 2003 (4 days)
Group of 12 K-12 Student Oct 16 - 19, 2003 (4 days)

Reserve Resources(s) | Create Invoice

Apartment (Lower Camp) 19 Oct 16 - 19, 2003
East Cabin (Lower Camp) 19 Oct 16 - 19, 2003
West Cabin (Lower Camp) 19 Oct 16 - 19, 2003