Participating Reserves: Angelo Coast Range Reserve, Hastings Natural History Reservation, Sagehen Creek Field Station

Funded by: National Science Foundation

Additional Information: http://gk12calbio.berkeley.edu/partners.php

The primary goal of the Exploring California Biodiversity program is to inspire in urban children an appreciation for the rich diversity of life and a recognition that biodiversity is not confined to rainforests in exotic places, but extends to their own schoolyards. Perhaps the most inspiring experience for any child is direct observation of life, and from this experience comes comprehension of life’s diversity, along with an appreciation of variation, adaptation, and the potential for biological evolution.

This National Science Foundation-funded program develops a learning community among graduate student fellows, classroom teachers, and their students that focuses on understanding the natural environment. Eight graduate fellows associated with the UC Berkeley Natural History Museums (BNHM), along with eight undergraduate associates, work with middle and high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, using the facilities and resources of the BNHM and UC Berkeley-administered NRS reserves. The program involves field trips, the building and studying of natural history collections in the K-12 schools, additional study of BNHM collections, and the use of interpretive tools.

Students in the program come from high schools and middle schools located in minority-dominated urban areas. Each year these students visit three NRS reserves — Angelo Coast Range Reserve, Hastings Natural History Reservation, and Sagehen Creek Field Station — to learn about the diversity of organisms that live in California and techniques for studying this diversity. Among other activities, the students learn how to capture (and release) and identify animals, collect and preserve plants, observe animals in the wild, navigate using a compass and GPS unit, and maintain accurate field notes. One key to the program's success is hiring graduate students who can capture the interest and imagination of young students. The program seeks out students who are advanced in their research, have a strong desire to work with a younger audience, and who show creative thinking about how to approach non-university audiences.

Teacher Comments about Exploring California Biodiversity

I like being involved in this project because I am deeply concerned about the loss of habitat and biodiversity in California and because I will learn techniques and information that I can share with my students. Our students are always excited at the prospect of being involved in projects that have meaning in the real world. They are aware of the loss of biodiversity in California, but have never been offered an opportunity to have more than a minute impact on reversing this loss. Through involvement in this project the students will learn to look closely at the natural world around them and provide baseline data that could effect change!
                   —Peg Dabel,
         Adams Middle School, Richmond, CA

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I have found that hands-on experience is the most effective way to awaken students’ enthusiasm for science. When they experience science as a process, they see and relate to it in a very positive way. This can work in their future, whether as a career path or simply as a heightened and informed appreciation of science.
                          —Phil Wharton,
                     El Cerrito High School

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I believe this project will be of inestimable value to my students. Emphasizing the scientific process, field techniques, museum-building, and a genuine appreciation for the biodiversity of the “island” of California, my students will learn what it is to be a scientist, rather than to just study science.
                          —Mardi Mertens,
                       Berkeley High School

In addition to reaching underserved students, the program has opened doors for the University in three primary areas. First, it provides opportunities for UC Berkeley graduate students to develop their ability to teach and communicate their specialized knowledge to younger students from diverse backgrounds. Graduate students involved in the program are based at one of the UC Berkeley Natural History Museums or the California Biodiversity Center (CBC). Second, the program provides a means through which the University can connect with the local K-12 community, particularly minority-dominated institutions. Finally, the program serves to highlight a sampling of UC Berkeley’s finest assets, its museums and natural reserves.

Schools involved in the program are located in some of the most depressed urban school districts in California (Pittsburg, Richmond, El Cerrito, Berkeley, Oakland). However, recognizing that remote rural communities often have limited access to University-level resources and enrichment, the program is now being expanded to include schools near the UC Berkeley natural reserves in Mendocino, Monterey, and Nevada counties. This expansion enhances access to science education and increases the University’s interaction with diverse communities that have widely varied values, issues, and concerns.