Spring 2015 Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe California Naturalist 6-‐Week Course – Syllabus Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe California Naturalist Philosophy: We are a community of learners from diverse backgrounds, sharing a love of nature and the desire to extend our passion and skills to others through service. The dynamic nature of each class, unique in it’s own way because of its participants, is highly valued. Every voice is heard as we strive to balance academics with active learning and fun, allowing the naturalist in each of us to blossom. Instructor: Leslie Smith As a lover of nature and everything outdoors, and with a passion for sharing the experience with others, Leslie delights in her role as Coordinator for the Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe California Naturalist Program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Masters degree in Integrated Science Teaching and has taught students of all ages, including middle and high school science, math and language arts. Leslie served as the Science Coordinator for the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, creating and directing an outdoor education program at the South Yuba River State Park. Her work as a facilitator for teacher professional development influences the experience for teachers and others in our program who seek to enhance curriculum, after-‐school programs, and other activities that might involve youth. Leslie is well-‐versed, not only in ecology and natural science, but in California K-‐12 education, Common Core, Next Gen Science Standards, and Education About the Environment (EEI). She enjoys learning from others and working with diverse groups to foster communities in which everyone contributes in his/her own way. Contact Information: Leslie Smith: sagehen-‐[email protected] Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe Cal Nat Website: http://sagehen.ucnrs.org/events.htm#calnat California Naturalist Website: http://ucanr.org/sites/UCCNP/ Guest Speakers and Field Trip Leaders: (TBA: Below is a list of past, current, & potential speakers.) Jeff Brown: Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station; Director Central Sierra Central Research Station Faerthen Felix: Assistant Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station Kaitlin Backlund: Sagehen iNaturalist Biota Project Coordinator; Sagehen California Naturalist Janet Zipkin: Former Board Member, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and Sagehen California Naturalist Dr. Andy Rost: PhD., Asst Professor, Science & Technology, Sierra Nevada College Heather Segale: Education and Outreach Director, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Center (TERC) Allison Toy: TERC Volunteer Docent Coordinator David Antonucci: Civil and Environmental Engineer Tom Bullard: Desert Research Institute Dr. S. Geoffrey Schladow: Director, UC Davis TERC Dr. Charles Goldman: freshwater scientist; founding director, UC Davis Tahoe Research Group Christine Ngai-‐Ryan: University of Nevada Reno Brant Allen: UC Davis Boat Captain and Field Station Manager Mike Wolff: Environmental Chemist; Supervising Environmental Engineer, Washoe County Air Quality Management District Colin Robertson: Nevada Art Museum, Charles N. Mathewson Curator of Education Beth Christman: Education Director, Truckee Watershed Council Kris Boatner, District Wildlife Biologist/Natural Resources Officer, Truckee Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 1 Leah Gardner: Botanist, State of California and Sagehen California Naturalist Gary Raines-‐ Geologist, USGS (Emeritus) Susan Kocher, UC Cooperative Extension, Forestry/Natural Resource Advisor Barbie Toschi: Biologist; High School Science Teacher Emeritus; Sagehen California Naturalist Gary Griffiths: Elementary School Teacher; Sagehen California Naturalist Program Partners UC Cooperative Extension UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) Sierra Watershed Education Partnership (SWEP) Sierra Nevada College Sustainable Tahoe US Forest Service Course Description: The California Naturalist class will introduce you to the wonders of our unique ecology and engage you in the stewardship of California’s natural communities. The course utilizes a combination of science curriculum, guest lectures, field trips, and project-‐based learning to immerse you in the natural world of the northern Sierras, focusing on the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee River Watershed. UC California Naturalist Goals: • Foster a committed core of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration • Provide training, in collaboration with local partnering institutions, for adult environmental stewards through an adaptable outdoor and in-‐class curriculum • Engage adults in interactive learning that provides them with scientific-‐literacy and critical thinking skills using: a science curriculum, hands-‐on learning, communication and interpretation training, and community service Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. Understand what it means to be a naturalist 2. Integrate knowledge about the connectedness of abiotic, biotic, and cultural factors that influence the natural history of the Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee River Watershed. 3. Demonstrate skills in making and recording natural history observations and data in a field notebook 4. Apply knowledge of the Lake Tahoe and Truckee area ecosystems to local and global environmental issues. Required Text: The California Naturalist Handbook (de Nevers, Edelman, and Merenlender, 2013) Available from University of California Press (We are working on a local source to carry this book) Components of the California Naturalist Program: Class Description: May 14 – June 25 (see detailed schedule and attendance policy below) Regular class meetings will be held once a week on Thursday evening from 6-‐9 PM in room 141 at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Dr, Incline Village, NV. We realize this isn’t a California location but it is a UC Davis-‐managed facility designed to research and provide educational outreach about the lake and thus is an appropriate place to hold our class meetings. There are two exceptions to our weekly meeting schedule. First, there will be no class the week of May 21 since it is Memorial weekend. Secondly, in order to complete the course before we get too far into the summer Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 2 months and also to incorporate the TERC docent training into our course, Week 3 (6/2 – 6/7) includes additional class sessions. During that week, we’ve added an additional class on Tuesday June 2, in addition to the regular Thursday class, and the hours for each of those classes are extended (see detailed schedule below). We will videotape the portions of these classes that occur early in the day to accommodate those who absolutely cannot take time off work. However, we strongly encourage attendance at these sessions if at all possible-‐ you will find them extremely interesting and full of valuable information that will enhance your experience in this course and as a naturalist in the community. (Attendance at these sessions are required of those seeking to become TERC docents.) We’ve also included a two-‐day Immersion Weekend at the end of Week 3 that will begin at the Tahoe City Field Station (Historic Hatchery) on 6/6 and move to the Sagehen Creek Field Station until 4PM on Sunday, 6/7. Participants will stay in cabins at the station Saturday night; room and board for the weekend are included in the course fee. After Week 3, regular class meetings will resume on Thursday evenings only for the remainder of the course. Field Trips: This class will have 3 required Saturday field trips in addition to field trips scheduled during the Immersion Weekend (see schedule). Field trips will take place in various locations, including Sagehen Creek Field Station and it’s surrounding lands, the UC Davis Tahoe City Field Station, and others. An additional field session scheduled for the morning of Friday, June 12 is an excursion on Lake Tahoe aboard the UC Davis research vessel John LeConte, if weather conditions cooperate. Participants have a choice of 8-‐10AM or 10AM-‐12Noon. Carpooling to field trips is recommended whenever possible. Attendance: Participants must complete 40 hours of instruction during the course, including at least 25 hours of instruction and 15 hours of field time. Only one class session can be missed and participants must make up class activities on their own time. Please inform the Instructor if you know you’ll miss a class. Because of the unique aspects of the field trips, participants cannot miss a field trip. In the case of an emergency and a field trip is missed, participants may be able to arrange an alternative option-‐ again, please talk to the Course Instructor if you find yourself in this position. Reading Assignments: Each week there are required readings from the The California Naturalist Handbook and reading guide questions to be completed before class. iNaturalist: Over the course of the California Naturalist class, participants as Citizen Scientists will add to the Sagehen iNaturalist biota and tracking projects. Each participant is responsible for adding at least 5 observations. Please bring a smart phone or tablet if you have one. If not, a camera will suffice and we can help you upload it onto the website. We will go over the program with you during the Immersion Weekend at the Sagehen Creek Field Station. The link to our class project site is: http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/sagehen-‐creek-‐basin-‐biota-‐documentation-‐project . Capstone Project: As a requirement for California Naturalist certification, participants are required to complete a volunteer service project of his/her own design to provide a bridge from the class to service within the community. We will help guide you in developing your project if needed. We encourage establishing a relationship with a community organization or agency that represents one of your interests before class begins if possible. We will help you make connections if you aren’t familiar with organizations in your area. You may work in teams where appropriate. All projects must be approved by the course Instructor before development. Participants will make a brief, no more than 5 minute, presentation about their project to the group on the last night of class. Presentations need not be fancy but do need to describe the who, what, when, where, and how of the project and will be timed in order to fit all presentations into the time allotted. We’ll go over this in more detail the first night of class. Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 3 Volunteering: Naturalists are encouraged to fulfill at least 40 hours of volunteer service each year. During the first year most naturalists satisfy this requirement in the development of their Capstone project. The activity needs to: relate to California’s natural or environmental cultural history; occur in California; be sponsored by an organization; be unpaid. Each volunteer service activity should fit under one of these categories: • Stewardship • Education/Interpretation • Citizen Science • Program Support (of an existing organization) Participants will log hours on the UC Volunteer Management System (VMS), which will be covered on the first evening of class. The link to VMS is: https://uccn.volunteersystem.org/UniversalLogin.cfm Course Fee: The fee for this course is $425 if paid before April 15, 2015. The fee covers: Administration costs, Instruction and Coordination, California Naturalist Certification, and Station Fees and Catering for Immersion Weekend at Sagehen Creek Field Station (lodging, dinner Saturday night, breakfast and lunch Sunday). Participants are responsible for purchasing their own handbooks. Detailed Course Calendar: See the detailed calendar below for all course dates and meeting times. Please note: while the dates of class and field trips will remain as follows, there may be some rearranging of topics on specific dates. Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 4 Spring 2015 Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe Course Schedule: 6-‐Wk Course, May 21–June 25 Week Date Time Place Topic Speaker Reading 1 5/14 Thurs 6-‐9 pm TCES, Incline Village Introduction to the California Naturalist Program and California’s Natural Resources 1 5/16 Sat 9 am – 2 pm -‐ 5/21 Thurs 5/28 Thurs -‐ Lower Sagehen Creek Trail, Truckee Holiday, no class TCES, Incline Village Field Trip: Intro to Field Notebooks, Interpretation, Geology, Plants, Animals, Water Memorial Weekend 2 6-‐9pm 3 6/2 *Tues 2– 6:30 pm TCES, Incline Village 3 6/4 Thurs 4 -‐ 7 pm TCES, Incline Village 3 6/6 Sat to 6/7 Sun 9 am Sat to 4 pm Sun 6/11 Thurs 6/12 Fri 6/13 Sat 6/18 Thurs 6-‐9 pm 8-‐10 am or 10-‐12 9 am – 1 pm 6-‐9 pm Tahoe City Field Station 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Sat -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Sagehen Creek Field Station, Truckee 1 pm Sat – 4pm Sun TCES , Incline Village Tahoe City Marina Boat Dock Sagehen Creek Field Station TCES, Incline Village 6/20 Sat 6/25 Thurs 9 am-‐ 12 pm 6-‐9pm Sagehen Creek Field Session TBD Immersion Weekend 4 4 4 5 5 6 Reading Review Presentation: Energy, Ecology, and Environmental Issues Geology, Culture, Animals, Hydrology, Climate, Environmental Issues, Interpretation and Collaboration *This session will be videotaped for those who can’t attend the early sessions Animals, Environmental Issues Leslie Smith Ch. 1: CA Natural History & the Role of Naturalists Kitty Williamson, Leslie Smith -‐ Mike Wolff, Leslie Smith, Heather Segale, Allison Toy, David Antonucci, Tom Bullard, Leslie Smith Ch 6: Animals & Ch 3: Water Ch 7: Energy and Global Environmental Issues Ch 2: Geology, Climate, Soils Presentations: Plants, Animals, Environmental Issues, Citizen Science, iNaturalist, Interpretation, Field Notebooks Field Trips: Geology, Citizen Science, Field Notebooks Dr. Geoffrey Schladow, Dr. Charles Goldman Heather Segale, Allison Toy, Dave Long, Christine Ngai-‐Ryan, Leslie Smith, Kaitlin Backlund, Colin Robertson, Gary Raines Debrief and Reading Review Plants Presentation Field Trip: TERC Research Vessel: Water, Animals, Environmental Issues Leslie Smith Leah Gardner Brant Allen Ch 4: Plants Field Trip: Plants Leah Gardner Debrief and Reading Review Forest and Woodland Resources Leslie Smith Susie Kocher? Field Trip: Forests USFS Forester Ch 5: Forests, Woodland, & Range Capstone Presentations and Graduation Ceremony Leslie Smith Ch 8: Interpretation Collaboration, and Citizen Science Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 5 Week 1 Thurs, May 14 6:00 – 9:00 pm: Intro to California Naturalist Program Instructors: Leslie Smith, Program Coordinator Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe California Naturalists Location: Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TCES), Incline Village, NV (TERC Center) Description: Introduction to: the California Naturalist Program and the role of a California Naturalist; class logistics; description of California’s unique natural and human histories, ecology, and landscape; and keeping a naturalist’s journal. Sat , May 16 9:00am – 1:00pm: Field Session: Hike Lower Sagehen Creek Trail Instructors: Kitty Williamson, Sagehen California Naturalist, Author of Lower Sagehen Creek Trail Guide Leslie Smith, Biologist and Science Educator Location: Lower Sagehen Creek Trailhead-‐ Truckee Description: A guided hike along the Lower Sagehen Creek trail, following the north bank of Sagehen Creek from Highway 89 to Stampede Reservoir. The hike will consist of a 5.3-‐mile loop. Lower Sagehen Creek Trail Guide author and Sagehen California Naturalist, Kitty Williamson, will Join us to narrate the fascinating history of Sagehen Creek from several perspectives. The land has seen lava flows and glaciation. Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, an ancient species now declared “threatened,” once swam in these waters, and a research program at the Sagehen Creek Field Station is studying the possibility of reintroducing them. The trail also has several outstanding features that can be seen today. For example, it passes through dense forest, which has re-‐grown after extensive logging and wildfire. Part of the trail is on an old railroad grade from the logging era. A beaver dam on Sagehen Creek has impounded a large pond where beaver lodges can be seen. As you approach Stampede Reservoir, you may see migrating birds including the elegant sandhill crane and the large American white pelican. An aspen restoration project by the USDA Forest Service is visible on the shores of the reservoir. This walk along Sagehen Creek will provide a window on both the natural and human history of the area. Along the way, Course Instructor, Leslie Smith, will introduce the use of field notebooks and provide helpful tips for recording observations and sketching in nature. Thurs, May 21: No class – Memorial Weekend Week 2 Thurs, May 28 6:00 – 9:00 PM Energy, Ecology, and Global Environmental Issues Instructors: Mike Wolff* and Leslie Smith Location: TCES, Incline Village Description: Mike will give a presentation on the topic of Energy and Global Environmental Issues related to energy. Leslie will present information about energy relationships in nature and conduct activities to enhance understanding. Week 3 Tues, June 2 2:00-‐ 6:30pm-‐ Lake Tahoe 101 and Geology of the Lake Tahoe Basin *The first part of this session, from 2:00 – 3:45 pm, will be videotaped for later viewing by those who can’t attend due to work constraints. Instructors: Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 6 Heather Segale, Ed and Outreach Director for TERC Allison Toy, Volunteer Docent Coordinator for TERC David Antonucci, Civil and Environmental Engineer Tom Bullard, Desert Research Institute Leslie Smith, Coordinator Sagehen-‐Lake Tahoe CA Naturalists (Debrief) Location: Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences (TCES), Rm 141, Incline Village, NV Description: This session will begin with an introduction to the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) and a description of its docent program. Current docents will comment on their experiences as docents, followed by a presentation entitled: Lake Tahoe 101: Lake of the Sky-‐ The Story of Lake Tahoe by David Antonucci. In his talk, Antonucci will address the following topics: Geology and Formation of Lake Tahoe, Bathymetry of the Lake bottom, Cultural and Environmental History, Limnology and Climate, and Environmental Issues. Thurs, June 4: 2:00–7:00pm-‐ Interpretation, State of the Lake, and History Research at Lake Tahoe *The first part of this session, from 2:00 – 3:45 pm, will be videotaped for later viewing by those who can’t attend due to work constraints Instructors: Heather Segale and TERC Staff Dr. S. Geoffrey Schladow-‐ Director, UC Davis TERC Dr. Charles Goldman-‐ freshwater scientist and founding director, UC Davis Tahoe Research Group Location: TCES, Incline Village Description: Participants will be introduced to the TERC Docent Program and rotate through the educational exhibits of the Tahoe Science Center. They will be introduced to various approaches to educational interpretation and best practices when working with the public. Dr. Geoffrey Schladow will talk about the state of the lake, climate change and other issues affecting the lake in a presentation called: Everything You Wanted to Know About Lake Tahoe But Were Afraid to Ask. There will be a break with appetizers and Happy Hour, followed by The History and Stories of Research at Lake Tahoe, a presentation by Dr. Charles Goldman about research that has been conducted over four decades and the challenges that lie ahead. Sat, June 6 – Sun, June 7: California Naturalist Immersion Weekend Sat, June 6: 9:00 am– 12:30 pm – Eriksson Education Center Exhibits and Ecology of Lake Tahoe Instructors: Heather Segale and TERC Staff Christine Ngai-‐Ryan, University of Nevada Reno Location: Tahoe City Field Station (Historic Hatchery), 2400 Lake Forest Rd, Tahoe City, CA Description: A tour of the Eriksson Education Center will include a guided walk through the educational exhibits and the Native Plant Demonstration Garden. Citizen Science Projects conducted at the Center, including water quality, plant phenology, and bird watching will be introduced. Christin Ngai-‐Ryan will present on the topics of Ecology and the Food Web of Lake Tahoe and Invasive Species. 12:30 pm: Participants drive to Sagehen Creek Field Station, Highway 89, Truckee, CA Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 7 1:00 pm: Orientation to Field Station Instructor: Jeff Brown, Manager Sagehen Creek Field Station 2:00 pm: Cabin Assignments – Leslie Smith 2:30 pm: iNaturalist Introduction – Kaitlin Backlund, Sagehen iNaturalist Volunteer Coordinator 3:30 pm: Field Sessions-‐ Sagehen Citizen Science Projects -‐ Kaitlin Backlund and Barbie Toschi 4:30 pm: Break 5:00 pm: Dinner 6:00 pm: Reading Review: Water – Leslie Smith 7:00 pm: Presentation and Activities-‐ Interpretation Instructor: Colin Robertson, Nevada Museum of Natural History 9:00 pm: Sessions End Sun, June 7 7:00 am Breakfast 8:15 am Reading Review-‐ Geology 9:00 am Geology Field Trip Instructor: Gary Raines, USGS (emeritus) 2:00 pm Field Session: Animals Instructor: Leslie Smith, Biologist 4:00 pm Session Ends Week 4 Thurs, June 11 6-‐9 pm: Plants Presentation Instructor: Leah Gardener, Botanist, State of California Location: TCES, Incline Village or Tahoe City Field Station Description: The goal of this presentation is to help students: •
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become familiar with the plants and plant communities in our local area understand how plants function, reproduce and adapt understand the differences among native, non-‐native, invasive, and noxious plants understand impact of human and natural disturbance on plant communities Fri, June 12: TERC Research Vessel Excursion: 8-‐10am, 10am-‐12pm, (4-‐6 pm-‐ weather permitting) Instructor: Brant Allen, UC Davis Boat Captain and Field Station Manager Location: Meet at Tahoe City Marina Boat Dock, Tahoe City, CA Description: View Lake Tahoe’s watershed from the lake; learn about research and monitoring at Lake Tahoe and witness regular lake sampling. Participants can choose either 8-‐10 AM or 10 AM – 12 Noon. A later session, 12-‐2 may be added if these two time slots fill and weather cooperates. Saturday, June 13 9:00-‐1:00: Plants Field Session Instructor: Leah Gardner Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station Description: Leah will guide students on a walk through the forests and meadows of Sagehen Creek. Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 8 Week 5 Thurs, June 18: 8:30-‐1:30: Forest Presentation Instructor: TBD Location: TCES, Incline Village Description: This session will address the ecological and economic value of forests, forest structure, the role of fire in forest regeneration and issues surrounding forest fires, and the challenges of balancing society’s conflicting desires for forests.
Sat, June 20: 9 am – 12 pm: Forest Field Trip Instructor: TBD Location: Sagehen Creek Field Station Description: Participants will be guided on a walk through the forest to observe forest structure in both unmanaged and managed plots. Examples of different forest management practices will be pointed out. Tree identification and a discussion of the ecological importance of forest diversity will help students gain a better understanding of the value of forests. Week 6 Thurs, June 25 6:00 – 9:00pm: Capstone Presentations and Graduation Location: TBD Created by Leslie Smith 4/2/15 9