Ecological Society of America

Santa Barbara, California - October 2007
Highlighting the UC Santa Barbara Coastal LTER

From October 25-28, 2007 SEEDS sponsored a student field trip to Santa Barbara, CA,highlighting the research of the University of California- Santa Barbara's Coastal LTER. Attendees included twenty two students from nineteen schools across the country, three SEEDS faculty, and five SEEDS staff.

Faculty and graduate students from UCSB exposed students to the research being conducted at the LTER. The kelp forest ecosystem was the focus of the first day. Students went on a boat ride to observe marine research on kelp forests. Various types of watersheds and methods to monitor them were the focus of the second day.Through various speakers, students also learned about the history of fisheries and indigenous people inhabiting the Santa Barbara coastal areas.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Chiapas, Mexico - June 2007
Highlighting ECOSUR

The Spring 2007 SEEDS student field trip was held June 1-8 in Chiapas, Mexico, highlighting the research of ecologists at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) on the campus of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. Twenty two participants from across the US spent an unforgettable week traveling a great portion of the biologically and culturally diverse southernmost state of Mexico. The goal of the field trip was the same as all SEEDS activities – to encourage and support a widely diverse group of students to become ecologists and offer their rich perspectives to the profession. Eight ecologists of ECOSUR and over 30 community members from across the state of Chiapas volunteered their time to help SEEDS plan and carry out the field trip. They helped us exceed our goal of stimulating student interest in ecology by offering such a unique perspective on ecology in a region where land is so precious as to have started a revolution over a decade ago.

Athens, Georgia and Otto, North Carolina - November 2006
Highlighting the University of Georgia / Coweeta LTER

From November 2-5, 2006 SEEDS sponsored a student field trip to Georgia and North Carolina, highlighting the research of the Coweeta LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) program. Attendees included seventeen students from twelve schools across the country, two SEEDS Chapter faculty, and two staff from the Ecological Society of America.

Many activities took place during the field trip. Participants met with a number of people from the University of Georgia’s Institute of Ecology and graduate school. Participants were also given a tour of the Institute. Participants then traveled from Athens, Georgia to Otto, North Carolina to learn about the ecological research being done at the Coweeta LTER. The field trip also offered an opportunity for cultural enrichment with a stop to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Konza Prairie - June 2006
Highlighting the Konza Prairie LTER Project

From June 4-9, 2006 SEEDS conducted a student field trip to various sites in Kansas. Attendees included nineteen students from sixteen schools across the country, including the territories of American Samoa and Puerto Rico; one SEEDS faculty from Yale University; and three SEEDS staff from the Ecological Society of America.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Albuquerque, New Mexico - November 2005
Highlighting the Sevilleta LTER Project

From November 10-13, 2005 SEEDS sponsored a student field trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, highlighting the research of the Sevilleta LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Project. Attendees included twenty- five students from sixteen schools across the country, four SEEDS Chapter faculty, and two SEEDS staff from the Ecological Society of America.

Ecologists from the University of New Mexico, Sevilleta LTER, and Arizona State University exposed students to research being conducted at several sites in New Mexico including the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands and shrublands of the south, the Great Plains grasslands to the north, Piñon-Juniper woodlands in the upper elevations of the neighboring mountains, Colorado Plateau shrub-steppe to the west, and riparian vegetation along the middle Rio Grande Valley.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Pellston, Michigan - June 2005
Highlighting the University of Michigan Biological Station

From June 12-18, 2005 SEEDS sponsored a student field trip to Pellston, Michigan, highlighting the research of the University of Michigan's Biological Station (UMBS). Attendees included eighteen students from twelve schools across the country, three SEEDS faculty, and three SEEDS staff.

Faculty and students from UMBS exposed students to the research being conducted at several sites in northern Michigan including foersts, wetlands, and lakes. Research included small mammals, limnology, ethnobotany, and biogeochemistry.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Lafayette, Louisiana - November 2004
Highlighting the USGS National Wetlands Resource Center

From November 18 - 21, 2004 SEEDS supported a student field trip to Lafayette, Louisiana, highlighting the research of the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Wetlands Research Center. Attendees included nineteen students from fourteen schools across the country, three SEEDS staff, and two faculty mentors.

Ecologists from the National Wetlands Research Center exposed students to the research being conducted at several sites in south Louisiana including a prairie, marsh, and swamp. The research focus varied from prairie succession, to wildlife (nutria), to swamp sedimentation.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album
View a slide show of the field trip!

To view the slideshow in PowerPoint with notes, click on the link and save the file to your computer. The file will then open in PowerPoint.

Calgary, Canada - June 2004
Highlighting the University of Calgary Kananaskis Field Stations

On June 5-11, 2004 SEEDS supported a student field trip to Calgary, Canada highlighting the University of Calgary Kananaskis Field Stations. Attendees included twenty students from seventeen schools and two SEEDS faculty.

The first full day of the field trip was spent in Calgary where students learned about Calgary’s water and the conservation biology program and animal health at the Calgary Zoo. The remainder of the field trip was spent at the Kananaskis Field Stations, meeting with a variety of researchers in the area. The final day of the field trip was spent at Kootenay National Park and the Athabasca Glacier and concluded with dinner and sightseeing in the town of Banff.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Baltimore, Maryland & Washington DC - November 2003
Highlighting the Baltimore Ecosystem Study

On November 6-9, 2003 SEEDS supported a student field trip to Baltimore, Maryland and Washington DC, highlighting the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) of the Long Term Ecological Research Network and other local sites including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Headquarters, and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Attendees included twenty-five students from seventeen schools and three SEEDS faculty.

The first day of the field trip was spent in Washington DC where students learned about graduate school opportunities and environmental justice at the EPA Headquarters. The second half of the day was spent at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where a career luncheon panel was held followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum. The day concluded with dinner and music at the Jazz Café in the Museum. The second day of the field trip was spent at various sites of the BES ending with free time in Inner Harbor, Baltimore. On Sunday, the final day, the morning was spent at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Northern California - June 2003
Highlighting the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve of Stanford University

SEEDS sponsored a student field trip in June 2003 to Northern California highlighting Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and other local ecological sites including the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, the Marine Science Institute, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the Plant Gene Expression Center of the University of California and the United States Department of Agriculture. Attendees included seventeen students from ten schools, three SEEDS faculty, three staff from the Ecological Society of America, and one participant from the All Nations Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.

The first two days of the field trip were spent at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve where participants hiked through several of the ecosystems in the Preserve, conducted a biotic creek survey, and learned about some of the research being done in the Preserve. The third day participants visited the UC Berkeley/USDA Plant Gene Expression Center where students learned about some of the Center’s research. The visit to the Center was followed by some free time around the UC Berkeley campus and San Francisco. The last two days of the field trip offered an opportunity to learn more about marine ecosystems. On Thursday, participants visited the Hopkins Marine Station and the neighboring Monterey Bay Aquarium. The last day of the field trip, participants visited the Marine Science Institute.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Eastern Tennessee - November 2002
Highlighting the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

SEEDS sponsored a second student field trip in November 2002 to Eastern Tennessee. Sixteen students from thirteen schools, three SEEDS faculty, and three ESA staff participated in the event.

The first day was spent at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an emphasis on the work of the Environmental Sciences Division. Participants met with scientists at the sites of the Throughfall Displacement Experiment which seeks to understand the response of forest ecosystems to changes in precipitation that may result from a warming global climate and the Free-air Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Enrichment (FACE) Study which tries to better understand how a closed-canopy forest, both above and below ground, will respond to long-term CO₂ enrichment.

The second day was spent at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where Dr. Robert Keller, a researcher and faculty from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, shared his research on small mammals in the park. Participants also met with park rangers to learn about the cultural history and the rich biodiversity of the Smokies. Despite the rainy conditions, participants enjoyed hikes on the Elkmont Nature Trail and to Clingman’s Dome, the highest elevation in the park.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album

Eastern Tennessee - April 2001
Highlighting the Oak Ridge National Laboaratory and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

SEEDS sponsored its first student field trip in April 2001 to Eastern Tennessee.

Twenty-two students from eight SEEDS schools, four SEEDS faculty, and two program coordinators participated. Participants visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Friday, April 20, 2001 where they learned more about the Environmental Sciences Division, participated in a highly informative panel discussion, and toured the Environmental Safety Health and Quality labs. The following day participants traveled to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where they learned about an ecologist’s research in the park and park management issues from a veteran park ranger.

In addition to participating in scheduled activities, some students also enjoyed a hike to an impressive waterfall (Laurel Falls), a shopping excursion in Gatlinburg, and a marshmallow roast at an evening campfire in celebration of Earth Day.

To learn more about the field trip, read the Field Trip Report or look at photos in the Field Trip Photo Album