Santa Barbara on my mind

My first field trip with SEEDS took place last week and I simply had to share how wonderful this trip was. Being one of the more recent additions to the Ecological Society of America family, I really had no idea what to expect from a SEEDS field trip. But now, I understand all of the memorable, meaningful, educational, and important aspects of these trips, and certainly hope that I never miss another one!

First of all, I have never met such a dedicated, caring, compassionate, and ecologically-driven group of people before! As I met, and got to know each of the students a little bit more, I was repeatedly blown away by them; their experiences, their motivation, their interests, their way of thinking…everything! I am now beginning to fully grasp the connectedness of the SEEDS Network. To quote one our great guide’s favorite lines; “everything is connected, man”. We certainly are and even more so after this great trip!

Some of the highlights of this trip for me include meeting all the SEEDS students and faculty, watching dolphins race under the hull of our boat, investigating all the creatures living within one kelp “plant”, observing all the data collecting instruments used by the researchers, playing around in the REEF touch tank (and even holding a shark), watching all the students writing and drawing in their journals, listening to the experiences of several UCSB doctorate students, watching all the interactions taking place on the rocky intertidal (and that includes Alex and Frederick eating an amphipod!), and last but NOT least, the SEEDS production of American Idol!