Ecological Society of America

Coastal California has stunning vistas, redwood forests, active tectonics, exotic species, fog, sand chaparral, soil chonosequences, pocket beaches, grasslands, mima mounds, micro-climates and agriculture. This field trip will place you among all these features and introduce you to the many plant, soil, and geologic processes acting to create the landscape.

We will visit Wilder Ranch State Park west of Santa Cruz, California where ecosystem studies of the California State Parks and biogeochemical studies of the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Lawrence Livermore National Lab have been ongoing. USGS scientists will briefly review the tectonic and geologic context for these terraces, and use the chronologic sequence of terraces to explore the processes and products of soil development. We will visit soil pits of different aged terraces to see first hand the effect of time on soil development. At these sites we will discuss the microbiology and biogeochemistry of the soils and the influences these soil processes have on the plant communities found in this area.

As time permits, we will visit additional areas with several different plant communities including coastal terrace prairie, home to well over 200 plant taxa. These remarkably diverse grasslands are being actively managed by California State Parks using prescribed fire. We may spend some time among coast redwoods nearby at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, mixed evergreen forest, and several other shrub communities on our whirlwind tour of this diverse landscape. And finally, we promise you lunch under an oak tree overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

August is ‘fog season” in coastal California. Please dress in layers. It can be cool 60oF and hot 80oF (16oC to 27 oC) in the same day. A hat, sunscreen, and long pants are recommended. We will be walking up to three miles along dirt roads. Please wear good hiking shoes; sandals are discouraged. There will be poison oak. Other risks we might encounter: feral pigs, ticks, mountain bikers, and possibly rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and bobcats.

Wilder Ranch State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

This field trip will travel to nearby Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. It will include a demonstration tour of several components of Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment: a field experiment, now in its ninth year, which examines the response of grassland to four global environmental changes in a full factorial design; a 3-factor experiment conducted in mesocosms; and particular studies of ecosystem physiology.

We will divide the visitors into 5-7 groups and have them rotate through components of our field experiment, where we will demonstrate techniques (e.g. continuous monitoring of net ecosystem gas exchange, measurement of spectral vegetation indices, etc.). This nine-year experiment is the only multi-year field experiment that has examined the effects of four global environmental changes in a full-factorial design. The study has yielded a number of important scientific results such as constraints on NPP responses to global environmental changes, additive and non-additive effects of global change factors, and responses ranging from biodiversity to biogeochemistry.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect hot, sunny weather in the valley – bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. This field trip is not suitable for children.

Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment
Phosphorus limitation of ecosystem responses to global change
Whole-system gas exchange of the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment

The unique geologic formations that make Pinnacles National Monument a scenic destination in California’s central coast also make it home to a diversity of local bat species. As many as 16 bat species are known to occur within the Monument, including the largest and smallest bats in North America. Join bat biologists Winifred Frick and Paul Heady to survey for bat species in the Monument’s core riparian habitats nestled in towering rock canyons. The field trip will include information on local bat ecology, conservation issues for bats in California, and methods and techniques for studying wild bat populations. The field trip departs San Jose Convention Center with enough time for participants to hike and enjoy Pinnacles National Monument during afternoon daylight. After the hike, we will convene for a discussion of local habitat use by bats and the challenges of studying cryptic, nocturnal, flying animals as we set up for our survey activities. The real fun will begin at dusk when we will conduct mist-net surveys to capture bat residents of the Monument. We will conduct mist-net surveys for bats over stream habitats from sunset until 9:30 pm allowing participants to see as many as 10 different species in the hand. Participants will not be allowed to handle animals, but will be able to assist in other survey activities and data collection. We will use acoustic monitoring techniques to listen for bat echolocation calls and discuss how echolocation works and how we can use it to better understand the foraging ecology of and habitat use by bats. Photographing bats will be allowed. This is a rare chance to see a special group of mammals in the hand and learn more about their unique ecology.

Pinnacles National Monument can be hot and sunny in the summer, however, participants will need a warm layer as the central coast can get chilly at night, a flashlight (headlight preferable), sturdy walking shoes, and a good attitude. This trip is suitable for children who can tolerate the late hours.

Bats at Pinnacles National Monument

Sudden Oak Death has killed over a million trees in California, with millions more currently infected with the exotic pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. While P. ramorum is recovered from nurseries around the world, there are only a few areas where this pathogen has escaped into wildlands and caused such devastation. This trip will travel the central California coast to showcase the unique Santa Lucia Mountains of Big Sur, home to grasslands, oak woodlands, redwood forests, and one of the most severe P. ramorum infestations in the state. Ecosystem-level forest and Sudden Oak Death research projects will be visited and described.

We will go into infested forests to view symptoms in the field and to talk about the ecological and management impacts with leading experts in this subject. Participants will view disease impacts on a landscape scale, see a newly infected forest, and enter into a forest that has been completely changed by P. ramorum. We will also visit a large, ecosystem-level research project in Big Sur to speak with researchers about the challenges of studying this disease and its impacts.

We will head south to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and hike inland on the 4-mileWoldsen loop trail. It begins in the cool, towering redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) with huge tanoaks (Lithocarpus densiflorus) filling the understory where symptoms of P. ramorum are hardly noticeable and the forest looks healthy. However, about ½ mile up the trail you see symptoms on California bay laurel (Umbellularia californica), tanoaks, and oaks (Quercus spp.) that become more abundant as you proceed. The trail, which can be steep and uneven, steadily gains elevation for the first 2 miles bringing you out of the redwood-tanoak forest and into coastal California mixed evergreen forest. At the top you pop out of the forest into coastal sage brush with views of the Pacific Ocean directly below you.

After the Woldsen trail, we will head north and stop at Big Sur State Park where the disease has literally devastated tanoak and oak populations for some time now. Participants will begin to understand the full potential of P. ramorum on the region as a whole.

We end the first day at the University of California’s Hastings Reserve in Carmel Valley, where we will have dinner and stay overnight. The following morning we will discuss the unique oak woodland and grassland system at the Reserve and hear about various research projects taking place there.

Hastings is located in the Sierra de Salinas, on the most northerly end of the Santa Lucia Range that makes up the Big Sur wilderness of central coastal California. Located about 26 river miles upstream of the Pacific on the Carmel River watershed, Hastings includes the confluence of three seasonal creeks that feed into Finch Creek, and then the Carmel River. Immediately adjacent to Hastings are a complex of vernal pools and springs that support the endangered California Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora) and one of the few coastal populations of the federally listed, endemic California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) that have not hybridized with tiger salamanders introduced from Texas and other western states to much of the Sierra de Salinas. Most of Hastings has not been grazed for 60 years, and the reserve is home to several rare, unplowed native perennial grasslands. This area is of high conservation interest focused on the vernal pools and oak woodlands. Within driving distance are redwood forests, coastal terrace grasslands, central valley foothills, some of the most productive farmland in the world, stands of endemic pine and cypress, and diverse, endemic shrub communities

Hastings is unique in California in that it has over 60 years of intensive observation and collection effort in an area that has been carefully protected to reduce human impacts. Complete collections of invertebrates, plants, and vertebrates are curated at Hastings or in nearby institutions. Over 30 long-term ecological data sets have been compiled on plants and animals at Hastings. Many other ecological data sets are also available.

We will be hiking 6-8 miles on trails that will take us through different habitats and climates. The weather in August in Big Sur is typically cool and foggy at lower elevations but hot and sunny up on the ridges and inland. Dress in layers, wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring sunscreen. In Big Sur there is always the risk of coming in contact with poison oak; wearing long pants is recommended. Not recommended for children.
You will need to bring your own bedding (pillow case, light sleeping bag or sheets), towel and toiletries for the overnight stay at Hastings Reserve. Lodging will be shared with two to three people per room, typically twin, double or bunk beds. There is no cell phone coverage at Hastings Reserve.

All participants must go to the website indicated below to review restrictions regarding the use of Hasting Reserve, and bring signed waivers. No participants will be allowed in the vans on Saturday at the start of the trip unless a Hastings Reserve waiver has been signed.

REQUIRED WAIVER FORM
California Oak Mortality Task Force
Hastings Reserve

Big Sur is a nature lover’s paradise! First, our Wildlife Biologists will take you to the Big Sur Ornithology Lab, a constant effort mist net station in Andrew Molera State Park, to show you mist-netting and bird banding. Ventana Wildlife Society began mist-netting here in 1992, and since then has captured over 90,000 songbirds providing a critical dataset for the Pacific coast flyway. You will see birds in the hand and watch banding and data collection. The Big Sur River in Andrew Molera State Park provides one of the few remaining intact riparian corridors in California and is an important reference site for ecosystem restoration in other watersheds. Widely recognized as the most important feature for songbird density and diversity in the west, riparian habitat has declined in California by up to 97% of its former range. Ventana Wildlife Society uses the Big Sur Ornithology Lab to monitor avian population trends regionally, track seasonal productivity and other demographics, assess habitat health and change, and reach out to the public about conservation issues.

Next, we will travel further down the coast for views of California Condors. Ventana Wildlife Society began the release and recovery of condors in the central California coast in 1994, and we are the only private, non-profit organization working on their recovery. To date, we manage about 35 condors in Big Sur which is about 2/3rds of the California flock. You will be accompanied by a staff condor biologist down the breathtaking coastal highway and locate condors using radio transceivers.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect variable weather – bring layers, jacket, hat, sunglasses and water. Binoculars recommended. This trip is suitable for children.

Ventana Wildlife Society

This trip will provide an in-the-field opportunity to discuss and explore the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project of San Francisco Bay, the largest wetland restoration project on the west coast of the United States. At over 15,000 acres, with active restoration expecting to span 30-50 years, this project must deal with many significant uncertainties as it moves forward with restoration. We will go to two locations in the South Bay that afford a wonderful chance to experience parts of the project area and to discuss how the project will manage ecosystem restoration in this urban setting. Learn about the project’s importance to San Francisco Bay ecology and endangered species, as well as project actions and research underway. Lynne Trulio, Lead Scientist for the project during the planning phase, will guide this trip. In addition, we will hear from five of Dr. Trulio’s masters students at San Jose State University who are conducting multifaceted research designed to assist the restoration project managers.

We will stop at Bayside Park in Menlo Park, where Dr. Trulio will provide an overview of the project and introduce two student speakers who will give a short overview of their research. Participants will hear about exciting research focusing on the western snowy plover’s use of salt ponds and on native oyster recruitment in San Francisco Bay. Then we will go for a short walk to an overlook that provides a commanding view of the Ravenswood part of the project area and the overall South Bay landscape.

Next we will stop at Alviso Marina to view another important part of the project area and discuss the balance between endangered species of the tidal marsh and migratory species which depend on ponded habitats. Participants will hear from three student speakers conducting research on waterfowl response to trail-based recreation, harbor seal response to kayaking, and on the level of public involvement in the project. We will then take short walks along pond edges and explore the Alviso area of the project, followed by lunch and time for reflection, comments or questions related to the project or anything discussed during the day.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Wear layers, bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Children are allowed on this trip.

South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 as the first urban National Wildlife Refuge in the United States (www.fws.gov/desfbay). The variety of habitats across its 30,000 acres include: salt marsh, open bay water, salt pond, mudflat, vernal pool and various terrestrial edges. The diverse habitats are home to 280 species of migrant and resident birds including the endangered California clapper rail. The refuge is an essential wetland ecosystem where the human residents of the greater San Jose area can expand their ecological knowledge. Participants will view wetlands of San Francisco bay while participating in the refuge’s Environmental Education Program which promotes biodiversity, conservation and ecological concepts through a wide range of hands-on activities.

ESA/SER members and their families, SEEDS fellows*, high school students and teachers will work together during the field trip to explore the importance of wetlands and water conservation in San Jose. The field trip will incorporate four indoor and outdoor activities designed to teach the ecological structure and function of wetlands. These activities include topics such as flora and fauna, water quality testing techniques and the anthropogenic threats confronting the San Francisco Bay. The activities will be based in an interactive “teacher training module” where SEEDS fellows will be leading the activities. ESA/SER members can also aid participants by teaching and sharing basic ecological principles of wetlands. In addition, students can communicate with ESA/SER members about the San Jose community. The overall goal of this field trip is to establish a connection between ESA/SER members and the San Jose community while learning wetland ecology. This field trip will be used as an example in SEEDS fellows led Special Session (SS 26) promoting educational field trip activities in future ESA meetings.

Wear comfortable clothes that can get muddy and wet, walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, and water bottles. ESA/SER members are encouraged to bring children of all ages.

*SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability) is a program of the Ecological Society of America with the goal of diversifying and advancing the ecology profession.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, located in historic Cannery Row, contains nearly 200 galleries and exhibits devoted to the diverse habitats of Monterey Bay. The four largest exhibits are the Outer Bay featuring open ocean habitats; the Kelp Forest presenting a three-story tank with diver’s-eye view of a towering kelp forest; Monterey Bay Habitats representing rocky and sandy shores and splash zone habitats; and Sea Otters along the Rocky Coast giving visitors a close-up look at these playful and curious mammals. The live collection at the museum is made up of more than 35,000 animals and plants representing over 550 species of fishes, invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, birds and plants found in Monterey Bay and other marine habitats worldwide.

The purpose of this field trip is to provide participants with a day to explore the wonders of this fascinating museum on the California coast. Dr. Shannon Bros, biology professor at San Jose State University, will guide participants throughout the aquarium displays and provide free time for wandering.

Wear sturdy shoes for a day of museum exploration. Lunch will not be provided; participants will have the opportunity to purchase lunch in the museum café or nearby restaurants. Families and children are encouraged to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium; there are numerous educational displays, otter and penguin programs and touch pools specifically designed for children.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

This trip will tour two California State Parks famous for their charismatic flora and fauna. Año Nuevo State Reserve with its mainland colony of Northern elephant seals and island colonies of marine mammals and seabirds, is one of the most important sites for wildlife-based tourism in California. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park contains a grove of old growth redwoods, including trees approximately 1400-1800 years old. Participants will not only visit these symbols of wild California, but will also get the background story about their management. Throughout the day, university scientists will describe long-term research on marine mammals, seabirds and terrestrial habitats. State Park employees will discuss their programs to educate the public and manage visitor impacts at these popular ecotourism sites.

Our first stop will be Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park where participants will visit a spectacular grove of old growth redwoods. We will host a guided hike of the redwoods and riparian area; participants may also choose to hike on their own, see the visitor center, or just relax in the redwood forest.

From the redwoods, we will drive to the ocean, and along the coast highway to Año Nuevo State Reserve. We will hike through Monterey pine forest, grassland, coastal scrub and sand dunes to reach our destination, a beach at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Elephant seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals come ashore to rest, mate, and give birth in the sand dunes or on the beaches and offshore islands of this reserve. In August, field trip participants will be able to view adult elephant seals resting on the beach during molting.

At the Reserve, we will hike through habitat for the San Francisco Garter Snake, and discuss the on-going prescribed fire program that is part of the recovery plan for this endangered snake. We will see Northern Elephant seals on the mainland, and explain the guided walk program developed by State Parks to manage visitor impacts on the Reserve. Spotting scopes will be set up for viewing marine mammals and seabirds in the ocean and on nearby Año Nuevo Island.

This trip will include hiking approximately 6 miles over the course of the entire day on trails. Wear sturdy shoes for walking along trails and in the sand. There may be a chance to get wet, if you wish. Consider wearing shoes that can get wet at the beach. Wear layered clothing, and bring a windbreaker or jacket. Expect warm weather in the redwoods, and the potential for cool, foggy, windy weather at the coast. Bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Binoculars are recommended. This trip is suitable for children who must be supervised on the beach and cliff edges.

Año Nuevo State Reserve
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

The coastal redwood forest is indigenous to a very narrow strip of land along the Pacific coast of North America; it is found as far north as Oregon and as far south as Monterey county, California. The Santa Cruz Mountains, the coastal mountain range close to San Jose, feature beautiful stands of these exceptional trees, many of which are over 300 feet tall, and have lived as long as 1800 years.

During this field trip, participants will explore this awe-inspiring forest ecosystem while learning about some of the current hot topics in redwood ecology research. Some topics that will be discussed include the challenges involved in redwood forest restoration and issues associated with redwood forest disturbance regimes, focusing on the impacts of redwood harvesting methods on plant biodiversity in redwood stands.

As well as the keystone Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) trees, participants can expect to see a number of other plant species that characterize redwood forests such as Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Western Sword Fern, (Polystichum munitum) and Redwood Sorrel (Oxalis oregona).

Led by ecologist Will Russell of Environmental Studies at San Jose State University, this field trip will allow participants an opportunity to explore classic old growth redwood forest while learning about the natural history, ecology, and challenges faced by these ancient trees in today’s modern world

Wear sturdy shoes for hiking on uneven forest terrain. Wear layers, bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Poison oak may be present in some forest locations. Children may attend this field trip.

This field trip will travel to nearby Stanford University’s Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. It will include a demonstration tour of several components of Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment: a field experiment, now in its ninth year, which examines the response of grassland to four global environmental changes in a full factorial design; a 3-factor experiment conducted in mesocosms; and particular studies of ecosystem physiology.

We will divide the visitors into 5-7 groups and have them rotate through components of our field experiment, where we will demonstrate techniques (e.g. continuous monitoring of net ecosystem gas exchange, measurement of spectral vegetation indices, etc.). This nine-year experiment is the only multi-year field experiment that has examined the effects of four global environmental changes in a full-factorial design. The study has yielded a number of important scientific results such as constraints on NPP responses to global environmental changes, additive and non-additive effects of global change factors, and responses ranging from biodiversity to biogeochemistry.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect hot, sunny weather in the valley – bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. This field trip is not suitable for children.

Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment
Phosphorus limitation of ecosystem responses to global change
Whole-system gas exchange of the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment

What is the future of agroecological research? Where do we want to be in 25 years and how do we get there? Join us for dinner and discussion of these issues at the farm at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of Califonria Santa Cruz. We will begin with wine and cheese appetizers and a tour of the 25-acre teaching and research farm, followed by dinner in the farm orchard with local agricultural researchers. Bring your insight and appetite. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian options will be available. Children are welcomed; please note the late return time.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground and clothes for layering as the evening cools. Children can attend his trip-dinner.

Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems

This fieldtrip will showcase the avian biodiversity of the South San Francisco Bay, and is appropriate for all levels of birding experience, from beginning to advanced. We will begin our excursion at a group of salt ponds and salt marsh habitat. This property is part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Species we are likely to see here include Western Snowy Plovers (a federally listed threatened species), American avocets, black-necked stilts, and other waterbirds. The surrounding habitat supports burrowing owls, western meadowlarks and savannah sparrows.

From there, we will continue our birding adventure in a riparian area along Coyote Creek where we are likely to see a variety of riparian songbirds, such as chestnut backed chickadees, Nuttall’s woodpeckers, California towhees and Bullock’s orioles.

Led by biologists Roy Churchwell and Caitlin Robinson from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, this trip should provide participants with ample opportunity to view a number of birds that are native to the South San Francisco Bay region. Additionally, participants will learn about the natural history and conservation challenges faced by many of these species in the human-influenced landscape of South San Francisco Bay.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Participants should wear layers and bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Bring binoculars. This field trip is open to children who can participate in the walking sections of the tour.

San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory

Tour maturing riparian forest revegetation sites along Coyote Creek in the Santa Clara Valley. Ranging in age from 20 years to 14 years since planting, these riparian habitat restoration projects were implemented as compensatory mitigation for unavoidable flood control and transportation project impacts. Biologists and restorationists from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, H. T. Harvey & Associates and the California Department of Transportation will present the results of long-term vegetation and wildlife monitoring programs at these riparian revegetation sites. Participants will have ample opportunity to meander beneath the riparian forest canopy and ask questions regarding project design and implementation, monitoring program protocols, and data interpretation. Emphasis will be placed on lessons learned and trends observed as these riparian forests mature. Participants will be asked to evaluate each of these riparian habitat restoration projects in terms of achieving the “attributes of restored ecosystems” identified in The Society for Ecological Restoration Primer on Ecological Restoration.

A short distance upstream from where Coyote Creek enters the San Francisco Bay, we will walk a transect through a 14-year old (seven-acre) riparian habitat, a floodplain management area, a 20-year old (four-acre) riparian forest and the mature riparian habitat on the banks of Lower Coyote Creek. Researchers will discuss changes in habitat structure and habitat utilization by wildlife at these revegetation sites. We will visit the Coyote Creek Bird Banding Station where 25 years of data have been collected on avifauna utilization of these riparian revegetation sites and the mature riparian forest.

Next, we will tour a 14-year old (21-acre) floodplain riparian habitat restoration project upstream on Coyote Creek in the heart of the Santa Clara Valley. There will be a dual focus to this site visit, on the one hand examining how the site’s hydrologic design was undertaken and then implemented, and secondly how reference areas were used to develop the planting layout. One of the reference sites, the adjacent Tennant Road Marsh, will be visited during the tour.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect hot, sunny weather in the valley – bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. This trip is not suitable for small children.

SER Primer on Ecological Restoration
Coyote Creek Bird Banding Station
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Consolidated Biological Mitigation Project

Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve, an open space of 467 acres, is known for its amazing biodiversity and beautiful wildflower displays. Over 500 different plant species occur at Edgewood, including 3 that are federally listed as endangered or threatened, and 15 that are listed in the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. Edgewood was the last San Francisco Bay Area home of the Bay checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha ssp. bayensis), a federally threatened animal.

In the late 1980’s, weeds were recognized as threatening Edgewood’s plant communities, and a CNPS-sponsored volunteer weed management program was begun. Under this highly successful program, over 40 acres are being treated on a continuing basis, more than 2.5 million individual invasive plants have been removed since recordkeeping began in 1999, over 17,000 volunteer hours have been logged, and many habitats have been restored to pristine condition.

The weeding program has historically focused on forbs, and in the early 2000’s, non-native grass infestations drove the Bay checkerspot butterfly to local extinction. Since then, a scientific program has been in place to restore the butterfly’s habitat. This program will culminate in 2007 with the reintroduction of checkerspot caterpillars and butterflies. In addition, a 2-year project focusing on grasslands, funded through a $50,000 California Department of Food & Agriculture grant, began in 2007. In spring 2007, adult butterflies were sighted at the preserve, a direct result of the reintroduction program.

This field trip will showcase the various restoration projects at Edgewood and you can choose to help with weeding as part of the afternoon. You will visit habitats that have been restored, including that of the Bay checkerspot butterfly, as well as areas that have not yet been tackled. You will learn about techniques that have proven successful in restoring this exemplary site. You will have the option of joining weekly weed volunteers to remove invasive plants or gather habitat information.

Hiking shoes, long pants, and a hat are recommended. Gloves and tools will be provided for work party. We will be traveling off-trail along uneven ground, and we may encounter but should be able to avoid contact with poison oak, occasional spiders, and possibly snakes. This field trip is suitable for older children who can tolerate the hot sun and might want to participate in the work party.

Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve

Applied ecological research holds great potential for informing the design and management of human modified landscapes. This field trip will complement a Thursday afternoon symposium on managed ecosystems.

A walking tour of the Guadalupe River Project in San Jose will look at urban riparian habitats, and the integration of design and ecology to create public spaces that function in ecological terms. The Guadalupe River Project is within a few blocks of the convention center, so participants will walk to the project site through San Jose’s historic urban core which had a great influence on the project’s design. The tour will include discussions on the multiple stakeholders involved in the process, the goals of the designers and associated government regulators involved. The walking portion of this field trip will be followed by a discussion/charette with key practitioners focused on exploring the integration of design and ecology to create a functioning ecological environment within an urban system. Specific questions about logistics of this field trip should be directed to Alex Felson at the email address above.

Comfortable walking shoes and field clothes for possible hot, sunny weather – bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and water.

Guadalupe River Park and Gardens

Participants will visit the Santa Cruz Sandhills – a unique ecosystem that occurs on outcroppings of sand soils derived from the weathering of Miocene marine sediments in central Santa Cruz County, California. Like other edaphic endemic systems, the Sandhills support a diverse assemblage of native species adapted to the unique conditions created by the sand soil and moist maritime climate, including two endemic communities and seven known endemic species. Naturally rare, the Sandhills originally covered an estimated 6,000 acres. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation have reduced the system to an estimated 4,000 acres and resulted in the listing of four species as federally endangered. Persistence of the endangered Sandhills species continues to be threatened by development, exotic plants, fire exclusion and recreation.

Lead by researchers who have investigated the ecology of the endangered species and communities, visitors will tour portions of a 100-acre Sandhills preserve nestled near the town of Ben Lomond in Santa Cruz County. The field trip will explore the unique ecology of the system and discuss how research is being used to inform policy and management designed to conserve this critically imperiled system.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking in sand on moderate terrain. Expect hot, sunny weather – bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Children may attend this field trip.

Sandhills Alliance for Natural Diversity

The Central Coast of California is a mosaic of land uses and climates, from dry grasslands and orchards to a fog belt of redwoods and intensive lettuce and strawberry production. What happens at this interface between agriculture and conservation? What strategies do growers take to soften or harden the boundary with natural and protected lands, particularly following incidents such as the national E. coli O157:H7 outbreak of 2006 which was traced to a wild pig in this region? How do wildland mangers respond?

This trip will explore the interface between agriculture and conservation in California’s Central Coast, including two opposing movements as a result of the E. coli outbreak: one to encourage conservation practices, including perennial habitat on farms, and another to exclude natural areas and wildlife from farms for food safety precautions. We will start with a tour of a 52-acre ranch in San Juan Bautista where Phil Foster grows vegetables and apples for farmers’ and wholesale markets. Located in the shadow of the Flint Hills and adjacent to San Benito River, the ranch incorporates hedgerows and other conservation practices.

Next we will visit the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, the second largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California and habitat for more than 340 species of birds. Participants will learn about work with ranchers in the Elkhorn Slough watershed and have time to explore trails through oak woodlands, tidal creeks and freshwater marshes. The trip continues at High Ground Organics, a 40-acre vegetable, flower and strawberry farm adjacent to Harkins Slough. The acreage is divided into two easements, with half the land maintained in organic agriculture and the other half as wildlife habitat. In 2006, grower Steve Pederson introduced two Dexter bulls to promote native grasses through grazing.

If time permits, the trip will conclude with a visit to the 25-acre teaching and research farm at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California Santa Cruz for a discussion with Steve Gliessman about his work to involve undergraduates through the Program in Community and Agroecology.

Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect hot, sunny weather – bring sunscreen, hat and sunglasses, and jackets for possible foggy weather at the slough. This trip is suitable for sturdy children 10 years and older who can stand the long, hot day, and frequent walking.

Phil Foster Ranch
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
High Ground Organics
Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems