Scientists, schoolchildren, and serpentine grasslands

Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:00:00 -0500

Climate change and nitrogen deposition resulting from increased automobile use in California have the potential to exacerbate spread of non-native plants in formerly pristine areas. The research in experimental plots will lend insight into the effects of combined additions of soil nitrogen and late spring precipitation on both above-ground plants and soil microbes. The KiDS outreach program targets schoolchildren in Lake County, a rural region with large numbers of students from under-represented economic and ethnic groups. UC Davis ecologists conducting studies within the McLaughlin Natural Reserve may be the only scientists that these students encounter unless they leave their community to attend college. Thus, an outreach program that combines hands-on investigation with visits to a natural area has the potential to make science tangible and seem like a possible career path for these children.