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As with any natural history themed course, the best classroom is out in nature herself. From the first day, students were eager to get outdoors for local outings to Alum Rock Park to observe “fossil hash” or the long trek down to Pinnacles National Park, where volcanic breccia, originating 200 miles south, is eroding into fantastical spires and steep cliffs. Castle Rock State Park was a favorite for its incredible tafoni-studded boulders. Students also successfully completed their “treasure hunt,” matching clues to features of interest along the way, learned to identify some common native plants and animals, and enjoyed making new friends.

Environmental Studies major, Casper Huang ’27, found that “this class is the perfect example of ENVS 131 - Environmental Education, where, instead of a purely classroom learning environment, students got to be outdoors and experience what we learned in class firsthand… By seeing animals like turkey vultures, alligator lizards, and banana slugs in real life…, we are more able to appreciate the diverse ecology and geology California has to offer.” Ella Stewart ’27, shared that a “memorable moment about this class was our Henry Cowell State Park field trip, and especially when we all went inside the redwood tree...She and several other students also reported their delight at seeing over two dozen banana slugs throughout our hike, and seeing the 2,200 years of history recorded in redwood tree rings, saying it was “cool to see how trees are kind of like a time capsule of our world.”

Back in the classroom, we split our time between discussing readings and working on projects. Students were charged with brainstorming a project focused on an element of California's natural history and developing an informative and engaging presentation.