Help Restore Native Salt Marsh!
I often travel to Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve near Moss Landing, CA (map) – see the Salt Marsh Restoration page for more details on research conducted at Whistlestop Lagoon. I sometimes need help with fieldwork – no experience is necessary, so if you are interested please get in touch! We usually assess survival of transplants in restoration plots, take growth measurements, track herbivory, or conduct percent cover surveys – so there are opportunities to gain experience with a variety of field methods.
If you’re coming to the Slough bring a brimmed hat, sunblock, water, snacks, a warm jacket, and rubber boots if you have them. All volunteers must also print and fill out a Volunteer Waiver form.
Volunteer Crews in the Mojave Desert
From 2014 – 2019, I took undergraduate students into the Mojave Desert to gather demographic data on desert annual species over the UCSC spring break. Participants gained valuable field experience in a really beautiful place, and when the winter rainfall is good we saw a gorgeous desert bloom! This research effort is now concluded, but please see the Ecology of Renewable Energy page for more details on my Mojave research. A huge THANK YOU to all of my dedicated and heat-resistant volunteers!