Autumn 2016
We changed the format of the class this year—instead of final presentations, students did midterm posters and "lightning talks" which were recorded to the best of our ability and are linked here. Not all students signed up to do the academic articles, but those are provided here for the groups that wanted to do it. If you have any trouble downloading or opening files, please let Sarah know!
An Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Land Stewarded by the Amah Mutsun Land Trust
Dylan Anslow & Aloysius Makalinao We wrote a report for the Amah Mutsun Land Trust that provides recommendations for prioritizing conservation of 9 species and 2 locations of cultural significance based on a suitability analysis in 4 potential climate change scenarios and 2 error analyses. This research yielded 2-3 species for each of the four subregions of Amah Mutsun land to prioritize due to their vulnerability in any scenario. Executive Summary, Appendices, Academic Article, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk, Data |
Visualizing Ideal Habitat for Sapling Oak Trees at the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve (with Grassroots Ecology)
Hannah Beutler & Chloe Koseff Through our partnership with Grassroots Ecology, we have created an assessment of suitable regions within the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve for caging oak saplings. This tool has been generated through the combination of various general climate and terrain inputs as well as site-specific restrictions like trails and invasive species. Executive Summary, Academic Article, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk |
Arastradero Camera Trap Study (with Grassroots Ecology)
Ben Bravo I conducted literature review and pilot camera study to determine what animals are present at arastadero preserve and to determine how arastadero preserve could use a camera trap study to promote better monitoring, conservation, and citizen science. There is substantial potential for arastadero preserve to engage volunteers through camera trap photo labeling, camera maintenance, and simple analysis of the data. Executive Summary, Academic Article, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk, Data Folder |
Erosion Gully Management Motivations and Operations (with the Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Shawn Lee This project reviewed the literature surrounding the effects of turbidity on coho salmon populations and the California native and modern engineering practices for erosion gully control. We found that the link between turbidity and salmon stream migrations is unproven, and that the optimal mix of traditional and modern gully management systems composes of rock based walls parallel to contour lines combined with perennial grasses or upstream marsh plantings to fix soil above these walls. Executive Summary, Academic Article, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk, Data Folder |
Promoting Mountain Bike Stewardship at Arastradero Preserve via Trail Building (with Grassroots Ecology)
Nadine Lehner This quarter, I worked with Grassroots Ecology to look at strategies for promoting mountain bike stewardship at Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto. After looking at explanations for negative behaviors (e.g. cutting new trails), I brainstormed strategies for proactively engaging this community, leading to a recommendation around volunteer trail construction. Executive Summary, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk Video and Audio |
The Effects of Serpentinite Distribution and Yellow Starthistle Removal on the Flora of the Arastradero Preserve (with Grassroots Ecology)
Tony Moller This project was designed to test the resilience of native flora species in the Arastradero Preserve in the face of the region’s rampant yellow starthistle invasion, measuring whether the presence of a five-year mowing schedule or a high concentration of serpentinite in grassland soil could mitigate the effects of invasive species encroachment. Analysis of the data gathered indicates that Grassroots Ecology’s starthistle mowing efforts have been largely successful, and that native species reintroduction tends to be more effective in areas with high soil serpentinite content. Executive Summary, Midterm Poster (downloads .zip file Prezi), Midterm Lightning Talk, Public Brochure (in progress) |
Mapping Sudden Oak Death Risk in the San Vicente Redwoods (with the Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Brendan Palmieri & Tyler McIntosh This project models local variation in risk of Sudden Oak Death within the San Vicente Redwoods open space preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a high-risk region for damage by the fungal pathogen. The spatial model uses climate and forestry data to outlines high risk areas and suggests watershed monitoring points for more efficiently monitoring of Sudden Oak Death within the preserve. Executive Summary, Academic Article, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk, Data Folder |
Considerations and Expectations in Introducing Public Access to Grazing Lands (with the Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Armando Rojas Building a trail system on grazing land comes with many challenges and uncertainties. This project incorporates a set of three case studies in order to provide POST with an outline of what the organization can expect in this process, and what it can learn from similar integrations of public access and grazing carried out by other organizations in the past. Executive Summary, Midterm Poster, Midterm Lightning Talk |
Autumn 2015
Download the Final Presentation Program here.
If you have any trouble downloading or opening any of the materials, please let Sarah know.
If you have any trouble downloading or opening any of the materials, please let Sarah know.
Big Data Stewardship (with Acterra)
Cody Karutz Big Data Stewardship advises the way Acterra can utilize the TrafX visitor counting system managed by the City of Palo Alto in order to enhance and better understand its stewardship programs at the Pearson-Arastradero Preserve. View and download the materials: Executive Summary, Presentation, Visitor Data, Daily Data |
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Policy Recommendations for Ecologically Sound and Culturally Resonsible Management of Prescribed Burns in Peninsula Open Spaces (with Acterra and the Amah Mutsun Land Trust)
Michael Peñuelas This project explored the politically complex reality that confronts natural and cultural resource managers seeking to utilize prescribed fire as a management tool within the many acres of wild-urban interface that make the SF Bay Area so unique. Fire management in such a populous area necessarily focuses on human life and safety in most contexts, sometimes at the unnecessary expense of ecological and cultural management goals. While the study noted a distinct and sustained positive trend towards increasing inclusion of textual references to ecological and cultural management goals in local fire and vegetation management plans, it confirmed through both textual analysis and interviews that significant ground could be gained quickly through public engagement and relationship-building among managers. View and download the materials: Executive Summary, Academic Article, Presentation, Video, Commented plans (zip file) |
Volunteer Recruitment and Retention for Bay Area Environmental Organizations (with Acterra)
Kyle St Clair As many environmental volunteers “age-out” of their volunteer position, there is a need to recruit new volunteers to replace them. This project consists of a literature review combined with the analysis of interviews with Bay Area stewardship volunteers to develop strategies to recruit and retain new volunteers for future land stewardship projects. View and download the materials: Executive Summary, Presentation, Data, Video |
Ecologically Sensitive Ranchland Management: Protecting Bay Area Threatened Species in Pasturelands (with the Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Melissa Do & Clare LeDuff We created fact sheets of general information on twelve native Californian species of concern, developed a guide to the life cycles of these species, and compiled ranch management recommendations for the Peninsula Open Space Trust to be implemented at Cloverdale Ranch in Pescadero. Our final product, which is also available on our website, will help POST protect the local fauna as their tenants begin ranching on lands that have been undisturbed for some time. View and download the materials: Executive Summary, Academic Article, Presentation, Species Sheets and Lifecycles, Management Recommendations, Video Visit the website: http://ecosensitiveranchmanagement.weebly.com/ |
Next Steps for Butano Creek (with the Peninsula Open Space Trust)
Nessarose Schear & Annie Osborn We are delivering to POST a guide for volunteers, complete with protocol for a creek field survey. This guide includes explanations of how to identify physical features such as creek channel dimensions, shade, turbidity, riffle presence, gravel size, sinuosity, and debris presence. It also includes life histories and identifiable features of various native reptile, amphibian,and fish species. We have also provided identification worksheets for volunteers to fill out that POST can edit if their needs change. Finally, we have included lists of needed field equipment, suggestions for personal gear and food, and safety advice for volunteers spending time in the field. Download the materials: Executive Summary, Academic Article, Presentation, Volunteer Handbook, Physical Features Worksheet, Biological Features Worksheet, Video |
Mapping Vegetation Changes in the Lower Whitehouse Creek Watershed (with the Amah Mutsun Land Trust)
Michael Burnett The Lower Whitehouse Creek Watershed and surrounding areas contain many culturally and historically significant locations from the days of Native American inhabitance, including much-studied sites like those within the Quiroste Valley Cultural Preserve. In the early 1980s, the California Department of Parks and Recreation designated much of the watershed and its surrounding areas as Año Nuevo State Park, effectively stopping major disturbance factors. The Amah Mutsun Land Trust aims to help people build connections to the land and the history of the Quiroste people, and the ongoing vegetation conversion in the Lower Whitehouse Creek Watershed threatens to make important sites like Quiroste Valley inaccessible, or to remove them from their culturally-important states. Download the materials: Executive Summary, Presentation, Video |
Winter 2014-2015
Download the Final Presentation Program here.
Please note: This quarter, the course was called The Peninsula Open Space Practicum: Community-Based Environmental Research for Open Space Management (EARTHSYS 176). We were unable to record the presentations this year, but please feel free to view the powerpoints.
Please note: This quarter, the course was called The Peninsula Open Space Practicum: Community-Based Environmental Research for Open Space Management (EARTHSYS 176). We were unable to record the presentations this year, but please feel free to view the powerpoints.
Using satellite imagery to monitor Monterey Pine expansion in Cloverdale Coastal Ranch
Kira Minehart Download powerpoint Download report |
Butano Creek habitat assessment
Zack Gold and Christina Morrisett Download powerpoint Download report (Volunteer monitoring protocol is appended at end of report.) |
Effects of grazing on grassland vegetation at Cloverdale Coastal Ranch
Sophie Christel Download powerpoint Download report Download volunteer monitoring protocol and datasheet. |
Who uses Cloverdale? An examination of Special Use Permits
Sherri Billimoria and Anna Wietelmann Download powerpoint Download report |
Examining volunteer motivations related to present and future engagement in stewardship activities
Anna Lee and Becky Niemiec Download powerpoint Download report |