Bring researchers into your classroom and give students a window into the process of scientific inquiry. Join us for an informal chat with researchers from the Nutrient Network (NutNet) studying how humans are impacting nutrients and consumers in Argentina, Colorado, and New Mexico. Find out who they are, how they got interested in grasslands, and the research questions they are asking. NutNet is a coordinated research network comprised of more than 130 grassland sites worldwide. Instructor’s guide available. Watch recorded event here: Live from the Field: Nutrient Cycling in Grasslands November 9, 2020 *If you are an instructor who used this for your class, please take this short survey

Anyone who has spent much time outdoors has probably encountered one of the many tick species we have in California and been warned about the diseases they can carry. Though ticks play an important role in the systems they inhabit, they are not a pleasant adjunct to our love of nature and can be downright dangerous. In this program, UC Davis researcher Emily Pascoe, Ph.D. will talk about these critters, the microorganisms they host and the research she has been conducting on them at the Hopland Research and Extension Center. Watch recorded event here: Deep Dive: Ticks on the Move November 5, 2020

Everyone loves a newt. They are cute, they move slowly, you can catch them and have a good long look at them as they slowly lumber to escape your hand. In this program Julie will discuss newts and other amphibians and reptiles that make up the branch of zoology known as herpetology. Herps are particularly sensitive to climate and can serve as harbingers of change. Julie will take us into their world and share some of the techniques and findings of her own research at SSU’s Osborn Preserve. Watch recorded event here: Deep Dive: Herpetofauna Among Us October 15, 2020

Bring researchers into your classroom and give students a window into the process of scientific inquiry. Join us for an informal chat with researchers studying how climate change is affecting the rocky intertidal zone in California, Maine, and Oregon. Find out who they are, how they got interested in this habitat, and the research questions they are asking. Instructor’s guide available. Watch recorded event here:  Live from the Field: Climate Change at the Land-Sea Interface October 13, 2020 *If you are an instructor who used this for your class, please take this short survey

Our visceral understanding of the natural world is based upon our senses: what we see, hear, smell, touch and taste. But our knowledge can be immeasurably enhanced by our human ability to conjecture intelligently by reading signs, evidence of the teeming life around us. The footprint an animal leaves behind is one of those signs. Finding and following a track can tell us not only about the animal itself but also the land around it. It opens up a new way of seeing and being in this world. Watch recorded event here: Deep Dive: Animal Tracking Art & Science

Patterns in the lives of plants give us insights into climate change. By careful observation over years and through all seasons, researchers and volunteers at UC Davis’ Hopland Research and Extension Center are contributing to science on climate change and more through their studies of native Northern California plants. Learn about this growing field of study, called phenology, and how it can increase your appreciation of the plants around you while contributing to citizen science. Watch recorded event here: Learn with a Naturalist: Patterns in Plant Lives October 6, 2020

Have you ever wondered what kinds of oaks dot California’s golden hills and line our fertile valleys, providing our state’s most diverse habitats? Well, help is at hand. Author and naturalist Kate Marianchild will teach us to identify Northern California oaks by their acorns, cupules, leaves and galls. You will learn how to distinguish a valley oak from an Oregon oak from a blue oak. If time permits, Kate will share some cool facts about oaks, such as their co-evolutionary relationships with California scrub-jays and caterpillars. Watch recorded event here: Learn with a Naturalist: Who's Who in the Oaks October 1, 2020

Let photography bring you closer to nature and inspire others! Turn-of-the-century photographs of western landscapes led to conservation action across the United States, while recent images of endangered bees and of polar bears living on dwindling resources inspire people to address environmental challenges. Following spring's popular beginner program, this class will go into more detail on how to engage with the variety of photography opportunities right in your backyard using your cellphone or digital camera. Come develop an eye for close-up and creative shots, turning even ordinary natural items into photos to enjoy. Rick will show you photography techniques to help you capture the changing light and seasons in your neighborhood, then there will be 20 minutes for you to take outdoor photos, followed by sharing photos and answering questions. Watch recorded event here: Local Nature: Intermediate Backyard Photography September 28, 2020

We may think of insects as sun-loving creatures, but most are actually denizens of the night. These after-dark arthropods play a major role in California’s biodiversity and perform essential ecosystem services. Learn to tell the difference between the stutter-trilling field cricket and chaparral katydid and how to attract insects such as lace-wings, tree crickets and scarab beetles to your own yard for study, photography and citizen science. Watch recorded event here: Learn with a Naturalist: Insects After Dark September 24, 2020

Bring researchers into your classroom and give students a window into the process of scientific inquiry. Join us for an informal chat with researchers studying Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Find out who they are, how they got interested in HABs and the research questions they are asking about HAB effects on freshwater ecosystems. Instructor’s guide available. Watch recorded event here: Live From the Field: Harmful Algal Blooms September 23, 2020 *If you are an instructor who used this for your class, please take this short survey