Sunday, August 5, 2007: 8:15 AM-2:00 PM
Lower Level Lobby, San Jose McEnery Convention Center
FT 10 - San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 as the first urban National Wildlife Refuge in the United States (www.fws.gov/desfbay). The variety of habitats across its 30,000 acres include: salt marsh, open bay water, salt pond, mudflat, vernal pool and various terrestrial edges. The diverse habitats are home to 280 species of migrant and resident birds including the endangered California clapper rail. The refuge is an essential wetland ecosystem where the human residents of the greater San Jose area can expand their ecological knowledge. Participants will view wetlands of San Francisco bay while participating in the refuge’s Environmental Education Program which promotes biodiversity, conservation and ecological concepts through a wide range of hands-on activities. ESA/SER members and their families, SEEDS fellows*, high school students and teachers will work together during the field trip to explore the importance of wetlands and water conservation in San Jose. The field trip will incorporate four indoor and outdoor activities designed to teach the ecological structure and function of wetlands. These activities include topics such as flora and fauna, water quality testing techniques and the anthropogenic threats confronting the San Francisco Bay. The activities will be based in an interactive “teacher training module” where SEEDS fellows will be leading the activities. ESA/SER members can also aid participants by teaching and sharing basic ecological principles of wetlands. In addition, students can communicate with ESA/SER members about the San Jose community. The overall goal of this field trip is to establish a connection between ESA/SER members and the San Jose community while learning wetland ecology. This field trip will be used as an example in SEEDS fellows led Special Session (SS 26) promoting educational field trip activities in future ESA meetings. Wear comfortable clothes that can get muddy and wet, walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, and water bottles. ESA/SER members are encouraged to bring children of all ages. *SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Development and Sustainability) is a program of the Ecological Society of America with the goal of diversifying and advancing the ecology profession.
Organizer:	Colibrí Sanfiorenzo-Barnhard, University of Puerto Rico- Río Piedras

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