First Science Friday

So the second day of my visit last week was the first Science Friday for the REU and YLP students. This is a day when all the students are together in the classroom of the Wawona Field Station, listening to guest lecturers on science topics. It forms the for-credit class portion of their Yosemite experience this summer.

The classroom is next door to the main building of the field station, and looks like an antique garage on the outside, but don't be deceived. The interior has just been remodeled and it's very nice with wood floors, white walls and a wood beamed ceiling. It was quite satisfactorily functional with the laptop/projector setup the speakers needed and even had wireless Internet. Not too shabby!

I got there a bit late, just as Eric Berlow, the director of the field station, was sharing information about using UC Library resources in research. All the students are involved in research - REU students are doing mentored research with UC Merced professors and grad students, and YLP students are required to do research in the primary literature on any topic of their choice. Most of them are working on projects related to their Yosemite internships. I listened in as the YLP students described their plans, and although they're all in the very stages, they sound fascinating and fun!

During a short break I took the chance to talk with YLP student Orion about his work on Yosemite soundscapes. Naturally this makes a great fit for a podcast - so listen in soon. I'm putting the finishing touches on it right now. UC Merced podcasts are on the UC Merced site and also available on iTunes.

Then it was Glenn's turn to be the star for a little while. He talked to the assembled students about his dissertation research on groundwater/streamwater interactions in Yosemite Valley and the upper Merced River. I thought I knew this research pretty well, having been married to the scientist for coming up on 15 years, but I definitely learned some things. I think some students were more tuned in or prepared than others, but everyone benefited from the chance to think about how hydrology impacts some of the most important sustainability questions the world has to think about.

At lunch I did some more talking - I don't want to give it all away because I will be writing about all of this for the UC Merced Web site coming up. But I will tell you I talked to the two UC Merced students who are participating in REU program.

After lunch, we heard from Professor Andres Aguilar about his work in evolutionary and conservation biology with two groups of fish - first, roach and hitch (I didn't even know about those fish), and second, California steelhead and rainbow trout. I was really interested in the connections he made between ancient geological events and evolutionary branching. The fish illustrations were beautiful, to boot.

After the lectures I had the chance to talk with a few of the seasonal rangers - three truly remarkable young women who went to high school together in Atwater, California. One is now a UC Merced student in mechanical engineering, and another is planning to transfer to UC Merced. The third is still planning her path but I'm sure she'll be successful wherever she goes!



We were graciously invited to join the students and program faculty and staff for a barbecue in the evening. There wasn't much time as we had to hurry home and give grandma a break (remember I said we had 4 kids?) but we enjoyed yummy burgers and a very amazing tortellini salad with asparagus and fresh basil, courtesy of UC Merced REU student Sunny. Glenn and I contributed a watermelon to the feast but honestly it would have been just fine without us ...

More blogging from me to come when I visit Yosemite again, probably July 17-18. In the meantime, I'll also post the stories and podcasts I gleaned from this last visit, and I'm hoping (hint, hint!) some of the students will hop on board with this blog. Let me know if you would like to participate. It's a great way to document your experiences and share them with the world!