On June 28th 2013, Professor Carina Anttila-Suarez led 36 students from TRiO on an all-day educational expedition to open spaces in western Sonoma County to learn about conservation of species and environmental sustainability. Students visited the Bodega Marine Laboratory and Preserve to learn about the impact of Marine Protected Areas on threats to ocean organisms. The day started with an introduction from TRiO alumni and an overview of the mission of the laboratory. Alumni shared their undergraduate experiences and current graduate research, and encouraged students to follow their passions though higher education.

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Students toured research laboratories with ongoing experiments. The students handled research organisms such as abalone, sea urchins, crustaceans and fish. After a tour, students explored the coastal prairie and intertidal ecosystems in a nature walk.

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The trip continued to Armstrong Redwoods on the Russian River watershed where students learned about the importance of ecosystem services provided by the ancient redwood forest. After a nature walk through the redwoods, students enjoyed a sustainable lunch served by VP Dr. Sarah Perkins, TRiO Director Ray Jones, and TRiO Counselor Jessica Lopez  and Professor Gregg Grist. After lunch the students learned about sustainability in the global food chain. Students were given best practices to reduce carbon footprint from foods they consume in their everyday lives from Climate Corps Sustainability Coordinator, Sabrina Lawrence-Gomez.
Trio Students This event is part of Skyline College’s commitment to engaging students in sustainability and supporting education for a diverse community of learners.

The Sustainable Campus Initiative and TRiO would like to thank Sarah Perkins and the President’s Innovation Fund for supporting the event.

Article by Ray Jones, Carina Anttila-Suarez, and Sabrina Lawrence-Gomez