Watershed Project

 

The primary goal of the Big Creek K-12 Education Program is to develop natural science curriculum and train teachers how to adapt the Big Creek program to their classroom. The curriculum developed at Big Creek Reserve is science-based, aligned to California Science Standards, and incorporates current findings from researchers that use Big Creek as their laboratory. The program is designed to encourage students to become "local experts"; people who appreciate, monitor and restore the wild nature found in their local community.

The Big Creek curriculum is student-tested in the field, and enables students from pre-school to 12th grades to learn about ecological concrepts, explore natural habitats, and collect data/analyze data for the Reserve. Programs, which are taught by Big Creek Education Coordinator Kim Smiley, include "Animal Adaptations", "Aquatic Insect Studies", "Plant Scavenger Hunt" and "Banana Slugs." Student classes rarely come to Big Creek for more than a day owing to the wilderness setting and lack of facilities for children. Classes that want to visit Big Creek need to make reservations. Space is limited.

 

 

 

 

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Seaside HS students learning about skull adaptations at the "Road-Kill" Museum. 4/7/00   Big Creek Education Coordinator Kim Smiley and H.O.S.T. intern Glenda Pippen working inside yurt. 7/28/00

 
    

 Kim and H.O.S.T. teacher Debolina Dutta working on road kill museum. 7-12-01
  

 Kim and Debolina sorting stream insects. 7-12-01

East Bay Waldorf High School visits Big Creek June 10, 2001
 

 

Studying animal skulls: It's a practicum exam! 6-10-01
   

Correcting the quiz. Could they tell each skull's trophic level?
(Extra credit if they can name the animal the skull belongs to.) 6-10-01
 

 

 Kim and school principal, Michael Mansini. 6-10-01

 Feynner's boar. (Look at those tusks!) 6-10-01

 

^^ Building the Educational Center yurt. 4/8/00   ^^ Putting up the roof. 4/8/00

A group of volunteers came down to Big Creek from Berkeley to build a 12 x 20' deck in front of the yurt. They were from Berkeley Bioworks, an engineering firm specializing in biomedical equipment, and the employer of Terry Smiley who grew up at Big Creek. They put in a hard afternoon's work and successfully installed the deck! Thank you all!

   

 Setting the 2 x 12" beams for the deck. 11-17-00

 Adding the center beam 11-17-00
   

 Screwing down the last planks for the deck 11-17-00

 Putting on the finishing touches to the new deck 11-17-00.

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