Tuesday, April 2, 2013

TREE TO SEA; A BAY AREA CROSS SECTION - Spring 2013 Syllabus ENVMT 40 (3 Units) Code 22958



Self-Reliant House (SRH)
Instructor Robin Freeman 510-434-3840 (o) 510-915-1452 (cell), robinf5713@aol.com  and/or rfreeman@peralta.edu

 

NOTE: The field locations may change.  Maps and directions will be given  at the class meeting before and by email.  CHECK BEFOREHAND!!

Monday, 4/1: 6:30 – 9:20 Environmental Center (SRH): Introductions,
Brief Field walk, Purpose and methods of the course. Responsible Ecotourism; viewing and visioning a cultural landscape.  Green Infrastructure and the San Leandro Creek Greenway proposal powerpoint and the Upper Watershed.  Gaps, Connecting the Dots and Strategies for Community involvement. Call for scouts. Continued next week.
HEADWATERS

Sunday, 4/7: 10am Meet at Lake Chabot Park in front of gates by path up to the Dam  (Looking at the creek below the dam)
Bring Lunch, Water, Dress For The Weather (Showers?),Camera (If You Have One), Day Pack

9:30 SRH/Merritt If you need a ride and/or are giving one.
Merritt College to Chabot Park From Campus Drive      
Turn left onto Redwood Road
Turn left onto Mountain Blvd unmarked at bottom of hill below church and across from shopping mall
Take the 1st right onto Carson St Under Freeway (signs for State Hwy 13 N)
Turn left to merge onto CA-13 S/STATE HWY 13 S past 98th and 106th TOWARD HAYWARD to 580 4ish miles past to DUTTON AVE/ESTUDILLO (see below for directions to the park)

MEET 10:00am CHABOT PARK, SAN LEANDRO
DUTTON AVE/ESTUDILLO go along frontage/McArthrur to ESTUDILLO LEFT UNDER FREEWAY  Uphill from the freeway, Estudillo splits left off Lake Chabot Rd. at the brown EB Parks Lake Chabot sign
BEAR LEFT ON ESTUDILLO a short distance through houses BEAR RIGHT at Not a Through Street sign (Sylvan) which takes you directly across a bridge into CHABOT PARK.  Park where you can. Restrooms

Afternoon – scout bike route in San Leandro TBA

Monday, 4/8: 6:30 – 9:20 (Sunset 7:40) LION CREEK EVENING HIKE
Meet at SRH Environmental Center Studying the maps . Landscape and land use observations
UPLANDS


Sunday, 4/14: 9:30 am meet at Merritt/ Car shuttle to 10am  Lake Chabot Park. Walk to Bort Meadows and Equestrian Center 6 miles minor elevation change, then 200’ climb at the end. Grass Valley Creek, Anthony Chabot Park. West side upper watershed

Saturday, 4/20:  Earth Day Bike Tour, BBQ and optional volunteer work day.
12:30 PM BBQ & Watershed Festival.  Free BBQ for all Earth Day participants! Across from 678 Cary Dr. - lot behind Bancroft Middle School. Park on Bancroft (by Haas Ave. Bridge) and walk in
1:30 PM BICYCLE RIDE  MEET @ Cary Dr BBQ (above) Near S. Leandro BART

Optional volunteer work sites
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM Creek Clean Up Meet at the Starbucks (185 98th Ave. in Oakland)
10:00 AM– 12:00 PM Cobb Bench Maintenance at Madison Middle School in Oakland. Meet on 105th Ave behind the Community Reformed Church at 457 Capistrano Dr., 94603
9:30-11:00 AM Creek Clean Up  Root Park E 14th at Hays St. San Leandro

Sunday, 4/28: Tidewater Center MLK Shoreline San Leandro Creek Canoe Trip low tide 12pm high tide 4:30 TBA

Monday, 4/29: 6:30 – 9:20 Review Field notes, update field trip sites

Sunday, 5/5: Parkridge Dr. Anthony Chabot to Valle Vista Staging Area San Leandro Creek Upper Watershed

Saturday, 5/18: Valle Vista Staging Area to Rancho Laguna Park

Sunday, 5/19: San Leandro Creek Upper Watershed Southeast area TBA

Monday, 5/20: 6:30  SRH Assemble photography and field observations

GRADING: This course may be taken for a letter grade or credit/non-credit (audit).  If taken for a letter grade, this course satisfies requirements for several ENVMT majors. For Credit only; 80% class attendance is required. For a letter grade attendance, participation, and assignments are required. For non-credit you may choose your level of participation. 
ASSIGNMENTS: Most of the work is done in the field where we will record data. The optional text is the East Bay Watershed Center CD which contains the Intertidal Directory  and the Feasibility Guide.  Review these, especially the “Sample Flowchart” in the beginning of the Intertidal Directory and the “Summary”, “Study Uses” and “Goals (focusing on Stakeholders)” in the  Feasibility Guide.  Our responsible ecotourism assignment will be to 1) research and coordinate with local creek stakeholders towards supporting their goals where possible, and 2) enter the data we gather, including photos, in the East Bay Watershed Directory format, or a format for stakeholder use to be determined. You may also choose to help scout hike routes.
FIELD DAY INFORMATION: Each trip will have its own information sheets which will be handed out either the Monday before or the morning of the trip. NOT ALL FIELD DAYS MEET AT THE SAME PLACE. Make sure you contact the instructor beforehand if you do not have the meeting information.  In all cases bring a day pack with your lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, hiking shoes or boots with lugs (ie not smooth soles except for on board the boats) camera (optional), any medication you may need, snacks, long pants and sleeves as needed and appropriate clothing for the weather conditions including rain. The hikes are moderate to light and usually not more than 5 miles.  We will carpool between the start and ending sites. Some days we will be driving between several sites. R. Freeman’s emergency cell phone 510-915-1452
80% Attendance or as agreed
Photographs and/or field observations & help assemble them
Scouting or trip directions
A
70% Attendance or as agreed
Photographs and/or field observations
Scouting or trip directions
B
60% Attendance or as agreed
Photographs and/or field observations

C
50% Attendance or as agreed
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D
F – suggest you withdraw
F

Student Learning Objectives
1. 1. 1. . Identify and describe basic landforms , plant community types, and aquatic system types

2. Identify and describe basic land uses related to sustainability

3. Describe and evaluate the health or sustainable characteristics of a land use system.

4. Discuss and document a land use, restoration or design project with local community members.


Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who wish to receive services and/or accommodations are asked to submit a form from the Disability Services Program (DSP). Receiving services and accommodations will not adversely affect your grade. This information will be kept confidential (FERPA). Please meet with me in private as early in the semester as possible to discuss your learning needs. If you think that you could benefit from the services offered by DSP, please contact a counselor in R-109, 510-436-2429, or go to our College website for more information: www.merritt.edu, click on "Student Services," and then click on "Disability Services Program."