Southwestern University Student Projects on the San Gabriel RiverLast fall, I taught a First Year Seminar Course at Southwestern entitled A River Runs Through It: The Ecology and History of the San Gabriel River. Students in the course were required to plan and carry out a group research or creative project that focused in some way on the San Gabriel River. Another requirement was that the project include members of the community. Here are brief summaries of the student projects, written by the students.
Memoirs of the San Gabriel River
Bridget Miller, Jessica Perry, Elizabeth Marzec, and Erin Landry
Rivers are an essential part of civilization, both as a cultural hub and a resource. The San Gabriel River and Park is no exception. Despite being an extremely important river in Georgetown and Williamson County, there is very little documented about the river, especially personal tales. We realize that the San Gabriel River is a significant part of the Georgetown community and attempt to convince others of this as well. In efforts to prove the significance of the San Gabriel and collect a lasting oral history of the river, we interviewed residents from all over town, of all ages, to capture feelings and memories involving the city of Georgetown and more specifically the San Gabriel River and San Gabriel Park. We comprised the interviews into a documentary DVD. Through this project we have discovered the positive feelings of fondness that the community has for the beloved San Gabriel River and Park. We hope this film will help teach the residents of Georgetown about the history of the area and for them gain more appreciation for its rich history.
Fossils of the San Gabriel River
Kirby Crone, Kate Castles, Kristen McCollum, Kim Sump
The community as a whole does not know the history of the San Gabriel River and its past, so our group decided to teach them by means of fossils that are found in the region. We hiked along the river and in nearby areas and found nine different kinds of fossils. We classified the fossils and put them into three groups (commonly found, occasionally found, rarely found). We then designed a kiosk to put at the head of the San Gabriel River Trail that has pictures and descriptions of the fossils we found, an illustration of how fossils are formed, and a map that details the geological history of the area. Our project's purpose is to inform and educate the community about Georgetown's past and encourage children to become enthusiastic about science by means of fossils. Fossils commonly found included Turitella, and Texigryphaea. Fossils occasionally found consist of Ostrea, Protocardia, and Pecten. Fossils rarely found are composed of Pholyadomya, Loriola, Tylostoma, and Inoceramus. On one of our many fossil hunts, we went to Lake Georgetown. It was about a twenty minute walk through a forested trail until we got to the waters edge. Right as we were getting there the sun was starting to set, so we had to find fossils quickly. This was not a problem because when we looked down we realized the entire ground was just covered in various types of fossils. By going on each fossil hunt we have been able to see into a world that few have been able to explore. It is truly amazing to see what had been millions of years before our existence and hold that piece of history in your hands.
Bridget Miller, Jessica Perry, Elizabeth Marzec, and Erin Landry
Rivers are an essential part of civilization, both as a cultural hub and a resource. The San Gabriel River and Park is no exception. Despite being an extremely important river in Georgetown and Williamson County, there is very little documented about the river, especially personal tales. We realize that the San Gabriel River is a significant part of the Georgetown community and attempt to convince others of this as well. In efforts to prove the significance of the San Gabriel and collect a lasting oral history of the river, we interviewed residents from all over town, of all ages, to capture feelings and memories involving the city of Georgetown and more specifically the San Gabriel River and San Gabriel Park. We comprised the interviews into a documentary DVD. Through this project we have discovered the positive feelings of fondness that the community has for the beloved San Gabriel River and Park. We hope this film will help teach the residents of Georgetown about the history of the area and for them gain more appreciation for its rich history.
Fossils of the San Gabriel River
Kirby Crone, Kate Castles, Kristen McCollum, Kim Sump
The community as a whole does not know the history of the San Gabriel River and its past, so our group decided to teach them by means of fossils that are found in the region. We hiked along the river and in nearby areas and found nine different kinds of fossils. We classified the fossils and put them into three groups (commonly found, occasionally found, rarely found). We then designed a kiosk to put at the head of the San Gabriel River Trail that has pictures and descriptions of the fossils we found, an illustration of how fossils are formed, and a map that details the geological history of the area. Our project's purpose is to inform and educate the community about Georgetown's past and encourage children to become enthusiastic about science by means of fossils. Fossils commonly found included Turitella, and Texigryphaea. Fossils occasionally found consist of Ostrea, Protocardia, and Pecten. Fossils rarely found are composed of Pholyadomya, Loriola, Tylostoma, and Inoceramus. On one of our many fossil hunts, we went to Lake Georgetown. It was about a twenty minute walk through a forested trail until we got to the waters edge. Right as we were getting there the sun was starting to set, so we had to find fossils quickly. This was not a problem because when we looked down we realized the entire ground was just covered in various types of fossils. By going on each fossil hunt we have been able to see into a world that few have been able to explore. It is truly amazing to see what had been millions of years before our existence and hold that piece of history in your hands.
Analysis of Trash on the San Gabriel River Trail
Kevin Burge, Allard deJong, Alex Essex-Carmona, and Alexander Reinsch
On a hike along the San Gabriel River Trail, these students noticed litter along the trail. They decided to conduct a scientific analysis to better understand where along the trail litter might be a problem and how it might be better managed. An initial hypothesis was that litter was more likely to occur where there were fewer trash cans. The students divided the trail into sections. They collected trash along the trail, recording the number of pieces of trash found in each section and the type of trash collected. They also interviewed trail users to determine their impressions and attitudes about trash along the trail. Results of the study showed that the trail is relatively free of litter and trash. The amount of litter was not related to the presence of trash cans. Instead, areas that contained more litter were located near roads and streets, suggesting that most litter does originate not from trail users, but comes from passing vehicles. Adding additional trash cans is unlikely to decrease the amount of litter that occurs along the trail.
No comments:
Post a Comment