Infusing a Public Lands Stewardship Ethic Across a

Infusing a Public Lands Stewardship Ethic Across a Program’s Curriculum Donald Rodriguez, Ph. D. Associate Professor and Chair, Environmental Science and Resource Management, California State University Channel Islands

CSU Channel Islands University Mission statement – Placing students at the center of the educational experience, California State University Channel Islands provides undergraduate and graduate education that facilitates learning within and across disciplines through integrative approaches, emphasizes experiential and service learning, and graduates students with multicultural and international perspectives.

What is Service Learning Service-learning is an intentionally designed course and is a process of learning through reflection on the experience of doing service.

Freshmen Year Experience • Volunteer park experience • Allows for variety of opportunities • Work closely with park volunteer coordinators • Tied to course curriculum

Sophomore Year Experience • Organized class exercises • Work closely with park resource staff • Integrated with park resource needs

Junior Year Experience • Park-University coinstructors for field methods course • Park resource management prime concern • Mentor network for students

Senior Capstone Experience • Student initiated immersion with park staff. • Park mentor engaged with student research • Park-University Challenge Cost Share Grant • Cooperative Ecological Studies Unit (CESU)

Recipient BENIFICIARY Provider Service FOCUS Learning Provider INITIATOR Recipient ENGAGED PROGRAM • Professional mentor/curricular advisor • Courses designed to address community knowledge/action gaps • Community based research COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS • Classes organized to work collectively on major community environmental projects SERVICE INTRODUCTION • Freshmen students allowed to select environmental volunteer opportunity to create awareness of local environmental issues and organizations FIELD LEARNING • Structured field experiences that create fluency with environmental assessment techniques/protocols SENIOR CAPSTONE • Individual student opportunity to on project mutually agreed work with professional mentor upon by faculty PROGRAM COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ·Made up of environmental professionals representing a range of interests ·Curriculum advisory role, co-instructor role, research collaborators, student mentors ·Program advocates within the community, region, and state

“Our national parks will be planning for a centennial celebration before we know it. Perhaps by then they will be regarded as an integral part of the larger landscape that touches the lives of all citizens in a variety of ways, and are as distinctive as the communities who visit them. ” Rodriguez and Roberts (2000)

“The National Park” Interdisciplinary Course

http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=6 k. XGqez 1 H-g

Students from CSU Channel Islands invite you to An Informal Presentation About The National Parks Come hear from students about the value and legacy of our National Parks Date: Monday May 10, 2010 Time: 4: 00 – 6: 00 pm Location: LRC 1 on the Oxnard Campus

Student to Student Conversations Regarding Public Land Stewardship

CSUCI Goes to Oxnard Community College

http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=b 2 RDuaf 3 F 0 M

Student Initiated Research