By Dr. Cecilia Vigil
The Biology and Environmental Science Programs at Arizona Western College can easily tout that its course offerings are as reputable and challenging as any in the state. But faculty and staff in these departments are especially proud of all the extra opportunities offered here -- to be involved in the rehabilitation of wildlife, to be part of the Science Club, to build schoolyard habitats and outdoor labs, to be competitive for prestigious federal internships offered locally and to be involved in research.
In one such opportunity, more that 80 science students were at the Betty's Kitchen area of Mittry Lake at 7:00 a.m. on Feb. 27 to help with the planting of more than 7,000 cottonwood and willow trees. Dr. Kevin Grady, a professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, through a National Science Foundation Grant, is leading a major regional study on how riparian trees will react to climate change. The premise is that in a few years trees will be maladapted to the area given the radical climate changes we are experiencing -- including higher temperatures, reduced rainfall and increasingly mild winters.
Grady is planting trees from three different climates at Betty's Kitchen. As part of his research, he is also analyzing the soil, root competition, genetic variation and many other variables to assess how local trees react to climate change compared to trees from higher elevations and latitudes.
Besides being involved in the planting of the trees, some AWC science students have been given internships to assist with the monitoring of the vegetation, data collection and other aspects of Grady's research. Besides the physical and intellectual work, though, everyone who participated in the planting had at least some fun getting dirty and realizing that they are a part of the restoration of the Lower Colorado River.
This opportunity came about due in part to a network of fruitful collaborations. For example, AWC Professor of Biology Dr. Cecilia Vigil and NAU-Yuma Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Dr. Megan Lahti have been working on several projects with Grady. In addition, Erica Stewart, a graduate of the AWC-NAU Science Program and now the local Wildlife Biologist at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has collaborated with several AWC and NAU-Yuma science faculty to facilitate research at a site adjacent to Betty's Kitchen, known as the PRATT plot. Besides Lahti and Vigil, these faculty include professors George Montopoli, John King, Fred Croxen and Daniel Davis.
This semester, these faculty have coordinated several research activities at PRATT to conduct a "bioblitz," or a massive survey of all species within the area. King's Ornithology class (NAU-Yuma) is doing bird surveys, Lahti's class (NAU-Yuma) is doing herpetology surveys, Croxen and Montopoli's Environmental Science classes (AWC) are doing tree counts and measurements. Also, Armando Gutierrez, a science student at NAU-Yuma, is doing his undergraduate research with Vigil on mammals in the area.
These efforts will assist students and the BLM in determining whether this is viable habitat for protected species such as the southwestern willow flycatcher and yellow-billed cuckoo. If the findings support this, then creation of additional habitat of this type will be replicated along more portions of the river as restoration activities continue.
This is an excellent learning opportunity for our students and something that the science faculty and student alike pride themselves upon -- learning through hands-on research.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Cecilia Vigil
