Home for the holidays in a land of snow and ice, I’ve taken some time to reflect on the past nine months working as a Seeds of Success (SOS) Intern at the Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global. Being back where I started prior to the internship makes me wonder if it all really happened or maybe it was just my imagination. Did I really work in such extreme landscapes with crazy plants that look like the illustrations from a Dr. Seuss book? Was I really there to see the subtle changes of seasons from spring to summer to fall and winter?
Blooming Desert
Working at a non-profit international research institute provided a tremendous amount of insight into the world of conservation. Working as an SOS intern I developed an intimate knowledge of the plants of several ecosystems found in Southern California including: coastal sage scrub, chaparral, chaparral/oak woodland transition, high desert transition (Mojave/Sonoran), low desert transition, and desert. It was a steep learning curve at first, but each day as the landscape became more and more familiar it was easier to rely on memory and basic botany skills to identify plant species.
I worked for the Applied Plant Ecology division of the Institute. This gave me the opportunity to participate in other projects as well. The Zoo has its own seedbank that aspires to maintain, in long term cold storage, a collection of seeds from each species found in San Diego County. As part of the seedbanking efforts we had to care for the collections with steps beyond those SOS interns normally experience.
Duel Collecting
The seeds need to go through a series of techniques to remove excess vegetative material. Different species have different methods that work best and could include rubbing, sifting, use of an air separator, and hand cleaning. The process can be time consuming and in many cases it is a trial and error experience to determine the best techniques for each species. Once the seed is clean it needs to be placed in desiccant chambers to dry before it can be packaged and placed in the freezer. After being in cold storage for at least one year, germination tests are done to determine the best method of bringing the seeds out of dormancy.
Other projects I was able to work on were habitat restoration projects for the Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat and Coastal Cactus Wren. This included: vegetation surveys, invasive species control, animal behavior studies, site preparation for small mammal relocation, bird surveys and song recording, cactus herbivory studies, seedling propagation, and site preparation for planting.
The hands-on experience in the field was great, but I also got to learn about other research being done at the Institute and by other organizations in the surrounding area during the Institute’s weekly seminar series. I learned how the zoo combines research of the behaviors and needs of their collection animals at the zoo with studies conducted on wild populations. The data are then applied to the conservation and restoration of natural habitats. It was good to see that the conservation effort runs deeper than the charismatic mega-fauna that the public generally sees. My invaluable experience at the Institute has broadened my knowledge and skill base in conservation action; I will carry this on with me as I develop my own conservation philosophy and build my career.
Contemplating the Scenery
Sarah Brewster
SOS Intern
San Diego Zoo Global