California ground squirrels are an abundant wildlife species at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area in San Francisco, where they are regularly fed by park visitors. The goal of this study was to provide the park with useful information about the ecology of their resident ground squirrel population including their activity patterns, the types of human foods in their diets, and potential impacts of access to anthropogenic food sources. Understanding how these squirrels interact with visitors and how these interactions influence their behavior and body condition is important for management of both park visitors and wildlife.

Through our service in College Corps, we bridge the gap between the lack of support for students and staff. With this experience we now understand both perspectives of the student and the staff when it comes to the pressures of the school system. In our time serving the importance of a positive student/staff relationship has become that much clearer. Work at our sites has not only brightened our perspective on the school system, but as well our career paths. As psychology majors, we have a goal to help and understand people's relationships. So with this hands-on experience, it has further confirmed what area we wish to study in.

This year, I had the opportunity to work with the Clarke Historical Museum, one of the largest in Humboldt County. I helped set up exhibits, worked on projects, and participated in community events. I learned how a small community preserves and shares its history through this. Balancing this with college was challenging, but the support from Josh and the Clarke staff made it manageable. This experience deepened my appreciation for public history and inspired me to pursue future work that connects education, culture, and community engagement.

The Student-Parent Support Initiative is a student-run initiative whose purpose is to bring a campus-wide awareness of student-parents at Humboldt State University. Our goal is to identify student-parents and to help students with children connect with one another and provide a space to find resources that support their family and academic goals. This presentation highlights the strengths, challenges, and needs of 18 student-parents who participated in focus groups and completed a questionnaire during the 2014-2015 academic year.

What is the cultural significance that the Redwood Creek Levee System carries in Orick, California? The purpose of this study is to further investigate the history and management of the levee system and to apply the findings. By tracking the levee's ethos using multiple research methods and publishing, the study hopes to better understand roles humans play with regard to the levee system and to each other. Through collaboration and greater understanding of the levee system research will be revealed in the Orick wikipedia page and within an Omeka exhibit site.

The scope of this research was aimed toward extracting the most possible information about Longfin Smelt, Sculpin, and Blue Herring out on Humboldt Bay. The primary research was geared toward finding out the distribution limits, abundance, habitat, and spawning limits for the three mentioned species. Work was done directly with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, in which tributaries leading into Humboldt Bay of Salmon Creek, Wood Creek, Freshwater, and others were the leading areas of research. Through laboratory work and field work conducted by boat and by foot, important knowledge of Smelt, Sculpin, and Herring was gained drastically the last three months.

Did you know that most protein bars are gendered? DeFrancisco, V. L., & Palczewski, C. H. wrote that “communication creates gender, gender does not create communication,” and this is especially evident when looking at the difference in protein bars. Protein bars like the Clif bar and Luna bar are socially constructed to appear feminine or masculine. This is done by playing to cultural feminine ideals, by the packaging of the product itself, and by the rhetoric associated with each product.

Our project focuses on the importance of ethnobotany with an emphasis on restoration and medicinal plant properties. Ethnobotanical studies fixated on traditional ecological knowledge have long been disregarded by western science; however, this information is crucial for the restoration of the environment, advancement of medicines, and cultural revival of the Native people. Due to colonization and westernization, the continuation of knowledge throughout generations along with the vast ecosystems that once thrived has depleted. Conversely, through the expansion and shared education on plants and restoration processes long known by Natives, the gap between western science and TEK will degrade.

Our research project focuses on encouraging HSU students to become more physically active, while immersing themselves in the Arcata community. Our Wayfinder project includes a map of trails that will be highlighted by semi-permanent signage, to increase walkability and integrate HSU students into the community. With the results from a previous survey, the trails in this project preview a variety of popular places in the Arcata community to promote Arcata-HSU relations and influence students to explore their new home. In our video, we will share the trails, how we created the trails, and our plans for future engagement.

Hospital readmissions that occur within 30 days of discharge due to medication adherence are largely preventable. CMS, the largest insurance payer, does not cover hospital admissions that occur within 30 days of discharge. Our rural area lacks critical access to pharmacies. Frequent hospitalizations and medication non-adherence increase patient mortality and reduce the quality of life for the patients and their families. Providing patients with a 30-day supply of their medications prior to leaving the hospital, along with patient education and a nurse follow-up phone call 48 hours later, can reduce ER visits and 30-day hospital readmissions.